Development Associate - Jacksonville

Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision, Dental

401(k) with match

PTO and paid holidays

Maternity and paternity leave

Team outings and development

Job summary

Make‑A‑Wish Central & Northern Florida seeks a Development Associate in Jacksonville, FL to support fundraising, events and community engagement for the Northeast Region. This role reports to the Director of Development and collaborates with the Development and Events Manager on major events such as the Wish Makers Ball and Walk for Wishes.

The ideal candidate is creative, organized and relationship‑oriented, with interest in donor outreach, stewardship and volunteer engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience preferred.
• Experience in fundraising, nonprofit work, events, marketing, graphic design, digital media, communications or community engagement is a plus.
• Experience with Canva and Microsoft Office applications, particularly PowerPoint and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Support planning and execution of major development events including Wish Makers Ball and Walk for Wishes.
• Work with Development and Events Manager on event planning, logistics, sponsorship fulfillment and guest information.
• Lead donor and auction item solicitation, prospect new donors and maintain a pipeline of commitments and donated items.
• Support sponsorship fulfillment and ensure promised benefits are delivered on time.
• Lead peer‑to‑peer fundraising efforts and engage participants, team captains, volunteers and community members.
• Represent Make‑A‑Wish in the community and build relationships with volunteers, donors and partners.
• Support Wish Alumni activities in the market and related fundraising efforts.
• Maintain Salesforce documentation and ensure constituent records are up to date.
• Coordinate attendee and donor information for events using OneCause, TeamRaiser and other platforms.
• Assist with invoices, expense forms, supplies and other administrative needs.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor outreach

Event planning

Relationship building

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience

Tools

Canva

PowerPoint

Excel

Salesforce

Job description

Job / Position Title: Development Associate

Supervisor: Director of Development, Northeast

Status and Classification: Full-Time and Non-Exempt

Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. From our humble beginnings with one boy’s wish to be a police officer, we have evolved to be one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 400 volunteers, Make-A-Wish Central & Northern Florida granted 481 wishes last year.

Position Summary

The Development Associate plays a key role in supporting the fundraising, event and community engagement efforts of the Northeast Region of Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida. Reporting directly to the Director of Development, this position works closely with the Development and Events Manager to support major events such as the Wish Makers Ball and Walk for Wishes, as well as a variety of fundraising, cultivation and community events throughout the year.

The Development Associate will also support the broader development team and take ownership of assigned projects that advance regional fundraising and engagement goals. The position provides opportunities to develop skills in fundraising, event management, community engagement, professional networking and donor outreach while contributing to the mission of creating meaningful experiences for wish kids and their families.

The ideal candidate is creative, organized, relationship-oriented and eager to learn, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and contribute positively in a collaborative team environment.

Duties And Responsibilities

Events, Community Engagement, and Development Support

• Support planning and execution of major development events including Wish Makers Ball, Walk for Wishes, Wish Makers Brunch, and other fundraising, cultivation and community events throughout the year.
• Work closely with the Development and Events Manager on event planning, logistics, sponsorship fulfillment, guest information, event materials, and other assigned needs.
• Lead and support inkind donor and auction item solicitation efforts for major development events, including researching and prospecting new donors, conducting outreach and followup and maintaining an organized pipeline of prospects, commitments and donated items.
• Support sponsorship fulfillment, ensuring sponsors receive all promised benefits accurately and within designated timelines.
• Lead peertopeer fundraising efforts and help engage participants, team captains, volunteers and community members.
• Represent MakeAWish through community networking and help build relationships with volunteers, donors, partners and other community members.
• Support Wish Alumni activities in the market in collaboration with the Wish Alumni Manager, including alumni fundraising, ambassadorship and storytelling efforts, as well as participation in Wish Alumni events and additional logistical support throughout the year.
• Support stewardship activities for the region ensuring constituents are properly recognized and thanked in a timely manner.
• Manage event information and communications using platforms such as OneCause, TeamRaiser and other development tools.
• Support event websites, email communications and social media content to help promote events, recognize supporters and engage participants.
• Travel throughout the Central and Northeast regions, including Orlando, Jacksonville, St. Johns, Gainesville, Ocala and surrounding communities, as needed for events, meetings, community engagement and other development activities.

Creative and Communications Support

• Create polished and engaging presentations for Advisory Board meetings, sponsor recaps, donor meetings and other development needs.
• Create and update sponsor decks, flyers, programs, auction materials, signage, poster boards and other event materials.
• Support the Development Director with grant writing and report followup.
• Help ensure communications and materials are creative, accurate and consistent with the MakeAWish brand.

Team and Operational Support

• Manage assigned development projects from start to finish, keeping timelines, details and deadlines organized and communicating progress to the Director of Development.
• Maintain accurate Salesforce documentation and ensure constituent records, interactions and other relevant information are properly documented and up to date.
• Coordinate the collection, organization and management of attendee, participant and donor information for development events using OneCause, TeamRaiser and other applicable platforms.
• Assist with developmentrelated administrative needs including invoices, expense forms, supplies, records, shipping, vehicle scheduling, MakeAWish branded item ordering and coordination of other departmental resources..
• Assist with Salesforce updates, mail logs, invoices, expense forms, supplies and other developmentrelated administrative needs.
• Help lead and support a Northeast region development intern each semester by providing direction, helping prioritize assignments and creating a positive learning experience.
• Support the broader Central and North Florida development teams with additional projects, events and priorities as needed.

What We’re Looking For

• Creative and visually minded, with the ability to turn ideas into engaging presentations, event materials and communications.
• Comfortable using Canva, PowerPoint and Excel and willing to learn new technology and fundraising platforms.
• Outgoing and personable, with a genuine interest in meeting people, building relationships and representing MakeAWish in the community.
• Organized and dependable, with the ability to manage multiple projects, stay on top of details and meet deadlines.
• Eager to learn fundraising, including donor outreach, inkind solicitation, auction procurement, peertopeer fundraising and eventbased fundraising.
• Comfortable making fundraising and participation asks with coaching and support from the development team.
• Strong communication skills and a high level of emotional intelligence.
• Positive, flexible and willing to jump in wherever needed to help the team succeed.
• Comfortable working some evenings and weekends to support events and community activities.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience preferred. Experience in fundraising, nonprofit work, events, marketing, graphic design, digital media, communications or community engagement is a plus.
• Experience with Canva and Microsoft Office applications, particularly PowerPoint and Excel.
• Experience with donor databases such as Salesforce is preferred but not required.
• Interest in building skills in fundraising, nonprofit development, events or community engagement.
• Ability to learn new systems, processes and responsibilities quickly.
• Possess integrity, maturity and ethical awareness; ability to handle sensitive information and maintain strict confidentiality.
• Commitment to the mission of MakeAWish and a desire to create meaningful experiences for wish kids and their families.

Working Conditions

This position is in Jacksonville, FL. The position requires the individual to work in an office environment in a shared office space. The individual must have the ability and willingness to travel regionally as required in this position. Incumbent must be willing to work some nights/weekends.

Rewards and Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit package: Medical, Vision, Dental
• 100% employer paid for employee: Long Term Disability and Life Insurance
• Annual incentive potential
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan: up to 5% Match
• 15 PTO days, 11 Paid Holidays, 2 Personal Days, and 5 Health and Wellness Days
• Paid maternity and paternity leave
• Quarterly Team Outings
• Early release Fridays (3pm)
• Individual and Leadership Development
• Employee Rewards and Recognition Programs

Join Our Team of Inspired People Transforming Lives

We are more than a great place to work - our work is life changing. We are an inclusive and diverse group of people who, through a mosaic of backgrounds, thoughts and experiences are united in purposeful work. We are fueled and guided by our values - values that are represented in the inspired people we work with and the transformational work we do every day. We respect and ensure equal opportunity, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, perceived disability and other legally protected characteristics.

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. For more information visit