Development Associate

Milwaukee Jewish Federation; Milwaukee (WI); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401K plan

Paid time off

Job summary

The Nathan & Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Center (HERC) seeks a Development Associate to coordinate HERC’s annual campaign and donor portfolio strategy, including individual, grant, and foundation giving topping $1M annually.

This position plays a key role in the administration and execution of the organization's annual fundraising efforts, donor stewardship activities, database management, gift processing, and development communications.

Qualifications

• Experience maintaining donor databases/CRMs and donor records with a high degree of accuracy.
• Experience processing gifts, pledges, acknowledgments, and donor correspondence.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-starter who can work independently while collaborating with staff and donors.
• Familiarity with donor management software CRM systems or willingness to learn quickly.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage administrative aspects of the annual fundraising campaign.
• Maintain campaign timelines, donor lists, and tracking systems.
• Prepare appeal materials, mailing lists, and campaign reports.
• Monitor campaign progress and assist with donor follow-up activities.
• Support special fundraising initiatives and year-end giving campaigns.
• Maintain donor database (CRM) and ensure accurate donor records.
• Enter and process gifts, pledges, and donor information in a timely manner.
• Generate reports and donor lists to support fundraising and stewardship efforts.
• Track donor interactions, appeals, and campaign results.
• Process gifts and prepare donor acknowledgment letters and receipts.
• Coordinate stewardship communications and recognition activities.
• Assist in maintaining donor records related to recognition and giving history.
• Support development-related content for newsletters, emails, and other donor communications.

Skills

Donor relations

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Project management

Attention to detail

CRM experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management / related field

Tools

CRM software

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Nathan & Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Center (HERC) seeks a highly motivated, organized, and relationship-driven professional to serve as Development Associate, playing a key role in coordinating HERC’s annual campaign and donor portfolio strategy, which includes individual, grant, and foundational philanthropy topping $1M annually. This position plays a key role in the administration and execution of the organization's annual fundraising efforts, donor stewardship activities, database management, gift processing, and development communications.

The Development Associate works closely with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and Development Committee to ensure donors receive timely and meaningful acknowledgment and that fundraising activities are executed efficiently and accurately. This position supports and coordinates major donor cultivation and solicitation efforts led by the Executive Director and Board members.

Key Responsibilities

Annual Campaign Administration

• Coordinate and manage administrative aspects of the annual fundraising campaign.
• Maintain campaign timelines, donor lists, and tracking systems.
• Prepare appeal materials, mailing lists, and campaign reports.
• Monitor campaign progress and assist with donor follow-up activities.
• Support special fundraising initiatives and year-end giving campaigns.

Donor Database Management

• Maintain the organization's donor database (CRM) and ensure accurate donor records.
• Enter and process gifts, pledges, and donor information in a timely manner.
• Conduct regular data audits and updates to ensure data integrity.
• Generate reports and donor lists to support fundraising and stewardship efforts.
• Track donor interactions, appeals, and campaign results.

Donor Stewardship and Acknowledgment

• Process gifts and prepare timely donor acknowledgment letters and receipts.
• Coordinate stewardship communications and recognition activities.
• Assist in maintaining donor records related to recognition and giving history.
• Support efforts to strengthen donor engagement and retention.

Appeals and Development Communications

• Coordinate production and distribution of fundraising appeals and donor communications.
• Manage mailing lists and work with vendors as needed for printing and mail services.
• Assist with development-related content for newsletters, emails, and other donor communications.
• Track response rates and maintain records of appeal performance.

Board and Development Committee Support

• Provide administrative support to the Executive Director, Board of Directors and Development Committee related to fundraising activities.
• Prepare meeting materials, reports, agendas, and fundraising updates.
• Track committee action items and support volunteer engagement efforts.
• Coordinate logistics for committee meetings and fundraising-related events.

Major Donor Support

• Assist the Executive Director and Board members in coordinating major donor cultivation and solicitation activities.
• Prepare donor profiles, briefing materials, and meeting documentation.
• Track major donor engagement activities and follow-up actions.
• Maintain accurate records of major donor communications and solicitation plans.
• This position does not directly solicit major gifts over $500.

Partnership with Milwaukee Jewish Federation Development Team

• Assist in creating shared materials and lists for joint solicitations between MJF and HERC
• Meet regularly with HERC Executive Director and MJF Chief Development Officer to plan and implement strategy for annual fundraising efforts
• Partner with MJF’s Corporate program to identify, solicit, and steward HERC corporate sponsors

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business administration, communications, marketing, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience maintaining donor databases/CRMs and managing donor records with a high degree of accuracy.
• Experience processing gifts, pledges, acknowledgments, and donor correspondence.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and database reporting.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data integrity and confidentiality.
• Self-starter who is able to work independently while collaborating effectively with staff, board members, volunteers, and donors.
• Demonstrated customer service orientation and ability to build positive relationships with donors and stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Familiarity with donor management software CRM systems or willingness to learn quickly

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience maintaining donor databases/CRMs and managing donor records with a high degree of accuracy.
• Experience processing gifts, pledges, acknowledgments, and donor correspondence.
• Experience coordinating direct mail campaigns, annual giving programs, and donor stewardship activities.
• Experience preparing fundraising reports, donor profiles, and campaign performance tracking.
• Experience supporting board committees, volunteer leadership groups, or fundraising committees.

Hours and Benefits:

This is a full-time position requiring a minimum of 38 hours per week. Typical office hours are Monday- Thursday, 8 am-5 pm, and Friday, 8 am-3 pm. This work is majority in-person, with a remote option available 1-2 days per week. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required.

This position is eligible for 15 vacation days and 7 personal days annually. In addition, MJF observes 7 federal holidays as well as Jewish holidays that prohibit work, typically adding between 11 -17 additional paid days off annually depending on the Hebrew calendar. Other benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance, employee assistance program, paid parental leave, health savings and flexible spending accounts, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, and 401K plan.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

This position operates in a professional office environment with pleasant working conditions, good lighting and ventilation and moderate noise level.

This role frequently uses standard office equipment. There will be frequent computer usage which will require arm and hand dexterity as well as all vision abilities to be successful. This is primarily a sedentary role, however occasional filing and transport of meeting or event materials will be required. This would require the ability to lift and/or move up to 15-20 pounds, usually waist high.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required to perform the job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The Milwaukee Jewish Federation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.