Advancement Specialist

Nashville Public Radio; Bemidji (MN); Hybrid; USD 50,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation seeks an Advancement Specialist to provide exceptional customer service and executive assistant support to the Senior Vice President of Advancement. You will help manage communications, events, and special projects within the Advancement Division, ensuring smooth daily operations and accurate records.

The role requires strong organizational ability, comfort with technology and databases, and a team-oriented mindset.

Qualifications

• Associate degree (A.A.) from two-year college or higher educational achievement or two years of relevant work experience.
• Proficiency with Excel, CRM/data systems, and cloud-based office tools.
• Strong organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide excellent customer service to external and internal audiences and support the SVP of Advancement.
• Assist with communications, events, and special projects within the Advancement Division.
• Greet visitors, manage mail, answer phones, and support day-to-day office operations.
• Assist with scheduling, meeting materials, and tracking project timelines.
• Maintain constituent data in Raiser's Edge and generate targeted mailings.

Skills

Excel proficiency

CRM/data systems

Communication skills

Relationship-building

Education

Associate degree (A.A.)

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Advancement Specialist

Job DetailsIndustryCommunity FoundationEmployment Type:Full-TimeEmployment Status:Hourly/Non-ExemptJob Functions:Customer Service; Administrative Support; CommunicationsDirect Reports:0Position Reports to:Senior VP of AdvancementCareer Pathway:A200 Northwest Minnesota Foundation, Bemidji MNThe Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) is one of the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs) established by the McKnight Foundation in 1986 to assist Minnesota's rural regions during the farm crisis in the 1980s.As the region's MIF and the only community foundation in the region, NMFhas been serving the vast nonprofit community in northwest Minnesota for more than 30 years. NMF provides grants and loans to organizations and small businesses that have offices located within the 12-county region and the two tribal nations. Since its founding, NMF has invested millions to help make the region a better place to live and work.

Position Description

The Advancement Specialist is accountable for providing excellent customer service to external and internal audiences, and for providing executive assistant support to the Senior Vice President of Advancement to ensure efficient operation of the Advancement Division. The Advancement Specialist also supports with Communications tasks, event planning, and facilitation of special projects.

Duties & Responsibilities

• You will provide quality communication and collaboration in all interactions, including external individuals and internal staff. You will seek and provide prompt resolutions and answers to all inquiries.
• You will work with the SVP of Advancement, Senior Executive Assistant, Philanthropy Associates, and all staff to ensure efficient office operations. Some duties will include but not be limited to greeting visitors and notifying appropriate staff, processing incoming and outgoing mail, processing incoming deposits, answering phones, managing NMF phone lines and calling systems, addressing various building-related needs, and interacting with building vendors.
• You will provide executive assistant support to the Senior Vice President of Advancement. Your support will include but not be limited to assisting with scheduling of meetings and managing the SVP's calendar, screening internal requests for the SVP's attention. You will compile, prepare materials, and take notes from division and departmental meetings, tracking the progress of commitments and ongoing projects to ensure they maintain momentum and meet expected timelines.
• You will assist and support implementation of ongoing divisional initiatives and projects across departmental areas. You will work alongside NMF's Philanthropy Officers, Philanthropy Associates, and Communications Director to ensure efficient operation of the Advancement Division and completion of necessary projects.
• You will support Advancement in executing day to day Communications activities and tasks. Some duties will include but not be limited to updating the NMF website, managing and adding new funds in NMF's online giving platform, creating online event registration forms, creating e-blast news files through NMF's various e-communications channels, sending press releases to various media as appropriate, designing social media posts from template files, and other tasks as assigned.
• You will work within NMF's various software systems. In the Raiser's Edge database, your tasks will include but not be limited to entering and maintaining constituent data, pulling mailing and contact lists for mailings and e-blasts; maintaining data integrity; and pulling data from the system to execute mailings that utilize merge functions. You will seek out training in the various software programs to maintain and grow your expertise and knowledge in these systems.
• You are responsible for all other duties as assigned.

What success looks like:

• You nurture a culture of collaboration and bring curiosity and enthusiasm to your work.
• You set an example in the organization through your courteousness, prompt resolutions, and answers to inquiries and requests from external and internal customers.
• You will excel at fielding multiple requests at once with efficiency, prioritization, clear communication, and accuracy.
• You seek to work with other staff in a team-first approach. You are a person with a very high attention to detail and will ensure that all information entered and released from the Foundation is accurate and free of errors. You will prepare entries and documents that are accurate and free of errors.
• You are an individual with a strong aptitude for technology. You will be adept at using various software in completion of your duties.
• The Northwest Minnesota Foundation is committed to growing a fair and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. You actively seek opportunities to grow your skills and strengthen our work across the region.

Obligations

Ownership of:

• Internal scheduling, particularly for SVP of Advancement and the Advancement Division.
• Accurate and well-organized Advancement records and documentation.
• Timely coordination of contracts, invoices, and paperwork.

Will collaborate in

• The operations of the NMF office building.
• Positively developing relationship with fund advisors, and donors.
• The creation and publishing of approved Communications content.

Qualifications

Required:

• Associate Degree (A.A.) from two-year college or technical school or higher educational achievement or two years of relevant work experience.
• Proficiency with Excel, CRM/data systems, and/or cloud-based computer systems including Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency in technology, the use of a variety of software programs

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Basic accounting knowledge.
• Knowledge of computer procedures, operations, and database systems.
• Passion for NMF's mission and enthusiasm for community-focused work.

Job Information

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation follows an equal opportunity employment policy and employs personnel without regard to race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, physical or mental ability, pregnancy, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status. This policy applies to hiring, wages, internal promotions, training, opportunities for advancement, and terminations.

• This position offers a competitive hourly wage (a minimum of $50,255 to maximum of $72,590), which will be set based on qualifications.
• The primary location for this position is the main office in Bemidji, MN. This position is eligible for a flexible-hybrid work arrangement with a to-be-determined number of days each week, as agreed upon with the position's supervisor.

• This position will require some travel locally, regionally, state-wide, and potentially nationally.

Deadline to Apply: October 11, 2026