Sponsorship & Donor Experience Associate

Our client, The Cabaret, is growing again!

POSITION PURPOSE

Founded in 2009, The Cabaret is a nationally acclaimed premier home for intimate cabaret where artists are uplifted, audiences belong, the next generation thrives, and our community is strengthened through world‑class artistry and radical hospitality.

The Sponsorship & Donor Experience Associate is a new full-time position on The Cabaret’s growing team. The Associate will play a critical role in supporting The Cabaret’s expanding development efforts, with a focus on the sponsorship program, donor stewardship, and operational support for annual and capital campaigns.

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), this position ensures that sponsors, donors, funders, and community partners experience The Cabaret’s signature Radical Hospitality at every touchpoint. The Associate also provides day‑to‑day administrative, data, communication, and event support, helping to advance contributed revenue goals across individual giving, sponsorship, special events, and campaign initiatives.

This is an ideal role for an ambitious early-mid career development professional (3–5 years' experience) seeking hands‑on responsibility, high visibility within an entrepreneurial team, and opportunities for mentorship and career advancement in one of Indy’s beloved cultural anchors and top nonprofit theaters. All employees are expected to actively embody The Cabaret’s values: We Deliver the WOW, We Practice Radical Hospitality, We Welcome Everyone, We Lift Each Other Up, and We Do the Right Thing.

This role requires a positive attitude, proactive initiative, curiosity, meticulous attention to detail, and a genuine drive to serve and care for others. A flexible schedule is essential, including the ability to work evenings and weekends during performances and events. The Cabaret presents 40–50 performance nights annually in its award‑winning theatre, with show weekends typically occurring twice per month.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Sponsorship Program Management

• Assist the CAO in executing and expanding the annual series and 3-season show sponsorship program.
• Manage sponsor benefit fulfillment with meticulous and personalized attention to detail, ensuring each sponsor receives a “WOW” experience every time.
• Serve as a key point of contact for sponsor communication before, during, and after sponsored performances.
• Support backstage and onsite Radical Hospitality efforts, including greeting sponsors, coordinating VIP needs, and ensuring brand‑aligned recognition.
• Track sponsor agreements, invoicing, payments, and deliverables in collaboration with the CAO.
• Assist with preparation of sponsorship proposals, decks, impact reports, and other communications.

Donor Stewardship & Annual Fund Support

• Provide daily administrative and logistical support for individual giving, including annual appeals, Giving Tuesday, and other campaigns.
• Prepare timely and accurate gift acknowledgments, thank-you letters, and stewardship communications that reflect The Cabaret’s tone, warmth, and values.
• Assist in cultivating and stewarding donors across giving levels by coordinating touchpoints, meetings, notes, and follow‑ups.
• Support sponsor and donor hospitality at performances, special events, and cultivation activities.
• Track donor interactions and moves management activity in the CRM, helping advance donors through the stewardship cycle.

Development Operations & Data Management

• Maintain accurate donor and sponsor records in the CRM (currently Bloomerang).
• Process gifts and generate reports in partnership with the CAO and CFO.
• Support list management, segmentation, and data pulls for appeals, newsletters, and Board materials.
• Support updates to the grants calendar, collection and maintenance of impact data, and narrative development in partnership with the CAO.

Events, Hospitality & Community Engagement

• Assist in planning and executing donor sponsor, and cultivation events.
• Provide onsite support at performances, ensuring exceptional patron and donor experience in line with The Cabaret’s Radical Hospitality values.
• Support community engagement opportunities, partnerships, and outreach as assigned.

Capital Campaign Support

• Assist with research, proposals, and scheduling for the forthcoming capital campaign.
• Support preparation of campaign materials, reports, and meetings.
• Maintain confidentiality and accuracy in all campaign‑related documentation.
  

General Administrative Support

• Provide scheduling, meeting preparation, materials creation, and follow‑up support for CAO.
• Utilize Monday.com and related tools to support transparent workflows, timelines, and accountability.
• Collaborate with Marketing to ensure donor materials, acknowledgments, and sponsorship collateral are accurate and up‑to‑date.
• Other duties as assigned in service of The Cabaret’s mission and values.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 3–5+ years of experience in fundraising, sponsorships, nonprofit development, marketing, customer experience, or related fields.
• Strong belief in The Cabaret’s mission, vision, and values, with a passion for the performing arts.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to warmly engage donors, sponsors, and patrons.
• Highly organized, detail‑driven, able to manage multiple projects in a fast‑paced environment.
• Excellent writing, communication, and proofreading skills.
• Comfort working evenings and weekends during performance periods.
• Commitment to cultural equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Preferred

• Experience with Office 365/Outlook.
• Experience with CRM/database management (The Cabaret currently uses Bloomerang).
• Experience supporting campaigns, sponsorship programs, or donor relations.
• Understanding of philanthropic practices and the donor stewardship cycle.
• Strong hospitality instincts and a desire to genuinely “Deliver the WOW.”

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Frequent use of computer, phone, and office equipment.
• Occasional lifting (up to ~20 lbs.) for event support.
• Moving through theatre spaces to greet donors and sponsors as needed.

THE CABARET’S VALUES IN THIS ROLE

Thisposition exemplifies The Cabaret’s core values by:

• Delivering the WOW through exceptional sponsor and donor experiences.
• Practicing Radical Hospitality at events, onsite activations, and in daily interactions.
• Welcoming Everyone by supporting inclusive donor engagement and equitable processes.
• Lifting Each Other Up through collaborative teamwork and communication across departments.
• Doing the Right Thing with accurate data management, integrity, and thoughtful stewardship.

The Cabaret offers a competitive total compensation package and fosters a culture that supports flexibility, well‑being, and balance—including