Associate, Nationwide Portfolio Strategy & Prospect Development

ACLU; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is seeking an Associate, Nationwide Portfolio Strategy & Prospect Development in New York, NY. This hybrid role supports prospect research, donor vetting, portfolio administration, and donor information management for nationwide programs.

You will help maintain research databases, prepare bios for cultivation, and assist with budget tracking and travel logistics. This role is part of the Development Department and aligns with ASU bargaining unit

Qualifications

• Foundational experience in nonprofit fundraising and donor databases.
• Experience collaborating with multiple stakeholders on complex projects.
• Ability to plan, prioritize, organize, and meet deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication with attention to detail.
• Commitment to confidentiality and ethics in donor information.

Responsibilities

• Assist with prospect research requests and manage the research queue.
• Vet donors using capacity checklists and online resources.
• Support portfolio administration and maintain donor data accuracy.
• Prepare event bios and qualification lists for cultivation.
• Format spreadsheets for upload to research databases and maintain resources.
• Track budgets, process invoices, and coordinate travel logistics.
• Respond to general inquiries via research email or form.

Skills

Fundraising

Database management

Prospect development

Communication

Project collaboration

Planning and prioritizing

Attention to detail

Confidentiality

Ethics and privacy

Job description

About The Job

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of

About The Job

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Associate, Nationwide Portfolio Strategy & Prospect Development in the Development Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

The ACLU’s passionate community of donors and activists is stronger than ever. The mission of the ACLU’s Development Department is to unlock the full potential of donors and the ACLU as partners in the creation of a more perfect union. We pursue our mission by building long-term donor relationships and organizational partnerships, by demonstrating impact in response to threats, engaging donors in our mission, by taking interest in our donors and facilitating personal action, by being accountable stewards of their funds, and by asking donors to consider giving the ACLU their full support.

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

What You’ll Do

Reporting to the Director, Nationwide Portfolio Strategy and Prospect Development, the Associate will contribute to the day-to-day operations of the team. Assisting with the prospect research request queue, vetting new and upgraded donors through a capacity rating checklist, supporting portfolio administration, and ensuring that accurate and detailed donor information is collected and maintained in the ACLU donor database.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Under supervision of the Director, NPSPD and guidance of the Associate Director, Prospect Development, manage administration of the nationwide prospect research queue, tracking requests for research from national and affiliate staff, assigning researchers to requests, and following up on deadlines to ensure timely completion.
• Independently respond to or escape all general questions and research requests via the research inbox email or research request form.
• Maintain a weekly call list of new major donors, adding contact information and high-level research notes in a timely manner.
• Use knowledge of prospect development research best practices to vet lists of new and upgraded mid-level and major donors through a capacity rating checklist to identify donors with the capacity to make major gifts to the organization; utilize online databases and resources, in-house data, and other references to conduct prospect and donor research; and exercise independent decision-making to determine gift capacity ranges.
• Independently, or with guidance from team members, complete qualifying research requests and prepare event bios and qualification lists to support donor and prospect cultivation.
• Format and prepare spreadsheets for upload into research databases.
• Upload files to, and maintain lists of, research resources on ACLU intranet.
• Stay current regarding prospect development best practices.
• Anticipate and identify problems within defined workflows, and solve them independently in some cases, or with supervision.
• Provide critical administrative and logistical support for Portfolio Strategy projects including annual portfolio uploads, ongoing portfolio reviews, portfolio reporting.
• Track internal budgets and process invoices and expenses.
• Coordinate team’s travel logistics as needed.
• Support special projects and perform other administrative duties as assigned.
• Respond to all general questions directed to the prospect development team via the research email or research request form.

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

What You’ll Bring

• Foundational experience in nonprofit fundraising, database management, or prospect development
• Strong communication skills; able to effectively convey clarity, specificity, and accuracy, being mindful of the intended audience
• Experience collaborating with multiple stakeholders on shared projects, anticipating obstacles and suggesting alternative solutions to accomplish the desired results for complex projects
• Demonstrated aptitude for planning, prioritizing, organizing, and follow-through, including adherence to deadlines and ability to manage multiple projects at the same time with overlapping deadlines.
• Skilled in executing administrative tasks with attention to detail
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and handle confidential donor/constituency information with sensitivity and integrity.
• Commitment to prospect research ethics and the ACLU’s strong privacy principles.

Compensation

The ACLU is committed to equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. Consistent with our compensation philosophy, there is a set salary for each role based on geographic work location. The annual salary for this position is $89,020 (Level J), reflecting the salary of a position based in New York, NY. Salaries are subject to a regional pay adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.

For details on our pay structure, please visit: https://www.aclu.org/careers/ACLU_Geographic_Pay_Structure-July_2024.pdf

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being.

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please complete the Accommodation Request Form

If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.