Development Associate

As we continue strengthening Spirit of America’s development operations, this position plays a critical role in ensuring our major gifts and donor engagement strategies are executed with excellence. In a fast-paced, high-impact department, this role supports our frontline fundraisers through strong organization, exceptional attention to detail, and a commitment to delivering a best-in-class donor experience. The ideal candidate is proactive, resourceful, and able to anticipate needs — helping the team stay focused on cultivating and stewarding high-value philanthropic relationships that advance our mission. 

The Development Associate provides essential administrative and operational support to head of Development and Spirit of America’s Development team, with a primary focus on gift processing, Salesforce CRM, donor research, donor acknowledgments, and department-wide administrative administration. This role ensures the accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of donor information and supports the daily workflow of the Major Gifts team. 

Reports To: Managing Director of Development 

Direct Reports: None 

Key Responsibilities: 

CRM Data Support  

• Enter donor information, contact details, interactions, and meeting notes into the CRM.
• Maintain clean,accurate, and up-to-date donor records across the Major Gifts portfolio.
• Pull reports and lists for donor segmentation, stewardship, and cultivation planning.
• Support data hygiene projects (deduplication, address updates, file cleanup).
• Produce salesforce reports forexecutiveteam.
• Act asmainpoint of contact and collaborate withSalesforcedata team.

Administrative & Departmental Support 

• Provide administrative support to the Major GiftOfficersand DevelopmentLeadership, including scheduling, meeting prep, and file management.
• Assistwith preparing materials, folders, and briefings for donor meetings and internal development meetings, including quarterly board meetings.
• Track departmental deadlines and support the completion of administrative tasks.
• Monitor the Development inbox and route inquiries appropriately.
• Responsiblefor the creation and distribution of the Major Gifts weekly roundupreport

• Gift processing

Donor Research & Intelligence 

• Conductdonorand prospect research to inform fundraising strategy.
• Gatherandsynthesizeinformation from public sources, databases, and internal records to help assess donor capacity, philanthropic interests, giving history, and alignment with Spirit of America’s mission. 
• Support the development team by preparing concise research briefs, updating donor profiles,identifyingnew prospects, andprovidingactionable insights to help Major Gifts Officers and leadership tailor outreach, deepen donor engagement, and strategically expand the pipeline.

Donor Correspondence, Writing & Cultivation 

• Draft and refine thank-you letters, simple donor emails, and follow-up notes.
• Assemble mailing lists and donor outreach materials for stewardship campaigns.
• Help prepare basic donor updates, summaries, and short memos.
• Assistinwriting offoundation proposalsand grantreports.
• Assistwith tracking grant reportingdeadlines and anyspecialrequirementsset outin grant agreements.
• Assistwith pre-meeting preparationsfor donor meetingswhich may includepreparationof printed materials,presentations, donorgifts, etc.

Event & Campaign Support 

• Assistwith logistical support for donor events: RSVPs, check-in lists, nametags, materials preparation, and follow-up.
• Support majorgiftsstaff in preparing collateral, packets, and materials for donor engagements.
• Cross-Functional Coordination
• Coordinate with Finance, Communications, and Program Operations to support donor stewardship and ensureaccuratereporting.
• Partner with Development Operations & Data on recurring tasks and monthly cycles.

What Success Looks Like in This Role: 

Success in this role means becoming an indispensable partner to Spirit of America’s Major Gifts teams — someone who keeps the trains running, ensures data integrity, and elevates donor engagement through exceptional support. Within the first year, a successful Development Associate will have built strong working relationships across the department, mastered core systems and workflows, and contributed to a more efficient, organized, and high-functioning development operation. Their work will enable frontline fundraisers to focus on cultivating meaningful donor relationships by ensuring that administrative, operational, and data-related tasks are handled with accuracy, timeliness, and professionalism. 

Key Qualifications 

• Bachelor'sdegree and1-2years relevant experience
• Exceptional attention to detail anda commitmentto accuracy.
• Strong writing skills and ability to produce polished correspondence.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Fast learner with a proactive, service-oriented mindset.
• Experience with a CRM/database preferred (Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, etc.).
• Comfortable handling confidentialdonorand financial information.
• Professional communication and interpersonal skills.

Compensation Range: 

Salary ranges from $70,000 to $76,000 based on experience. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, and 403(b) contribution match to 4%.