Join Our Team

Bellarmine is seeking a dynamic team player with a desire for meaningful work. This unique Development opportunity stems from our mission: fostering the spiritual development of people of faith rooted in Ignatian Spirituality. This role is a key leader, reporting to and advising the Executive Director and representing the mission of Bellarmine and its Jesuit Catholic values. This is a relationship building position that requires initiating conversations and attending to the many details of donor relations and fundraising. The ideal candidate is Catholic, with a sense of Ignatian Spirituality, available to work in-person at the retreat house in Barrington four days/week, with some evening and weekend work.

We're looking for an energetic, charismatic individual with excellent people and database skills.

If you're a natural relationship-builder, that is detail and action-oriented, you will thrive in this high impact role at Bellarmine.

Come and join a high performing, mission-driven team on the leading edge of non-profit retreat ministry.

What You’ll Do:

Fundraising Leadership (55%)

• Build and steward relationships with donors, retreatants, and friends of Bellarmine through frequent conversations and welcome for retreat.
• Identify, qualify, and cultivate benefactor opportunities and relationships.
• Collaborate with staff to learn the ministry and gather compelling stories of mission impact.
• Utilize the database daily for communication tracking, relationship management, and reporting tools to identify donor trends, segment audiences, and measure fundraising effectiveness.
• Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, building long-term relationships and conducting gift solicitations.
• Report on a regular basis progress towards weekly, monthly, and annual objectives
• Update our long-term, mission-centered development strategy including annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and grants.
• Promote and grow planned giving and legacy giving programs.
• Design and implement stewardship strategies, including personalized donor communications and impact reporting.
• Actively participate in community engagement events to further share the story and impact of Bellarmine
• Oversee the development-related work of two shared team members that offer some administrative and accounting support.
• Cultivate relationships with Midwest Jesuit retreat house partners and Province staff.
• Support budget planning and performance reporting related to development
• Serve as Secretary to the Board Development Committee.

Database Management & Analytics (25%)

• Maintain and enhance donor databases ensuring accuracy and segmentation.
• Analyze giving data and trends to inform strategy and track performance.
• Collaborate with Operations staff to optimize online giving platforms.
• Create mailing lists for appeals and printed communication and email
• Provide documentation for annual audit related to major gifts

Appeals and Grants (20%)

• Manage two annual fundraising appeals
• Oversee grants applications and administration
• Oversee development communications and stewardship campaigns (print, digital, in person).
  

What You’ll Need: 

• Bachelor's degree required; CFRE certification a plus.
• Collaborative, high energy leader with emotional intelligence, integrity, and a history of achieving goals, meeting deadlines, and making decisions in a highly matrixed environment.
• Fundraising experience, ideally in a faith-based or nonprofit setting.
• Excellent presentation, technology, and public speaking skills
• Experience using and leveraging database CRM systems and fundraising analytics to measure results and drive strategy.
• Catholic with a personal commitment to faith and enthusiasm for Ignatian Spirituality.
• Available to work some weekends and Friday evenings until 6:30 pm during the school year.

Salary Range: $80-90K

Benefits include: excellent medical, dental and vision insurance coverage, 403b match, generous professional development funds, generous paid time-off, long-term disability insurance, life insurance, daily Mass and lunch provided.

Pre-hire supervisory references, background check, and Virtus training within 30 days of hire date is required.

Resumes with a cover letter will be accepted until the position is filled, targeting mid-November. Start date on/near Jan 5, 2026. To apply, email recruiting@jesuitretreat.org.

Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House (BJRH) is looking for an enthusiastic Social Media Videographer to join the BJRH team for the summer of 2026. You will work closely with the Director of Operations, Marketing Coordinator and team to generate interesting and creative content as well as grow our presence across our social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and ideally build a stronger presence on LinkedIn and potentially other social media channels. 

The Social Media Videographer Internship is available to graduate students and undergraduate rising Juniors and Seniors. Candidates must be proficient in social networking and digital communications with experience creating content for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms to be considered for this position. As an intern, you will curate and create content that spreads awareness of BJRH and the benefits and graces of Ignatian Spirituality. Most importantly, the content should encourage people to follow our social media channels and register for our retreats and programs. The ideal candidate will not only improve our social media presence but will also assist in the creation of other digital marketing.

Schedule: Monday – Thursday from 9 am-4:30 pm. 

Dates of Employment:  Summer of 2026: Dates are flexible but likely May 25 – August 7, 2026 (may extend a week if agreeable to all BJRH and employee)

The intern also must either be knowledgeable about Ignatian Spirituality (the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola – founder of the Jesuits) or be willing to learn more about them in order to ensure our social and digital marketing is consistent with the experience of going on a retreat at Bellarmine. 

Benefits include:

• Free lunch every day
• Work with a great team that includes two other summer interns
• Work on a beautiful, quiet, 80-acre property 
• If you don’t live near the northwest suburbs of Chicago, arrangements can be made to stay in our cottage for the duration of the internship at no cost 
• Time off for holidays
• Flexibility on start/end dates
• $15/hour pay 
• Three-day weekends 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Film, produce, and help post short form videos that maximize social network interaction to keep communities engaged and generate more followers, retreatants and donors 

Collaborate with staff and volunteers to capture retreat moments (with appropriate sensitivity to privacy and silent retreat environment) and share stories of transformation, inspiration, and life at the retreat house through photos, videos and written content. This may include videos that answer FAQs and introduce some of our retreat leaders.

• Explore and document best practices for Bellarmine staff to follow after internship ends 
• Assist with other marketing projects as assigned

Qualifications: 

• Must have experience going on Christian retreats (ideally Ignatian retreats i.e. Kairos) or be willing to go on a retreat with us for free before the internship begins
• Previous experience managing social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tiktok.
• Self-starter with strong verbal and written communication skills 
• Desire to work in a team environment 
• Ability to manage multiple projects at a time and consistently meet deadlines

To apply, submit your resume with a cover letter to recruiting@jesuitretreat.org.