Development Coordinator

Institute for Nonprofit Practice; Dedham (MA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

The Institute for Nonprofit Practice (INP) in Dedham, MA invites applications for a Development Coordinator to drive day-to-day fundraising operations, coordinating with the development team and donors. You’ll support giving streams, prepare materials, and help with stewardship efforts to deepen impact across the nonprofit sector.

Ideal candidates bring 1–3 years of relevant experience, strong written communication, exceptional organization, and the ability to engage with donors, board members,

Qualifications

• 1–3 years of relevant work experience.
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to convey genuine warmth, gratitude, and mission impact in every note.
• Impeccable organization; you are highly detail‑oriented, and someone who gets a real sense of satisfaction from producing polished work and managing smooth and orderly processes.
• Exceptional interpersonal and verbal communication skills; comfortable engaging directly with donors, board members, and senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Donor engagement, meeting logistics, and donor communications.
• Manage multi‑channel appeals and event logistics.
• Maintain Salesforce donor data and log actions.

Skills

Written communication

Organizational skills

Interpersonal communication

Donor relations

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

About the role - Development Coordinator

The Development Coordinator plays an essential role in driving the Institute for Nonprofit Practice’s (INP) day-to-day fundraising operations. Working collaboratively with the entire development team, this role ensures INP has the resources it needs to deepen its impact and equip social sector leaders nationwide. You will play a critical, hands‑on role in the administrative and operational execution of all giving streams—including individuals, corporations, and foundations to ensure sustained growth and network engagement.

To thrive in this role, you must be exceptionally detail-oriented, operationally organized, and driven by curiosity. Because you naturally pick up on the nuances, you bring a high level of emotional intelligence to your work, understanding that meaningful donor stewardship is built on personalized, consistent, and effective communication. Whether you are greeting guests at a major donor gathering, prepping leadership for key funder conversations, or keeping our donor systems organized, your energy, warmth, and operational ownership make every partner feel valued.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Donor Engagement & Meeting Support
  • Coordinate donor meeting logistics: Conduct prospect and donor research, draft agendas and talking points, prepare staff and leadership, and manage all scheduling, confirmations, and follow-up tracking.
  • Draft external communications: Prepare personalized emails, handwritten notes, and leadership correspondence to support donor stewardship, cultivation, and outreach.
  • Coordinate solicitation materials: Assist the development leadership in gathering and organizing materials for individual solicitations, annual renewals, and the launch of new initiatives (e.g., monthly giving or digital appeals).
  • Serve as a warm, welcoming ambassador for INP across donor touchpoints, from scheduling and front‑line correspondence to greeting guests at meetings and briefings.
  • Support proposals and reporting: Gather necessary data and supporting documentation to assist in drafting funder proposals and reports.
• Campaign & Event Operations
  • Execute multi‑channel appeals: Coordinate the creation and dissemination of print and digital appeals across platforms like MailChimp, Eventbrite, and Paperless Post.
  • Manage event logistics: Handle the administrative execution of special events, including invitation lists, mailings, registration, special guest logistics, and post‑event follow‑up.
• Data & Systems Administration
  • Maintain Salesforce database: Utilize Salesforce and internal content storage platforms to track development activities, maintain clean donor records, and pull data for reporting.
  • Track team action items: Attend development strategy meetings as the primary note‑taker to log, track, and prioritize next steps for the team.

Who You Are

• A Relationship Builder: You gain energy from connecting with others. You are naturally curious about people, love making strangers feel like fast friends, and bring contagious enthusiasm to donor stewardship and team meetings.
• Resourceful and Adaptable: You’re at ease with ambiguity and rapid change. You possess a positive attitude and identify creative solutions to obstacles. You can juggle many important responsibilities at once, and you’re rigorous about prioritizing.
• A Collaborative Connector: You love working in a lively, team‑first setting. You proactively jump in to support colleagues, build bridges across departments, and bring upbeat momentum to group projects.
• Mission-Oriented: You have authentic passion for INP’s mission and a desire to foster practices incorporating diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• A Thoughtful & Personable Communicator: You find joy in the "art of the thank you." You are a natural at drafting warm, personalized notes and feel comfortable engaging in one‑on‑one conversations that make donors feel seen and valued.
• An Abundant Thinker: You believe that we are living in a world of abundant resources and that the right team of partners can make incredible things happen. You bring relentless curiosity and creativity to every task, project, and engagement.

What You'll Need

• 1–3 years of relevant work experience.
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to convey genuine warmth, gratitude, and mission impact in every note.
• Impeccable organization; you are highly detail‑oriented, and someone who gets a real sense of satisfaction from producing polished work and managing smooth and orderly processes.
• Exceptional interpersonal and verbal communication skills; comfortable engaging directly with donors, board members, and senior leaders.

Why this role is compelling

A successful candidate will develop and grow a broad set of professional skills, honing them to the level of excellence in a demanding and fast‑paced environment. You will work with, learn from, and grow alongside a high‑performing and diverse team in which everyone is committed to the development of themselves and others.

This role is intended to serve as a professional development path for you. There is potential for the role to evolve within two to three years based on the particular strengths that you bring to the team, making this an invaluable opportunity to expand your nonprofit career.