Development Operations Specialist

Animal Welfare League of Alexandria•Alexandria, VA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Development Operations Specialist is responsible for the management of the organization’s Donor Management Database. They are responsible for the management and optimization and development of processes, systems, resources and reporting essential to successfully execute development and communication activities and achieve development goals. They are responsible for contributing to the strategic thinking and planning needed to accomplish development goals. They are responsible for managing a portfolio of donors.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree and three years’ experience in relationship building, or a high school diploma and five years’ experience in fundraising and/or sales
Strong proficiency or experience with relational database systems, CRMs or similar non-profit fundraising platforms.
Strong communication skills, including writing, conversational and presentations
Skilled in process improvement to enhance efficiency and reduce discrepancies
Ability to handle multiple tasks in a busy work environment, while keeping focused and organized
Strong customer service skills, ability to build relationships
Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion
Proactive mindset with a focus on delivering actionable solutions
A self-starter who can work independently and collaboratively as a key member of a small, strong team
Ethical values, ability to handle sensitive information confidentially
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Word and Excel
Compassion and concern for both animals and people
Ability to pass a criminal and financial background investigation

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a development or fundraising capacity
Animal welfare experience
Customer service experience

Responsibilities

Enter all donor and gift information into the database, including incoming gifts (monetary gifts, in-kind gifts, matching gifts, sponsorships, grants, 3rd party gifts, and all other revenue collected by the organization), contact information; and other information as requested
Update donor records including changes to contact information, mailing preferences, relationship connections, and information that could be helpful for cultivation.
Adhere to our data collection and acknowledgement processes, ensure consistency and ensure all processes are in alignment with best practices and financial regulations, as requested from the organization’s Financial Team
Track engagement with donors through the moves management process.
Responsible for overall usage, accuracy, efficiency, database maintenance and administration including management of data hygiene (duplicate management, data imports, data appends, backups and updates).
Work with the Finance Team to reconcile monthly Development financials and provide them with all required supporting information .
Track and analyze constituent data to better inform development planning and strategic decisions.
Report on progress to development goals and provide insight to benchmarks
Suggest donor lists for appeals or outreach activities
Create and manage reports to donor mining and within our database utilizing DonorSearch
Create and maintain a suite of development reports that can be accessed by the development team
Other reports as necessary
Create and update standards of operating procedure for all development processes, including: receiving donations, data entry, donor acknowledgement
Monitor database performance and improve technology when necessary
Ensure the effectiveness of database tools and services
Educate development team and associated staff and volunteers on all development systems and ensure that best practices are being used
Serve as the point of contact for all development systems, including the donor database, and advocate for changes when needed
Train or provide access to training for necessary staff and provide updates as needed.
Manage the donation stewardship and acknowledgement process including receipts, letters, hand-written cards, donation certificates and phone calls
Work with the Communications and Events Team on the creation of online forms, donation pages, emails, peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, etc.
Maintain a portfolio of mid-level donors by adding donors as they donate at this level and identifying donors to be cultivated for this level.
Conduct necessary donor and donor prospect research to better understand capacity and/or personalized cultivation.
Create and maintain a moves management plan for the portfolio from identification to cultivation, to solicitation, to stewardship.
Provide updates on the status of the portfolio and identify any donors ready to be cultivated for a major gift.
Represent the AWLA by participating in events when requested
Track and report on event income and engagement
Answer donor calls, email and written correspondence
Outreach to donors via calls, email and written correspondence
Support the Director of Engagement, Chief Executive Officer and additional AWLA colleagues with additional projects as requested