Finance Operations Associate Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Title: Operations Associate, Member and Donor Services

Exemption Status: Non-Exempt

Department: Development Operations

Reports to: Director, Development Operations

Year-Round, Full-Time

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

• 2026 A Guide to Your Benefits JP.pdf

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate’s qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate’s salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual’s contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview:

Seeking a conscientious, detail-oriented individual to join the Development Operations team, a collaborative team that processes the gifts and memberships that account for more than 25% of the Garden’s annual revenue. The operations associate plays a vital role in delivering an exceptional member and donor experience by ensuring accurate gift processing, data integrity, stewardship support, and timely donor acknowledgments. As a member of the Development Operations team, this position supports the systems and processes that enable fundraising success and stewardship across the Development division. They will be responsible for processing Tribute gifts, partnering with the Individual Giving team to deliver a smooth and supportive donor experience to individuals who have honored their loved ones through giving to the Garden. They will also provide critical processing and reporting support for other fundraising events and special initiatives as prioritized by Development leadership, and cross-functional support for Development Operations to ensure smooth year-round membership and donation processing.

Responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for the following:

Member and Donor Operations:

• Under the guidance of the director of Operations and database coordinator, assist with all daily functions of member and donor operations including the processing, fulfillment, and receipting of donations to the Garden while adhering to institutional data processing and accounting procedures.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding donor, member, financial, and constituent information and comply with organizational data security standards.
• Deliver accurate and timely gift and membership processing to meet weekly, monthly, and annual processing timelines and quality standards as agreed upon by Development and Finance team leaders.
• Process all Tribute gifts and prepare special acknowledgment letters and notification cards when necessary.
• Help resolve member and donor concerns with professionalism and discretion, while providing an exceptional service experience by email, telephone, or in person as needed.
• Process Development event revenue that has a tax deductible and benefit value portion and support reporting efforts to monitor progress toward event fundraising goals.
• Coordinate cash and credit card transactions with integrity following the Garden’s controls and procedures.
• Partner with colleagues in Development and Finance to investigate issues, troubleshoot, and deliver solutions.
• Cross-train with others on the Development Operations team to provide backfill or supplemental processing support as needed throughout the year based on seasonal fluctuations in donor, member, and visitor activity.
• Meet established gift processing and acknowledgment service-level agreements.

Data Management:

• Perform ongoing maintenance of individual records in Raiser’s Edge and Galaxy, maintaining high standards of data accuracy and completeness.
• Ensure compliance with organizational, accounting, audit, and IRS requirements.
• Support the integrity of donor and membership data across systems.
• Maintain accurate constituent records, including biographical updates, relationship tracking, and gift documentation.
• Support data cleanup and record maintenance initiatives in donor and member databases.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• More than three years of experience in development operations, membership services, donor services, nonprofit administration, customer service operations, accounting support, or related fields
• Microsoft Office proficiency
• Working knowledge of database systems, with Raiser’s Edge and/or Galaxy experience preferred
• Ability to work and communicate with staff, members, donors, and potential donors in a professional and courteous manner via email, telephone, and in person.
• Able to operate both collaboratively and independently, depending on task requirements.
• Strong customer service orientation.

Physical Demands:

Office setting. Frequent sitting, standing, walking, bending, listening, speaking, and keyboarding. Use of office equipment including computers, telephones, copiers, scanners, and fax machines. Some requirements for lifting, pushing, or pulling items less than 30 pounds.

Why Apply?
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.