Associate Writer, Donor Communications

The Heritage Foundation; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, is seeking an Associate Writer who will craft donor-facing materials—proposals, reports, pitch decks, mailings, emails, and stewardship pieces—to strengthen relationships and inspire gifts.

You will tailor content to individual donors and translate Heritage’s policy work into accessible language, collaborating with the Development Strategy team to support campaigns and reflect the organization’s voice.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional writing experience; development-specific writing experience preferred
• Ability to tailor donor communications to diverse audiences
• Strong command of English grammar, usage, and style

Responsibilities

• Write gift proposals, project descriptions, reports, acknowledgements, etc., specifically tailored to individual donors and using a “donor-centric” approach.
• Respond to donor requests in a highly personalized manner that accurately explains Heritage’s position on specific policy issues while maintaining and building good relationships with major donors.
• Build strong working relationships through regular face-to-face meetings with leaders across Heritage’s departments to stay informed on current projects and policy work, and understand their implications for donors.
• Work with Development team to conceptualize and communicate effective donor messages that support distinct Heritage campaigns and efforts.
• Effectively communicate Heritage’s message in the “voice” of various Heritage trustees and executives — most frequently the organization’s president.

Skills

Donor communications writing

Proposal writing

Content customization

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Journalism/English

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Title: Associate Writer, Donor Communications

Reports to: Director, Development Strategy

Job Summary: The Associate Writer is responsible for communicating Heritage’s mission and impact to multiple donor audiences (i.e. individuals, corporations, foundations) in a way that strengthens relationships and inspires gifts to The Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action. The Associate Writer drafts donor-facing materials including proposals, reports, pitch decks, mailings, emails, and custom stewardship pieces.

Job Duties:

• Write gift proposals, project descriptions, reports, acknowledgements, etc., specifically tailored to individual donors and using a “donor-centric” approach.
• Respond to donor requests in a highly personalized manner that accurately explains Heritage’s position on specific policy issues while maintaining and building good relationships between Heritage and major donors.
• Build strong working relationships through regular face-to-face meetings with leaders across Heritage’s departments to stay informed on current projects and policy work, understand their implications for donors.
• Work with Development team to conceptualize and communicate effective donor messages that support distinct Heritage campaigns and efforts.
• Effectively communicate Heritage’s message in the “voice” of various Heritage trustees and executives —most frequently the organization’s president.

Qualifications:

Education: B.A. in Journalism, English, or related degree.

Experience: 2+ years of professional writing experience; development-specific writing experience preferred

Technology: Microsoft Office Suite.

Other Requirements:

• Understand and support Heritage’s mission and vision for America, and the department’s goals and objectives.
• Excellent grasp of English grammar, usage, and mechanics.
• Ability to vary and control nuances of tone, diction, rhythm, pace, and other stylistic features to make a piece of writing suit its purpose.
• Ability to translate technical aspects of Heritage policies and programs into language appropriate for a donor audience.
• Ability to manage and complete multiple writing assignments simultaneously and often under tight deadlines.

Benefits and Salary:

The Heritage Foundation offers a highly competitive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, best-in-class health care, vision, and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement funding, “take what you need” PTO and sick leave, 14 weeks of paid leave for new moms and 6 weeks of paid leave for new dads, among other programs.

The salary range for this role is $60,000 - $70,000 annually. This range is a good‑faith estimate, and the final salary offered to a selected candidate depends on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, and other qualifications; internal and external market pay for comparable jobs; and level of hire based on aforementioned qualifications.