Development Manager at Harvard Hillel

Hillel International • Cambridge, MA

9d

About The Position

Harvard Hillel is hiring a Development Manager to support its mission of serving as a Jewish home, both physical and virtual, on the Harvard University campus. The manager acts as an information hub and provides proactive project management and administrative expertise for the fundraising team. The role plans, coordinates, and communicates Development department activities and shared projects across departments, and leads or supports high-impact organizational projects. As the organization’s needs evolve and the manager builds experience, the position is expected to receive mentoring and training toward a donor-facing Development role.

The manager supports development operations by maintaining Donor Perfect and related online systems, keeping donor records and outreach lists accurate, and managing communications through Constant Contact and the Harvard Hillel website. The role coordinates information and materials related to pledges, gifts, donations, grants, and contracts with Operations, central services, and Finance; oversees a donor records project; and works with donors, customers, and vendors on payments, billing, contracting, and inquiries.

The role also plans fundraising activities, researches prospective donors and funders, coordinates appeals across social media, email, the website, and print, tracks and acknowledges gifts, supports stewardship of gifts and pledges, and coordinates fundraising events. It owns the grant portfolio, including funder research, proposal and report writing, grant-calendar management, internal submission timelines, budget coordination, restricted-fund tracking, and recording grant activity in Donor Perfect.

Harvard Hillel welcomes students to experience Jewish identity, tradition, practice, values, culture, and community, and to build meaningful connections while making Jewish thought and culture integral to university life. The organization is affiliated with Hillel International.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• At least 3 years of experience in a dynamic position in a nonprofit organization.
• Skill in creating creative, data-driven presentations.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office tools, with comfort using PowerPoint and Canva.
• Willingness to engage in conversations about religion and learn about Judaism and Israel.
• Collaborative problem-solving skills and curiosity to work across teams and manage competing priorities.
• Self-starter with project management, time-management, and verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team to meet goals and deadlines.
• Empathy, a positive attitude, and a sense of humor.

Responsibilities

• Maintain the fundraising management database and related online systems to support development operations and stewardship of existing constituents.
• Manage Donor Perfect, maintaining clean records and data and preparing outreach lists.
• Manage Constant Contact and the Harvard Hillel website to engage audience segments effectively.
• Coordinate with Operations, central services, and Finance to record and track information and materials for pledges, gifts, donations, grants, and contracts; scan, track, communicate, and acknowledge items as needed.
• Project-manage a donor records project, establishing an implementation timeline and measures of success to verify donor-record accuracy, completeness, and confidentiality.
• Maintain relationships with donors, customers, and vendors and help resolve payment, billing, contracting, and inquiry issues.
• Plan and implement fundraising activities, informed by research and engagement with prospective donors, funders, and other constituents.
• Research prospective donors, corporate funders, and private foundations.
• Coordinate fundraising appeals across social media, email, the website, and print.
• Track gifts in Donor Perfect and prepare and send acknowledgements for pledges, gifts, donations, and other payments.
• Engage the Board of Directors and staff in stewardship of gifts and pledges.
• Coordinate and implement fundraising events with colleagues across departments.
• Manage Harvard Hillel’s grant portfolio, including writing proposals and reports that present programs as fundable, measurable work.
• Research and qualify private, family, and corporate foundations, government funders, and Hillel International funding opportunities aligned with strategic priorities.
• Draft, edit, and submit letters of inquiry, proposals, budgets, budget narratives, and supporting attachments in collaboration with the Director of Development and Executive Director.
• Maintain a rolling grants calendar and drive internal timelines to ensure complete, on-time submissions and reporting.
• Gather program data, outcomes, and stories from Program, Rabbinic, and Operations colleagues for grant narratives and interim and final reports.
• Partner with Finance on proposal budgets, restricted-fund tracking, and alignment of spending and reporting with award terms.
• Record grant submissions, awards, declines, payment schedules, and reporting requirements in Donor Perfect to support accurate institutional revenue forecasting.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, a retirement plan, life insurance, AD&D insurance, and Long-Term Disability insurance.
• Flexible Spending accounts.
• Generous vacation and sick time.
• Parental leave.
• Professional development, mentoring, and skill-building opportunities.
• Opportunity to develop and promote a vibrant, pluralistic Jewish community at Harvard Hillel.
• Opportunity to serve, work, and grow with a community of young adults, lay leaders, and colleagues.

What This Job Offers

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