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Development Director
The Illinois Prison Project (IPP) is a nonprofit organization in Chicago that seeks to reduce mass incarceration by providing legal services to individuals incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections. We focus on novel and creative approaches to prison reduction including mass commutation campaigns, sentence restructuring, public education, and advocacy.
IPP is hiring a Development Director, who can build on the organization’s solid base of support in its first three years and elevate fundraising to the next level, by tapping into diverse streams of new revenue. With a current budget of over $3 million, it is an exciting time of growth for IPP. The Development Director will have a unique opportunity to join a mighty team of professionals doing purposeful work that brings hope to incarcerated people and their loved ones. IPP requires all team members to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination will be required.
Responsibilities include:
- Recommend annual development budget, help to set and meet revenue and fundraising goals, and create a fundraising plan that includes cultivation and stewardship goals, and new donor and retention goals;
- Work in partnership with the Executive Director to engage, cultivate, and steward existing and prospective donors; Maintain a focus on gratitude, developing lasting relationships;
- Continually identify new foundation, individual, and corporate prospects;
- Build fundraising capacity throughout the organization, helping grow the skills of all staff and making development an organization-wide effort;
- Manage the foundation proposal and reports calendar to ensure timely delivery, and in collaboration with the program staff and Executive Director, deliver high quality grant proposals and funder reports; oversee routine programmatic and financial reports for government grants;
- Develop a year-round donor communications strategy in partnership with the Communications Team;
- Work in collaboration with the Communications Team to design and write fundraising e-updates and appeals, and bring a fundraising lens to marketing materials, newsletters and the annual report;
- Organize, oversee, and execute engaging cultivation and fundraising events;
- Coordinate with Executive Director to maximize event fundraising by soliciting sponsors and building event host committees and volunteers;
- Maintain fundraising data and systems, ensuring the organization’s donor and prospect information is updated and accurate and donors are being acknowledged.
Preferred Qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s degree or have had an equally effective and relevant alternative educational or professional experience;
- A deep commitment to criminal legal change in Illinois and social, economic, and racial justice;
- 3 years of nonprofit fundraising experience preferred with a demonstration of increased responsibilities and track record of success, particularly with diverse groups and communities;
- Excellent personal and professional communication skills; competent and clear writing abilities;
- Outstanding organizational/project management skills;
- The ability to work independently and as part of a team;
- Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends as required;
- Proficiency using Google suite and Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint;
- Hands-on experience with CRM software; ability to navigate, run queries and segment lists;
- Previous experience with legal or advocacy organizations is a plus.
Location: IPP maintains a hybrid work environment, including working remotely and out of IPP’s office at 53 West Jackson Blvd in Chicago, Illinois. Consistent with IPP’s hiring practices, this position can be remote but hiring preference is given to local candidates or candidates who plan to relocate locally. Certain tasks or events, however, may require that the Development Director be physically present in Chicago.
Reports To: Executive Director
Compensation: This is a full-time position with a salary of $65,000 and benefits that include generous vacation leave, health, dental, vision, long-term disability, life, and 401K.
Illinois Prison Project is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Illinois Prison Project believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as an organization, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.
How to Apply:
- Please submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample (preferably a grant proposal), and three professional references as PDFs via email to hiring@illinoisprisonproject.org with “Development Director” in the subject line. Please note: applications that do not include all the required materials will not be considered.
Supervising Staff Attorney
The Illinois Prison Project (IPP) is a young nonprofit organization in Chicago that seeks to reduce mass incarceration by providing legal services to individuals incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections. We focus on novel and creative approaches to prison reduction including mass commutation campaigns, sentence restructuring, public education, and advocacy.
IPP is hiring a Supervising Staff Attorney, who will represent people incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) in commutation, medical release, and other post-conviction matters, supervise junior attorneys, and supervise pro bono partners. IPP requires all team members to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination will be required.
Responsibilities include:
- Supervise lawyers, law clerks, and pro bono attorneys and their caseloads on commutation petitions, medical release, administrative advocacy requests, and other release mechanisms.
- Provide direct representation as required, including writing commutation petitions, administrative advocacy requests, representing clients at public commutation or parole hearings, and others as needed.
- Develop and maintain relationships with partner organizations and firms.
- Recruit, train, and support pro-bono attorneys.
- Assist with data collection and recording, keeping accurate and thorough client records.
- Other duties as assigned.
Desired Qualifications:
- Juris Doctorate degree and 7+ years practicing criminal defense, civil, or similar field of law.
- 2+ years of experience directly supervising attorneys or other legal staff.
- Be comfortable creating and maintaining relationships with advocates, allies, legislators, legislative staff, and agency staff.
- Commitment to criminal legal reform in Illinois and social, economic, and racial justice.
- Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Proficiency using Google suite; prior experience with case management software a plus.
- Strong proofreading and detail-oriented research and writing skills.
- Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from community members and the general public.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends as required.
- Ability to commute to IPP’s office in Chicago and travel throughout the state for prison visits, parole board hearings, and other events.
Location: IPP maintains a hybrid work environment, including working remotely and out of IPP’s office at 53 West Jackson Blvd in Chicago, Illinois. Consistent with IPP’s hiring practices, this position can be remote but hiring preference is given to local candidates or candidates who plan to relocate locally. Certain tasks or events, however, may require that the Supervising Staff Attorney be physically present in Chicago.
Reports To: Legal Director
Compensation: This is a full-time position with a starting salary of $80,000 and benefits that include generous vacation leave, health, dental, vision, long-term disability, life, and 401K.
Illinois Prison Project is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Illinois Prison Project believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as an organization, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.
How to Apply:
- Please send a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and three references to hiring@illinoisprisonproject.org with “Supervising Staff Attorney” in the subject line.
- Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Internship
Education Intern
The Illinois Prison Project (IPP) is a young nonprofit organization in Chicago that seeks to reduce mass incarceration by providing legal services to individuals incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), shifting narratives around mass incarceration and incarcerated people, and advocating for new mechanisms for releasing people from prison. We focus on novel and creative approaches to prison reduction including mass commutation campaigns, sentence restructuring, public education and advocacy.
IPP is looking for a dynamic Education Intern to join our team. The Education Intern will assist in the expansion of IPP’s public education and outreach endeavors that advocate for ending perpetual punishment and unlocking humanity for people who are incarcerated and formerly incarcerated.
Although the team has a hybrid in person/remote work environment, IPP requires interns to visit the office at least one day each week during their internship to help with in-office tasks. Successful applicants will be asked to pursue school funding if available. IPP commits to funding all intern positions at a rate comparable to $14.50 per hour and with the expectation of working 20 hours per week. Payments will be dispensed in monthly stipend payments. The start date for the internship is June 5, 2023 and the end date is August 14, 2022. IPP requires all team members to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination will be required.
Responsibilities include:
- Provide technological support to Education team and IPP Ambassadors by creating instructional videos, how-to guides, and tech check-ins.
- Assist in the implementation of virtual and in-person outreach/education events and initiatives.
- Assist in creating, editing, formatting and fact checking educational and promotional materials.
- Conduct research on mass incarceration and perpetual punishment within Illinois and how communities have been impacted .
- Visit the IPP office (located at 53 W. Jackson Blvd.) to sort, scan, organize and send client and non-client mail.
- Coordinate with Community Navigators to mail out IPP resources to those who request them.
- Review and input non-client letters into IPP’s case management system.
- Assist in answering phone calls from the community looking for support and assistance.
- Support with administrative tasks as needed.
Desired qualifications:
- Able to work 20 hours per week during normal business hours (M-F 9-5) with some flexibility for potential evening/weekend events.
- Able to visit the IPP office in the Loop at least one day each week throughout the internship.
- Extraordinarily patient with teaching technology to people who are not technologically savvy.
- Exceptionally detail and deadline oriented.
- The ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds and lifestyles in a friendly, polite and professional manner.
- Excellent written communication skills in English; ability to compose, edit and proofread materials.
- Independence and self-initiative.
- Motivated to learn more about Illinois' criminal legal system.
- Passionate about supporting criminal legal reform.
The Illinois Prison Project is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Illinois Prison Project believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as an organization, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.
How to apply:
- Write a one page reflection on what IPP Principles mean to you/ why they are important for this type of work. You can access our principles the “About” page on our website: https://www.illinoisprisonproject.org/about.
- Submit a resume, cover letter, and Principles reflection via email to hiring@illinoisprisonproject.org with “Education Intern” in the subject line. Please note: applications that do not include all the required materials will not be considered.
- Applications will be accepted until April 2, 2023.
Office Support Intern
The Illinois Prison Project (IPP) is a nonprofit organization in Chicago that seeks to reduce mass incarceration by providing legal services to individuals incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections. We focus on novel and creative approaches to prison reduction including mass commutation campaigns, sentence restructuring, public education and advocacy.
The Illinois Prison Project seeks a dynamic, detail-oriented, organized and energetic Office Support Intern to join us. The Office Support Intern will provide administrative support to the IPP team in an effort to reduce mass incarceration. This will be a part-time summer internship from June 2023 - August 2023.
Although the team has a hybrid in person/remote work environment, IPP requires this position to visit the office three days each week during their internship to help with in-office tasks. Successful applicants will be asked to pursue school funding if available. IPP commits to funding all intern positions at a rate comparable to $14.50 per hour and with the expectation of working 20 hours per week for 10 weeks during the summer months. The start date for the internship is June 5, 2023 and the end date is August 14, 2023. IPP requires all team members to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination will be required.
Responsibilities include:
- Local office support: Visit the IPP office (located at 53 W. Jackson Blv.d) to open, sort, scan, organize, and send client and non-client mail (both physically and digitally).
- Phones: Answer phone calls from clients, non-clients, and community members; forward calls appropriately; return voicemails and make call backs as needed.
- Data management: Input and track client and non-client data and letters.
- Administrative projects: Assist Office Manager as needed with various administrative projects to reorganize the physical office and revamp the current office systems in place, such as the incoming/outgoing mail process, phone coverage and data management.
Desired qualifications:
- Able to work 20 hours per week primarily during normal business hours (M-F 10-4) with some flexibility for potential evening/weekend events.
- Able to visit the IPP office in the Loop three days each week throughout the internship.
- Exceptionally detail-oriented and organized.
- Excellent written communication skills in English and the ability to compose, edit and proofread materials.
- Has a reliable laptop computer.
- Previous experience working with printers and scanners.
- Personable and comfortable with answering phone calls.
- Independence and self-initiative.
- Prior professional and/or lived experience related to experiencing incarceration; working to end incarceration; experiencing trauma, community violence and/or gender based violence; and/or doing trauma-informed or anti-violence work.
- Motivated to learn more about Illinois' criminal legal system.
- A deep commitment to criminal legal change in Illinois and social, economic and racial justice.
Illinois Prison Project is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Illinois Prison Project believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as an organization, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.
How to apply:
- Please submit a resume and cover letter via email to hiring@illinoisprisonproject.org with “Office Support Intern” in the subject line. Please note: applications that do not include a cover letter will not be considered.
- Applications will be accepted until April 9, 2023.
Digital Communications Intern
Illinois Prison Project (IPP) is a young nonprofit organization in Chicago that seeks to reduce mass incarceration by providing legal services to individuals incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections. We focus on novel and creative approaches to prison reduction including mass commutation campaigns, sentence restructuring, public education, and advocacy.
IPP seeks a dynamic and energetic Summer 2023 Digital Communications Intern. This intern will support the Communications Team in developing messaging for our online platforms, pitching and executing ideas for long-form written material in alignment with IPP’s values and mission for both internal and external purposes, creating visual content including video of our online media platforms and external project, and assist IPP’s Communications Manager in content calendar operations.
Although the team has a hybrid in person/remote work environment, IPP requires interns to visit the office at least one day each week during their internship to help with in-office tasks. Successful applicants will be asked to pursue school funding if available. IPP commits to funding all intern positions at a rate comparable to $14.50 per hour and with the expectation of working 20 hours per week. The start date for the internship is June 5, 2023 and the end date is August 14, 2023. IPP requires all team members to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination will be required.
Responsibilities include:
- Pitch and develop mission driven long- and short-form written communications tailored to each of our online media platforms.
- Write content for external use including newsletters, one-pagers, reports and other external communication materials.
- Create visual content including graphics, video, pitch decks, and fact-sheets, event promotional material, and other digital media assets for internal and external use.
- Communicate with IPP’s incarcerated client population, formerly incarcerated clients, their families, and loved ones by phone/mail to conduct surveys and interviews for the purpose of written, audio, and visual storytelling and creation of narrative driven content.
- Visit the IPP office (located at 53 West Jackson Blvd) to sort, scan, organize, and send client and non-client mail.
- Review and input non-client letters into IPP’s case management system.
- Assist in answering phone calls from the community looking for support and assistance.
- Support with administrative tasks as needed.
Desired qualifications:
- Able to work 20 hours per week during normal business hours (M-F, 9-5) with some flexibility for potential evening/weekend events.
- Able to visit the IPP office in the Loop at least one day each week throughout the internship.
- Strong academic background, previous work/internship experience, or lived experience in relation to the criminal legal system, prison system, anti-racist organizing or activist work, and Illinois’ political landscape as is relates to issues of mass incarceration and criminal legal reform.
- Strong writing abilities. This internship role requires someone who is both a confident formal or research based writer as well as someone who has compelling narrative crafting and storytelling abilities.
- Familiarity with AP Style.
- Previous professional or volunteer experience managing, maintaining social media presence for organizations or companies - including drafting copy tailored to each unique platform.
- Independence and self-initiative. This intern must be a confident self-starter with a drive to develop and execute their own ideas for written and visual content.
- Graphic design and video shooting/editing skills are a plus.
Illinois Prison Project is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Illinois Prison Project believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as an organization, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.
How to apply:
- Please submit 1) a resume, 2) cover letter, 3) a writing sample on a topic related to the criminal legal system, mass incarceration, or topics focusing on social justice or inequality (this can be an essay or blog post), and 4) examples of visual and written social media you’ve created via email to hiring@illinoisprisonproject.org with “Communications Intern” in the subject line. Please note: applications that do not include all of the requirements will not be considered.
- Applications will be accepted until April 9, 2023.
Law Clerk, Academic Year 2023-24
The Illinois Prison Project is a nonprofit organization in Chicago that seeks to reduce mass incarceration by providing legal services to individuals incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections. We focus on novel and creative approaches to prison reduction including mass commutation campaigns, sentence restructuring, public education, and advocacy.
IPP is looking for law clerks to focus on client representation. Law clerks will work alongside attorneys with one or more incarcerated clients. Law clerks will communicate with clients and their families, prepare commutation or resentencing petitions on behalf of an individual client or clients, and work on release plans for individual clients. Law clerks may gather and analyze court documents and medical records and conduct research to draft memoranda. Whenever possible, law clerks may visit prisons and/or criminal court. Successful applicants will be asked to pursue school funding if available; IPP commits to funding all law clerk positions at a rate comparable to $14 per hour and with the expectation of working 20 hours per week. Law clerks have the option of working from our Chicago office or working remotely. This internship will run from September 2023 to May 2024. IPP requires all team members to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination will be required.
Responsibilities
- Conduct legal research in the area of criminal law and policy;
- Assist in representation of currently incarcerated people, including editing and drafting individualized commutation and resentencing petitions;
- Communicate directly with clients by mail, phone, and in-person visits;
- Build release plans for currently incarcerated people, including placement, medical benefits, and employment;
- Provide support for other legal programming
Benefits of Internship
- Visibility into the operations of an impactful legal aid organization;
- Mentorship from organization staff;
- Development of hands-on legal skills;
- Development of research, writing, and communication skills;
- Experience in an underdeveloped and underrepresented area of law
Qualifications
- Current enrollment in an ABA accredited law school;
- Previous experience conducting research in an academic and/or non-academic environment;
- Interest in the intersection between social justice and the law;
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
How to Apply
Submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample via email to hiring@illinoisprisonproject.org with "Law Clerk, Academic Year 2023-24” in the subject line.