WHO WE ARE:
SkyART is a permanent fixture in the vibrant cultural landscape of Chicago’s South and West Side communities. Founded in 2001, with creativity at the center of everything we do, SkyART provides free, safe, open spaces where people are empowered and connections are made. SkyART continues to fulfill its mission from our flagship studio in South Chicago and beyond, reaching young people through three pillar programs: SkyWAY, for ages 7-13; Project 3rd Space, for ages 14-24 and Project Impact, our art therapy program. In 2020 SkyART announced an expansion to Chicago’s West Side and began providing school programs in Austin, Garfield Park and Humboldt Park. In 2024 we purchased a 7,500 sq ft building in Garfield Park for SkyART West, our second permanent location. Driving our mission is a deep understanding of the transformative power of art and its capacity to enhance intellectual, emotional and social development.

WHO WE SERVE:
The communities where SkyART works and the young people we serve exemplify the resilience and the beautiful diversity of our city. Our free programs are open and accessible to youth from communities that have been impacted by historic marginalization, generational trauma and systemic racism, and who may lack access to cultural programming that affirms their identity and places them front and center as creators of their own futures. The majority of Black and Brown youth we serve are impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) which can negatively impact their ability to be successful in relationships, school, higher education or the workplace. Many are directly impacted by violence, incarceration and/or the foster care system. For all these reasons, SkyART prioritizes the wellbeing and healing of our participants using art as a platform for self exploration, reflection and Social Emotional Learning (SEL).

WHAT WE DO:
Founded by an Art Therapist, SkyART uses art to communicate, to connect and to heal. Through interdisciplinary, process-based projects, skill-building workshops and large-scale collaborations, SkyART encourages critical thinking and inspires creative expression for youth ages 7 to 24. In our studios youth work collaboratively with therapists or teaching artists in an atmosphere of mutual esteem and shared curiosity. SkyART has provided limited art therapy for our entire 20-year history. Building on that experience, during the initial phases of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, we formalized our therapeutic programs by creating Project Impact to directly respond to the mental health needs of our young people with individual and group art therapy. We believe and research shows that art making facilitated by a trained therapist can play an instrumental role in improving wellbeing, connection, self-esteem and empathy for others.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership and Planning:

• Work in tandem with the Executive Director and individual board members to develop opportunities for programmatic growth and assess expansion opportunities, campaigns and partnerships.
• Develop annual fundraising goals, drawing from a 3-year strategic plan to accelerate revenue growth from individual, foundation, corporate and government support
• Serve on the leadership team assessing expansion opportunities, donor and partner-initiated campaigns and external marketing partnerships.
• Coach, develop and directly supervise a team of development professionals responsible for SkyART revenue in the assigned area.
• Oversee management systems for donor cultivation and stewardship, grants management, gift processing and reports.
• Oversee marketing and communications across all platforms and with external partners.
• Represent SkyART at conferences, convenings and meetings with current or prospective donors, funders and partners

Donor Cultivation, Solicitation & Stewardship

• Work closely with the Executive Director and the Board of Directors to development and implement a sustainable and effective development strategy for donor prospecting, cultivation and stewardship
• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy encouraging sustained giving through capital campaigns, planned giving program and recurring giving
• Supervise solicitation and acknowledgment of monetary and in-kind donations, while establishing and maintaining relationships with potential and current individual and corporate donors.
• Collaborate with Marketing team to manage distribution of electronic and direct mail donor communications

Institutional Giving Management

• Create and implement strategy to grow institutional giving to accommodate program and organizational expansion initiatives
• Oversees all aspects of grants management including, prospect research, cultivation, grant submission, reporting, acknowledgement and follow-up.
• Oversees prospect research on foundations, governmental and corporation funding sources to support program and organizational growth initiatives.
• Increase and strengthen relationships with local and national funders align with geographical and programmatic interest
• Facilitate cross-departmental collaboration for program data collection, content collection, narrative development, financial reconciliation and overall grant compliance

Special Events

• Oversee planning and implementation of fundraising events, including volunteer events and corporate partnerships
• Develops and manages a comprehensive schedule for dissemination of marketing, development and programmatic materials for special events

Other duties as assigned

YOUR BACKGROUND INCLUDES:

• BA or BS Degree in finance or arts administration required, master’s degree preferred
• Experience writing successful grant proposals and applications
• Experience supervising a team
• A minimum of five to seven years of professional development and/or fundraising experience gained in a non-profit, healthcare, social services or foundation/association environment with a proven track record of achieving revenue targets
• A proven track record of maintaining effective relationships with donors and determining the optimal scenario for successful gift solicitation
• Ability to establish and monitor priorities, maintain flexibility and meet deadlines with limited direct supervision
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to draft and deliver impactful presentations, write persuasive solicitation letters and website content, and prepare well-organized reports
• Strong project management, research and organizational capabilities
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and working knowledge of fundraising software a plus
• Capital campaign experience is a plus
• Experience with Planned Giving is a plus

WHAT WE OFFER:

SkyART offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes a competitive salary commensurate with background, experience, and position responsibilities. Depending on the position, in addition to salary, benefits for eligible employees may include:

• Paid time off (PTO), with starting benefits of 4 weeks each fiscal year
• Eleven paid holidays and one additional day off for your birthday
• Employee retirement account with up to 3% contribution from SkyART
• Full health Insurance benefits, including medical, dental and vision

HOW YOU APPLY:
Please submit a cover letter and resume to: Directorofdevelopment@skyart.org with ”Director of Development]” in the subject line. Be sure to include your first and last name along with contact information in the body of the email. Do not mail or fax. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION:
SkyART is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

BIPOC, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQIA people are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact our Operations Department at Hr@skyart.org.