PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Title: Program Development Manager

Reports to: Director of Bears Care

Department: Bears Care

Manages People: No

About the Role

The Chicago Bears are looking for a Program Development Manager to support Bears Care, the team's charitable arm. A registered 501 (c)(3), Bears Care is committed to improving the quality of life for people in the Chicagoland community especially disadvantaged children and their families. This role will provide wide-ranging charity support, with a focus on fundraising, grantmaking and donor relationships. The Program Development Manager will also take the lead role in curating and launching the annual Bears Care Gala auction and provide additional event support for the charity's single largest fundraising event. This role will work out of our headquarters in Lake Forest, IL and be required to work all home Chicago Bears games and events as necessary.

Who We Are

As one of the founding franchises of the NFL, family is the core of who we are. We believe every person matters and we can collectively achieve success through our values of respect, championship mindset, community, and perseverance. We're different from other companies, as our vision is to be "one of one". We strive to be a championship football organization that consistently performs at a level of excellence on and off the field. Our people represent a vast array of cultural backgrounds, human experiences and perspectives and we believe they, collectively and as authentic individuals, are our greatest resource. Our working environment is one where your talent and contributions are valued by the organization and the community.

Responsibilities

Fundraising and Event Support

• Play integral role in planning and execution of annual Bears Care Gala, including interfacing with Gala volunteer committee.
• Lead Bears Care Gala auction. Research auction, sponsor and guest leads and update contact database. Assist in preparing donor and advertiser solicitations and related acknowledgements. Serve as event lead the night of the Gala; support auction activities and volunteers as needed including training.
• Research external opportunities to secure grant funding to support Bears Care's work supporting women's health/cancer care and access to quality care and resources, relevant to research and survivorship programs
• Coordinate annual Season Opener luncheon, including identifying guests, securing speaker, planning menu and program, and identifying story-telling opportunities
• Manage relationship with external healthcare partner for Crucial Catch related activities, while continuing to explore other opportunities to engage underserved women to educate on the importance of cancer screenings and diagnostics and incentivize to take action
• Assist Director in managing Bears partner relationships for all events,
• Assist Director with planning "Line Up Against Hunger" and "Bears Bearing Gifts" holiday initiatives

Grantmaking

• Take lead role in managing relationship with current grant lifestyle management software and maximize use of system utilities; review and assess timing and process for implementation of current grant cycles including letters of inquiry, stewardship and review process; perform retroactive system maintenance as needed to align with future process including expanding tracking of outcomes and measurements against KPI's
• At direction of the Board, issue invitations to selected organizations to apply for funding, review all completed applications, prepare concise written report summarizing requests for Board review
• Alongside the Director, engage with the philanthropic community and not-for-profit community organization leaders, and monitor publications, news reports and partner communications to identify emerging community challenges/needs and potential partners to assist in addressing those needs that align with charity and Club KPI's
• Prepare quarterly summaries of grant requests for Bears Care Board of Directors
• Serve as liaison with women's cancer care partners, coordinate summer hospital visits and prepare summary for review by Board of Directors
• Manage the player, staff and alumni matching grant programs
• Coordinate player appearances and other opportunities to engage Bears staff and volunteers with Bears Care charitable partners

General Administration & Financial Reporting

• Work in collaboration with Community Relations department to align with overarching Club and charity objectives
• Participate in civic and community events focused on existing and emerging issues impacting investment strategy
• Develop an effective plan to measure program and grant impacts consistent with Club's strategy map and commitment to empowering and revitalizing the community
• Process all approved grant awards through Finance and mail checks, grant acceptance forms and related correspondence to grant recipients, collect and review stewardship reports
• Support administration of all charity related financial needs including donation tracking, invoice coding, audit documentation, recordkeeping, and more
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent training and experience
• 5+ years of relevant experience in not-for-profit sector
• Financial skills relevant to assisting with monthly reporting needs, basic understanding of accounting principles and financial statement structure required
• Experience in donor solicitation required
• Experience with grant lifecycle management software required
• Relevant experience with event/donor management software required
• Experience with problem solving and/or customer service in a previous role, and possess the ability to work with many personalities
• Thorough understanding of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint)
• Exhibit excellent communication skills, including written and verbal correspondence, experience in crafting IRS compliant letters/acknowledgments required
• Must be organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage time effectively to work on multiple projects at once
• Ability to develop internal and external relationships
• Must be dependable, willing to take initiative and adapt to a variety of situations
• Ability to work non-traditional hours in non-traditional settings this includes evenings, weekends, and holidays

What We Offer

We remain committed to upholding the standard of being a first-class organization and employer of choice. Our goal is to provide quality support and a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for our most important resource, our people.

COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY PAY

The Program Development Manager is a full-time non-contract position. This position is a salary based role. The expected salary range for this role is $70,000 - $80,000/per year. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and other job-related factors.

BENEFITS & PERKS

Our full-time offerings include but are not limited to:

• Core Coverage: 100% paid premium for healthcare and dental coverage, affordable vision offerings, 100% paid premium for disability and employee life insurance coverage, paid FMLA (including paid paternity leave)
• Investments: employer paid pension plan, 401K with matching
• Flexible Work Location: Up to 2 days a week of remote work (role dependent)
• Time to Recharge: Minimum of 10 paid vacation days, 5 paid sick/mental health days, 4 paid floating holidays, 2 paid days to volunteer, 2 paid days to volunteer, plus 10 paid holidays
• Experiences: complimentary home game tickets & parking, ability to buy tickets to away games and fan events
• Gear: yearly Bears gear package plus 50% off at the Bears Pro Shop
• Wellness: FREE breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks, access to onsite fitness facilities and BearsFit, complimentary Calm app access
• Connection: Social events for staff and their families, Employee Resource Groups, Service Milestones, and more
• Professional Development: complimentary LinkedIn Learning access, leadership programming, guest speakers, mentorship, and more

Additional information on employee benefits can be found by visiting www.ChicagoBears.com/jobs.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Chicago Bears organization continues to deepen its commitment to establishing an inclusive, equitable work environment that reflects the diversity within our communities and fan base. We value, respect, and appreciate diversity at all levels, on and off the field, and are guided by a vision of success that includes integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into our club's DNA and culture. The Chicago Bears seek to attract, retain and develop top talent, regardless of personal characteristics, and we invite and encourage all individuals to apply for positions of interest.

The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job. Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.