Development Associate

The Marine Mammal Center•Sausalito, CA

12d•$26 - $29•Onsite

About The Position

The Development Associate provides support across both Institutional and Individual Giving, with approximately 20 hours, or two and a half days per week dedicated to Institutional Giving and approximately 20 hours, or two and half days per week, to Individual Giving. For Institutional Giving, this role assists with fundraising involving foundations, corporations, and government agencies by tracking grant opportunities and deadlines, supporting funder meetings and site visits, supporting the preparation of proposals, stewardship reports, and funder research. For Individual Giving, the Associate helps strengthen donor engagement by assisting with all aspects of donor stewardship, including and not limited to thank you calls and letters, and supporting donor tours and visits, supporting donor programs and events, including maintaining accurate CRM records, producing and organizing name tags and other event preparation. Working closely with the development team, this position contributes to building and sustaining strong relationships with funders and individual donors in support of the Center’s overall fundraising goals. The position will be instrumental in streamlining requests of time and information from the development department (Individual and Institutional Giving Teams) to other departments, such as Conservation Program Department, and organizing and coordinating resources needed by both teams, such as program narratives and updates.

Requirements

Enthusiasm for marine and environmental conservation.
Commitment to learn and adhere to the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Grant Professionals Association ethical standards.
Ability to grow knowledge of local, regional, and national funding landscape and willingness to learn best practices for engaging potential funders.
Ability to provide excellent customer service.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to convey information clearly and concisely.
Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, multi-tasking, and time management.
Ability to analyze information and assist in editing and drafting content in a clear, accurate, and accessible style.
Ability to understand and follow written and oral instructions and priorities as set by management.
Ability to work collaboratively and maintain open communication in a team environment.
Ability to adapt and learn from change, challenges, and feedback.
Minimal organizational skills or ability to learn attention to detail, multi-tasking, and time-management.
File management skills including but not limited to naming and labeling, organizing, folder structuring, logical hierarchy, and storage consistency.
Skilled in using Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Word) and videoconference technology (Slack, Teams, Zoom).
Skilled in using or ability to learn Adobe Acrobat.
Skilled in using project management tools (e.g., Asana) to coordinate tasks and track progress.
Skilled in using or ability to learn Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, with preference for Raiser’s Edge and Salesforce.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, which may include staff, volunteers, training participants, and members of the public.
Ability to practice self-awareness and respect while engaging with staff, volunteers, training participants, and members of the public.
Willingness to support and participate in The Marine Mammal Center’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
This position requires a combination of education and experience equivalent to being currently enrolled in college or having an associate or bachelor’s degree in administration, development, business, or related field; and at least 1 year of relevant experience in development, fundraising, or equivalent.
Valid driver license with acceptable motor vehicle record to maintain standards of insurability. (Must be 21+ years old as frequently driving company vehicles is required for this position.)

Nice To Haves

Experience with web-based collaboration platforms, project management tools, and Donor wealth screening software a plus.

Responsibilities

Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in CRM and grants management systems to support data-driven reporting and collaborative grants and funding strategy development.
Provide administrative and coordination support to the Institutional Giving team, including preparing proposal materials, submission packages, and meeting preparation.
Assist in preparing grant proposals, letters of inquiry, memorandums of understanding, invoices, and stewardship reports, particularly for annual fund grants and sponsorships.
Generate and distribute reports on institutional giving pipelines, proposal outcomes, and funder engagement trends.
Coordinate project-based functions for the Institutional Giving team, including proposal calendars, reporting schedules, and compliance tracking.
Maintain the Institutional Giving team calendar, track deadlines, and ensure timely submission of proposals, reports, and deliverables.
Partner with the Institutional Giving team to facilitate team meetings, maintain agendas, distribute materials, and report on progress toward fundraising goals.
Support the cultivation and stewardship of institutional funder relationships through tailored communications, progress updates, and engagement opportunities.
Support smooth execution of funder site visits, panel presentations, and contract negotiations, ensuring high-quality materials and personalized attention.
Communicate the organization’s mission, programs, and funding priorities effectively to secure meaningful institutional support.
Support individual giving activities such as mailings, appeals, reports, and other bulk correspondences, as needed.
Assist and help stewardship team to ensure materials for donor packets and gifts are well-stocked and on hand for use by major gifts officers and others.
Support special initiatives, for example, maintaining the Whale Naming donor program.
Record donor interactions quickly and accurately in constituent database.
Communicate with donors and stakeholders, including responding to donor phone, email, and mail inquiries.
Support the cultivation and stewardship of individual donors through tailored communications, donor tours, and other engagement opportunities.
Maintain relationships with development and event vendors which ensures the Center’s fundraising compliance, or the completion of the Center’s charity ratings.
Provide onsite and logistical support for key fundraising events, such as Seal Symphony, House Parties, Patient Release Celebrations, and more.
Supports the Senior Director of Development, and Director of Institutional Giving through scheduling, and meeting preparation with key stakeholders, donors, and donor prospects.
Attend meetings and other events as needed to support the teams
Perform special projects and research as assigned.
Perform other duties as assigned.