Community Development Intern Jobs in West Chicago, IL

Position Title - Development Intern, Auditorium Theatre

Category - Temporary

Position Number - ZH9981

Posting Number - S0001358

Location - Chicago

Open Date - 04/06/2026

Open Until Filled? - Yes

Job Type - Part-Time

Position Summary - About The Auditorium

The Auditorium is a National Historic Landmark and a leading performing arts venue committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming. We are dedicated to fostering artistic excellence, expanding access to the arts, and supporting the vibrant cultural landscape of Chicago. Our team is passionate, mission-driven, and united in the belief that the performing arts can transform communities.

Position Overview

The Auditorium seeks a detail-oriented, curious, and proactive Development Intern to support fundraising operations and donor communications during a high-impact season. This internship offers practical experience across events, data, grant writing, and individual giving within a collaborative fundraising team.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the internship, the Development Intern will be able to:

• Explain and apply ethical and legal fundraising principles in practical scenarios.
• Perform daily fundraising tasks with clarity and confidence.
• Produce an individual giving appeal and understand basic strategy and segmentation to achieve positive outcomes.
• Draft a grant proposal or wrap-up report aligned to funder guidelines and outcomes.
• Support a major fundraising event from planning to post-event stewardship.

Logistics & Benefits

Schedule: 15–20 hours/week; some evening or weekend hours required

Work Mode: On-site

Training & Mentorship: Weekly 1:1 check-ins, skill-building sessions, and feedback on writing and data projects.

Professional Development: Opportunity to build portfolio pieces (appeal, proposal/report, SOP excerpts) and receive resume/LinkedIn feedback.

The hourly rate is $17 per hour.

Title IX Contact Information: Federal Title IX policy requires that all colleges and universities make known the contact information for the person responsible for coordinating its efforts to comply with Title IX regulations. At Roosevelt University, the Title IX Coordinator is Natasha Robinson. Her office is located in the Auditorium Building of the Chicago campus, 430 S. Michigan Avenue, AUD 476B. She can be reached at 312-281-3245 or TitleIX@roosevelt.edu.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required - Strong writing, editing, and organizational skills with sharp attention to detail. Comfort with spreadsheets and data entry. Professionalism, reliability, and ability to manage deadlines. Commitment to confidentiality and ethical standards in handling donor information. Availability to work the Center Stage Soirée on August 8 (evening hours required).

Years of Experience Required - 3–5 years of experience in nonprofit development, grant writing, or institutional fundraising

Required Education - High School/GED

Certification/Licensure Required

Minimum Qualifications - See knowledge, skills and abilities above.

Preferred Qualifications - Experience with any CRM or database (e.g., SalesforceNPSP, Raiser's Edge, EveryAction/Bonterra, Neon, Bloomerang, etc.). Prior exposure to development, events, marketing/communications, or grant writing. Familiarity with accessibility, inclusive language, and donor-centered communications. Interest in performing arts and/or architecture.

Equipment Operated

Working Conditions - Standard noise and climate controlled office environment. Job is mostly sedentary and requires frequent use of wrist for typing.

Priority Application Instructions - Please submit the following by May 10:

Resume (1 page)

Brief cover letter explaining your interest and relevant experience (max 1 page)

One writing sample (can be any piece of writing that represents your written communication abilities; e.g. creative writing piece, excerpt of academic paper, fundraising-related communications; max 3 pages)

Departmental Contact Information

Essential Job Functions

Duty and Responsibility - Event Support – Center Stage Soirée (August 8)

Assist with event planning timelines, run of show, and vendor/venue coordination.

Support guest list management, handle sponsor and VIP benefits, and manage onsite registration/check-in.

Provide day-of support including silent auction and wine pull coordination (must be available on August 8)

Percentage Of Time - 40

Duty and Responsibility - Data & Systems – CRM Data Manual

Help draft a CRM Data Standards & Procedures Manual covering data entry conventions, gift processing workflows, coding/attributes, soft crediting, deduplication, and reporting basics.

Document standard operating procedures (SOPs) for campaign, fund, and appeal structures.

Support data hygiene tasks (e.g., record updates, list pulls, segmentation QA) following privacy and security protocols.

Percentage Of Time - 20

Duty and Responsibility - Individual Giving – Campaign Appeal

Draft one donor appeal (including direct mail letter, emails, and other outreach efforts) tailored to a specific segment with a clear case for support, impact statements, and a compelling call to action.

Coordinate needed approvals; collaborate on design, segmentation, A/B testing (if applicable), and performance tracking (open, click, response rates).

Produce a donation page using the DonorDrive platform

Percentage Of Time - 20

Duty and Responsibility - Institutional Giving – Grant Writing

Draft either:

• One grant proposal (narrative sections such as need statement, program description, outcomes, budget overview), or
• One grant wrap-up report (outcomes, outputs, demographics, stories, and lessons learned).

Gather supporting data and quotes; coordinate reviews and finalize for submission or archive.

Percentage Of Time - 20

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * Do you have the ability to work on-site with occasional evenings and weekends, including working the Center Stage Soirée on August 8?
   • Yes
   • No
2. * Do you have experience and comfort with spreadsheets and data entry?
   • Yes
   • No

Required Documents

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter
3. Special Document/File 1

Optional Documents

1. List of References