Development Associate
About The Position
Advocates For Children (AFC) is a dynamic social justice organization that strives to ensure a high-quality education for New York students who face barriers to academic success, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds. AFC works on behalf of children and youth who are at greatest risk of academic failure due to poverty, race, ethnicity, disability, homelessness, immigration status/limited English proficiency, or involvement in the child welfare or juvenile/criminal legal systems. We use uniquely integrated strategies to advance systemic reform, empower families and communities, and advocate for the educational rights of individual students. AFC seeks a full-time Development Associate to become an integral member of our three-person Development Department as we continue to strengthen our fundraising capacity and grow our base of individual and institutional donors. The Development Associate plays a vital role in helping the Development Department achieve AFC’s annual fundraising goals. This position provides essential support across all fundraising activities, including donor database management, grants management, gift processing and acknowledgement, and special events. The Development Associate helps ensure the accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness of the department’s fundraising operations while contributing to a positive donor experience. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and an excellent communicator with strong analytical and technology skills, including experience working with donor databases. The candidate will be able to manage multiple priorities, meet competing deadlines, and exercise sound-judgement in a fast-paced and collaborative environment. The successful candidate will be both a collegial team player and a self-directed professional. The Development Associate reports to the Director of Development and works closely with the Senior Manager, Grants and Contracts.
Requirements
- Understanding of and alignment with AFC’s mission.
- Desire to learn, both as an individual and as part of an organization, and apply diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism principles.
- Bachelor’s degree is required.
- 1-3 years professional experience required
- Proficiency in Excel required
- Comfort using all other Microsoft Office applications.
- Experience with donor database application is required
- Strong organizational skills with demonstrated consistent ability to pay close attention to detail.
- Proven ability to prioritize, take initiative and work collaboratively in a team.
- Strong communication skills that are consistently prompt and highly responsive
- Ability and desire to take initiative and bring forward creative and new ideas.
- Highly collaborative and able to work across teams.
- Ability to anticipate and satisfy internal (staff) and external (donor) needs.
- Intellectual curiosity and ability to think outside of the box to efficiently solve problems.
Nice To Haves
- fundraising experience preferred
- experience with Salesforce is strongly preferred
- Strong writing skills a plus
- Humor, imagination, and a love for new challenges always welcome.
Responsibilities
- Act as primary administrator/manager of the organization’s donor database and income tracking systems.
- Ensure all revenue (stock, cash, pledges, in-kind gifts, online credit card payments and electronic fund transfers) is tracked, processed and acknowledged in a timely manner and in accordance with established policies.
- Prepare data and run reports for the Development and Finance teams to ensure reconciliation of all donations, accuracy of data, and reporting.
- Analyze donor data to facilitate strategy and planning.
- Maintain various organizational/administrative documents for the department and collaborate with the Operations team on the annual audit.
- Respond promptly and professionally to inquiries from donors via phone and email.
- Assist with management of government and foundation grants.
- Track grant payment schedules and record grant payments.
- Assist in the preparation of supporting materials for government and private grant applications and reports, as well as submission of compliance documents.
- Assist with planning and execution of all Special Events and Campaigns.
- Provide administrative support for event production and campaigns including maintaining detailed records of all revenue and preparing mailing, guest and sponsorship lists.
- Create online donation portals for events and campaigns.
- Attend and provide necessary support at events.
- Work closely with Spring Benefit Event Planning Consultant to provide administrative support.
Benefits
- medical and dental insurance, with a plan option that covers full payment of medical plan premiums for staff and their qualified dependents
- 10 federal holidays
- office closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day
- 15 vacation days
- 15 paid time off days in the first year of employment
- 403(b) plan with a fully vested employer match
- coverage of the premium cost of life insurance and short-term and long-term disability insurance
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
