Development Associate

Spirit of America; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

403(b) contribution match to 4%

Job summary

A nonprofit organization is seeking a Development Associate to support donor engagement strategies and ensure accuracy in donor records. This full-time role is based in Arlington, Virginia and involves administrative tasks specifically related to major gifts. Candidates should possess a Bachelor's degree and have experience with Salesforce or similar CRM systems. The position offers a hybrid work environment with a salary range of $70,000 to $76,000, along with comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years relevant experience in a similar role.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple tasks.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to Major Gift Officer and Development Leadership.
• Enter and maintain donor information in CRM.
• Assist with preparing materials for donor meetings.

Skills

Attention to detail

Writing skills

Organizational skills

Proactive mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Join to apply for the Development Associate role at Spirit of America

Work Days in Office: Hybrid 4 days in office with 1 day remote from home location

Travel: Up to 20%

Position Type: Full-time, Exempt

About Spirit of America:

Spirit of America is a privately funded 501c3 nonprofit headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Our mission is to engage citizens in preserving the promise of a free and better life. We do this by working alongside US troops and diplomats and providing private assistance to defend freedom, and strengthen America’s national security, and save and improve lives.

Spirit of America leverages an unprecedented partnership with the US military based on a groundbreaking agreement with the Department of Defense. Our agreement with the Department of Defense allows the military to collaborate with us, identify needs, receive and distribute our assistance, and provide us with logistical support. No other nonprofit has such an agreement. Thus, every dollar invested in Spirit of America builds on and leverages investments made by the US government and military. That leverage — combined with our entrepreneurial, venture capital capability — provides philanthropic investments in Spirit of America with asymmetric impact and return on investment.

Our work saves and improves lives, prevents conflict, and strengthens America’s security. In the world’s toughest places, people experience the best of who Americans are and what we stand for.

About the Role:

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

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 for executive team.
• Act as main point of contact and collaborate with Salesforce data team.

Administrative & Departmental Support

• Provide administrative support to the Major Gift Officer and Development Leadership, including scheduling, meeting preparation, and file management.
• Assist with 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.
• Responsible for the creation and distribution of the Major Gifts weekly roundup report.
• Gift processing.
• Conduct donor and prospect research to inform fundraising strategy.
• Gather and synthesize information 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, identifying new prospects, and providing actionable insights to help Major Gifts Officers and leadership tailor outreach, deepen donor engagement, and strategically expand the pipeline.
• 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.
• Assist in writing foundation proposals and grant reports.
• Assist with tracking grant reporting deadlines and any special requirements set out in grant agreements.
• Assist with pre‑meeting preparations for donor meetings which may include preparation of printed materials, presentations, donor gifts, etc.

Event & Campaign Support

• Assist with logistical support for donor events: RSVPs, check‑in lists, nametags, materials preparation, and follow‑up.
• Support majorgifts staff in preparing collateral, packets, and materials for donor engagements.
• Cross‑Functional Coordination.
• Coordinate with Finance, Communications, and Program Operations to support donor stewardship and ensure accurate reporting.
• 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's degree and 1-2 years relevant experience.
• Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to 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 confidential donor and 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%.

Spirit of America is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability or other protected characteristics in accordance with applicable laws.