Development Associate
The Development Associate will report to the Associate Director of Resource Development and be tasked with three areas of responsibility: 1) leading logistical support for NIJC’s fundraising and cultivation events; 2) supporting individual giving campaigns; and 3) assisting in the organization’s grants process, from drafting proposals to preparing grant reports, in an effort to increase public and private foundation support.
A successful candidate must be a team player; possess excellent verbal and written communication skills; manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment; be highly attentive to detail; exercise good judgment; and maintain confidentiality as necessary.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Perform administrative duties related to fundraising, including maintaining the organization’s development-related databases (i.e. ensuring donor information is accurate and current, processing donations, and entering gifts into donor database) and managing the donor acknowledgement process (i.e., drafting acknowledgement letters).
- Collaborate with the Associate Director of Resource Development and Executive Director to develop strategies, foster relationships, implement activities, and analyze performance of events and individual campaigns to maximize financial return.
- Plan, design, and produce fundraising events (including the annual luncheon), performing tasks such as scheduling, invitation coordination, logistics, staffing, and post-event follow-up, tracking, and reports.
- Develop materials for potential and current funders demonstrating NIJC’s impact and response to emerging environment.
- Collaborate with the Development and Communications teams on the design and development of donor marketing materials and strategies for growing the organization’s overall on-line fundraising capability.
- Identify and cultivate relationships with new and existing donors and prospects.
- Support the development of grant applications, including writing narrative, compiling supplemental documentation, and collecting and analyzing data.
- Maintain development calendar to track fundraising activities, including events, appeals, and grant applications and reports.
- Work collaboratively with development and project staff to identify and research public and private funding opportunities to support existing and future programs/projects.
- Maintain a thorough understanding of the organization’s services, goals, mission, and strategic direction.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Bachelor's degree, preferably in journalism, communications, marketing, English, or a related field.
- Minimum 2 years’ experience in fundraising, grant/proposal writing, events, marketing, journalism, or similar area.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organization, research, and analysis skills.
- Extremely high attention to detail, consistent and reliable follow through, and ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
- High energy, creative self-starter who will take initiative and work independently to achieve results, but can also collaborate and contribute positively to team efforts.
- Strong computer skills, particularly in Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Raiser’s Edge.
Bilingual skills desirable. Prior successful experience in events and grant writing strongly preferred. Familiarity with individual giving, foundation/corporate solicitations, government funding, non-profit setting, or other issues related to civil/human rights is beneficial.
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