Development Associate

Organization Overview:

Founded in 1964 by internationally acclaimed soprano Dorothy Maynor, Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) is a leading community-based arts education institution dedicated to empowering young people through high-quality, accessible arts instruction. Serving more than 3,000 children, youth, and adults annually, HSA offers programs in music, dance, theater, visual arts, and musical theatre though group instruction and private lessons. Rooted at the intersection of arts, education, and social justice, HSA ensures that students of all backgrounds can participate regardless of ability to pay and continues a more than six-decade legacy of nurturing creativity, confidence, and leadership while serving as a vital cultural anchor in Harlem and beyond.

Position Summary: 

The Development Associate plays a vital role in supporting the Harlem School of the Arts’ fundraising strategy across individual, institutional, and event-based revenue streams. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer (CDO), this position manages a portfolio of low- and mid-level donors, oversees comprehensive data and CRM functions, and coordinates donor communications and stewardship initiatives. The Development Associate serves as a key administrative and operational anchor for the Development team, ensuring all systems, processes, and donor touchpoints are executed with accuracy, timeliness, and professionalism. This role is ideal for a proactive, detail-oriented individual who thrives in a mission-driven environment and is eager to contribute to HSA’s organizational growth.

Responsibilities:

• Individual Giving 
• Serve as point of contact for low- and mid-level donors, including managing inquiries, processing gifts, and facilitating pledges.
• Provide donors with clear information on giving vehicles (ACH, DAFs, corporate matching, etc.).
• Coordinate and execute annual fund mailings (postal and email), including mail merges and collaboration with the CDO, CEO, CMO, and program leads.
• Research prospective donors and prepare bios, briefing documents, and background reports for the CEO and CDO.

• Institutional Giving 
• Support preparation of institutional giving materials, including gathering documents, preparing attachments, and tracking submission deadlines, and the drafting and/or editing letters of inquiry and reports.

• CRM and File Management
• Manage donor-related data entry (institutional and individual) with consistent accuracy and attention to detail.
• Maintain organized digital and physical donor files.
• Pull reports, queries, and mailing lists as needed to support campaign planning, stewardship, and leadership requests.
• Generate weekly, monthly, and campaign-specific development reports for leadership use.

• Events
• Support execution of HSA’s fundraising and stewardship events, including the annual gala and donor cultivation salons.
• Manage logistics such as vendor coordination, RSVP tracking, seating lists, run-of-show documents, and on-site support.
• Assist with scheduling and logistics for donor meetings, tours, salons, and site visits.

• Communications
• Process all gift acknowledgments and pledge reminders promptly and accurately.
• Manage content development, layout, and distribution of the monthly donor newsletter in collaboration with Development leadership and the Marketing team.
• Assist in drafting donor updates, appeals, invitations, and stewardship messages.
• Draft copy for website updates, donor impact stories, and social media posts related to fundraising campaigns.
• Assist with photo/video collection and curation for stewardship communications and newsletters.

• Administrative & Operational Support
• Maintain the Development Department’s annual calendar, including grant deadlines, campaign timelines, and event milestones.
• Assist with preparing materials for Board Development Committee meetings (agendas, minutes, reports, presentations).
• Track and reconcile development expenses and vendor invoices, working collaboratively with Finance.
• Maintain organized shared drives and oversee consistent file-naming and documentation protocols.

Desired Skills & Qualifications

• 2–4 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, development operations, or related administrative roles.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to draft clear and compelling donor communications.
• Demonstrated proficiency with CRM or donor database systems (e.g., Salesforce, NEON CRM, Raiser’s Edge, DonorPerfect, PatronManager, etc.).
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience coordinating events, including logistics and guest management.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort working with data, reports, and spreadsheets.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion with donor information.
• Collaborative and team-oriented, with the ability to work across departments and interact with senior leadership and program staff.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace; comfort with mail merges and basic design tasks (e.g., Canva, Adobe Express) is a plus.
• Commitment to HSA’s mission and values, and passion for arts education and community-centered programming.

How to apply

Interested candidates should submit the following materials:

• A cover letter
• A resume



All application materials must be combined or attached as PDF files and submitted via email.

Email submission requirements:

• Recipient: Jonathan Kitt, Chief Development Officer
• Email address: jkitt@hsanyc.org
• Subject line format:
• HSA Development Associate Candidate – [LAST NAME, First Name]

Please note that only complete applications submitted via email will be considered. No phone calls or other inquiries regarding this position will be accepted.

The Harlem School of the Arts thanks all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.