ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

A Better Chicago is a venture philanthropy fund devoted to dramatically improving educational opportunities for low-income students. The organization invests in a select portfolio of high performing nonprofits that are putting lowincome students on a path toward high school and college success.

Current Challenge and A Better Chicago's Solution:

Despite decades of reform efforts, only 14% of Chicago Public School freshmen are graduating from college by the age of 25.

In response, A Better Chicago is harnessing best practices from the private sector to find, fund and scale a portfolio of high-performing nonprofit organizations that puts low-income students on a path to high school and college success. Through a combination of funding and management support, A Better Chicago is providing Chicago's most effective nonprofits with the financial and intellectual capital to thrive.

Key Elements of A Better Chicago's Model Include:

Rigorous due diligence: A Better Chicago carefully screens organizations and only funds those that have strong leadership, a compelling program model and a demonstrated commitment to outcomes measurement

Add value: It takes more than just money. A Better Chicago provides assistance in areas like strategic planning, executive search and leadership development— all of which are critical to building strong organizations and achieving meaningful outcomes

Results: A Better Chicago's team works tirelessly so that every dollar raised has the maximum possible impact. The organization openly shares its performance because it believes in accountability. It's part of how A Better Chicago is transforming philanthropy

100% impact: A Better Chicago's board of directors and leadership council cover all of the organization's operating expenses, so 100% of donations are invested in high-performing organizations

Since Launching in 2010, A Better Chicago has:

• Raised $20 million to invest in Chicago's most effective education nonprofits
• Built a founding board, leadership council and staff
• Reviewed 450+ organizations and built a portfolio of 11 high-performing organizations
• Developed partnerships with leading professional services firms to help its grantees tackle their most pressing strategic and operational challenges

Looking Forward:

In 2015, A Better Chicago launched a bold plan to transform educational opportunities for low-income students. By 2025 it will:

• Grow its portfolio to approximately 25 grantees
• Invest significant financial and intellectual capital in our grantees to help them increase their service capacity by a combined 80,000 students
• Achieve a 60% college graduation rate for its portfolio, compared to Chicago Public Schools' current rate of 14%

For more information, please visit: http://www.abetterchicago.org

ABOUT THE POSITION:

A Better Chicago seeks an exceptional Marketing + Events Manager to lead the planning and execution of all aspects of the organization’s event strategy. The person who fills this role will demonstrate passion for A Better Chicago’s mission to improve educational opportunities for low-income youth and aspires to leverage her/his skills towards this purpose. The Marketing + Events Manager will be integral in ensuring A Better Chicago meets ambitious growth goals by attracting donors and community members through targeted and engaging events that elevate the A Better Chicago mission and brand. This person will be an outstanding project manager with superior attention to detail, a problem solver, and someone who demonstrates grace under pressure in a fast-paced goal oriented environment.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

o Strategy and planning

• Collaborate with marketing team and other colleagues to develop a marketing strategy that will enable A Better Chicago to achieve its business objectives
• Develop an event strategy to support A Better Chicago’s marketing and development strategies, which should include: Analysis of A Better Chicago’s events and assets; Event objectives, targets and metrics; Strategies to engage each stakeholder segment; Events calendar; Systems, processes and resources required to successfully execute plan
• Ensure that A Better Chicago’s staff and key stakeholders (e.g. board, vendors) understand the events plan
• Collaborate with marketing team to develop annual marketing budget

o Execution

• Manage events calendar; ensure internal and external stakeholders are kept apprised of changes
• Collaborate with marketing and development teams to develop compelling event concepts that are aligned with marketing plans and target audiences through research and input from colleagues, board members, donors, grantees, experts and partners
• Lead team effort to produce each event, from pre-production to post-event debriefs, ensuring everyone has a clear understanding of their personal and team wide deadlines, which should include, but will not be limited to: Developing and managing detailed project plans with clear dates and ownership; Soliciting, selecting, and managing external vendors (e.g. venue, catering, AV, hotel and transportation companies); Recruiting and managing volunteers to support events; Completing post-event analyses and debriefs
• Support Head of Marketing in managing marketing budget
• Represent A Better Chicago at events, conferences and other meetings as necessary

REPORTS TO: Managing Director + Head of Marketing

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:

A Better Chicago is considering candidates with the following qualifications:

• Passion for A Better Chicago’s mission and core values
• Bachelor’s degree
• 5+ years of relevant experience with a proven track record of planning and executing successful events
• Exceptional project management skills, attention to detail, and experience in developing and maintaining systems and processes
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Sound judgment and grace under pressure
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Outstanding ability to prioritize, multi-task and adapt as necessary, with consistent demonstrated ability to meet goals and deadlines
• Has enormous respect for A Better Chicago’s donors, partners and grantees
• Knowledge of nonprofit or education sector a plus

COMPENSATION: Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. A Better Chicago offers an excellent benefits package.

TARGETED START DATE: Spring 2016

LOCATION: Chicago, IL

TO APPLY, SEND A COVER LETTER AND RESUME TO: [email protected]

REFERRAL AWARD: A referral award of $1,500 will be given to the individual who refers the candidate who fills this role.

A Better Chicago is an equal opportunity employer.