Development Associate

Aspire Public Schools • Oakland, CA

1d

About The Position

Aspire Public Schools operates a network of high-performing, college preparatory charter schools serving TK-12 scholars in communities across California. Founded in 1998—in an effort to transform the inequitable racial, social, and gender outcomes that our communities persist through—Aspire is one of the largest and most forward-thinking open-enrollment public charter school systems in the nation. Our purpose is to prepare our scholars for success in college, career, and life. At Aspire, we set a foundation for our scholars to gain knowledge, skills, and power to access and make choices for their families and post-secondary lives. Every day, our community of students, families, teachers and staff comes together to learn, work, and play in an environment grounded in our values of Bienestar (Well-Being), Culture of Belonging, Community Partnership, Agency & Self-Determination, and Joy.

The Development Associate will manage the data collection and projections planning for the Development Department’s annual fundraising portfolio. The Development Associate will also support Development Department teammates in successful implementation of all development activities, including fundraising campaigns and events. The Development Associate will have a passion for education and equity, and will draw on a proven track record of managing and building systems and processes that support complex work, including demonstrating strong competencies in Salesforce/CRM database management, supporting with moves management and donor stewardship, maintaining accurate donor and grant agreement records, and more. The Development Associate will be a self-starter and a team player, detail-oriented, will thrive in building, implementing, and maintaining effective and efficient systems, and will demonstrate meticulous attention to detail.

Requirements

• Strong fluency with Salesforce, specifically as it pertains to nonprofit organizations/donor databases.
• Strong planning and organizational skills, including the ability to anticipate tasks, set priorities, meet deadlines and function smoothly under strict timeframes and shifting priorities.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a highly motivated goal-oriented team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and meet objectives and performance standards.
• Knowledge of and appreciation for TK-12 education and charter schools in particular.
• Proven track record of success with fundraising systems and prospect identification.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite, and strong working knowledge of digital communication channels and processes, including Slack, G Suite, and Zoom.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong commitment to Aspire’s mission and values, and the ability to operate with the highest degree of integrity in representing the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with donors, volunteers, Boards of Directors and diverse staff.
• Agility to be a strong team player who also works well independently.
• Curiosity and strong desire for continuous learning, meeting new people, digging into various industries and business trends.
• Initiative, enthusiasm and willingness to pitch in at all times.
• Strength as a self-starter with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Occasional local travel required and willingness to work nights and weekends as needed during critical lead-up to and execution of events.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher, or commensurate professional experience.
• Business-savvy with 2+ years experience in administrative or project management role.
• Clear the Department of Justice background screening
• Authorized to work in the United States
• Provide health (TB) clearance (renewed every four years)

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and/or Central Valley philanthropic communities is a strong plus.
• Prior experience as the administrator of a CRM is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Data Collection and Analysis Lead the utilization of a Salesforce database and other donor management and fundraising tracking tools
• Manage the gift receival and recording process, inputting all gifts and grants into Salesforce
• Manage Salesforce reports to track gift and grants receipts
• Engage Foundation team in understanding how best to configure Salesforce to meet Aspire-wide needs
• Research Salesforce capabilities and understand how Aspire can utilize those capabilities to further Foundation team goals
• Maintain active database on year-to-date giving segmented by donation type
• Maintain database on giving projections by fiscal year
• Act as subject matter expert/trainer for Foundation and regional teammates as applicable on all things Salesforce
• Financial Reconciliation Management Work with Finance team ongoing to maintain accurate records, and reconcile donations quarterly with Finance team
• Check Shared Drive weekly for check payments received and record in CRM
• Check Wells Fargo bank account weekly for ACH payments received and record in CRM
• Liaise with Accounting team to ensure accurate backend gift recording
• Oversee payment and deliverables reporting from Salesforce to Finance team on a monthly/quarterly basis
• Donor Relations Coordinate, implement, and sustain growing donor relations, donor services, and advancement functions
• Manage gift processing including donor acknowledgements, utilizing existent tools such as Salesforce and Momentum
• Create processes that streamline data collection and gift acknowledgements through research on best practices
• Review, revise, and assure implementation of donor recognition and stewardship, including updating receipt and acknowledgement templates as needed
• Operational Support Manage all Foundation team vendor relationships and payments, processing invoices in Coupa
• Manage all aspects of Foundation team mailings, including generating mailing lists in consultation with Foundation team, providing segmented lists for review, managing mailing labels, address updates, and mailing deadlines
• Support with Wordpress website updates, as needed
• Manage special projects and other duties as assigned
• Manage department interns and volunteers, as needed
• Giving Campaign and Event Management Provide input on compelling and targeted individual fundraising campaigns
• Own the creation and development of online campaigns and ensuring sync to CRM, with guidance from Development Manager
• Support with logistic coordination surrounding all Foundation team fundraising events, galas, and school tours
• Prospect Research and Funder Cultivation Support Support process of prospect research on philanthropic foundations and individual donors
• Compile funder profiles for leadership team with relevant information in advance of outreach and meetings
• Work directly with Senior Director of Development on development of fundraising-related presentation materials
• Demonstrate knowledge of, and support, the Aspire Public Schools mission, vision, value statements including antiracism, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned

Benefits

• Aspire offers its full-time employees a competitive salary and benefits for full-time teammates, including paid time off, 100% core health benefits coverage on select plans, life insurance/long-term disability, participation in a CA state retirement plan, tuition reimbursement plan, and adoption assistance program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level