Development Coordinator, Principal Gifts

Harvarduniversity; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences development team is seeking a Development Coordinator to provide high-level strategic, operational, and administrative support to an Executive Director of Principal Gifts.

This full-time role supports prospect activity, donor relation management, meeting and travel coordination, and database maintenance from campus in Cambridge, MA, collaborating with multiple units to advance fundraising priorities.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years of work experience related to development, volunteer management, constituent engagement, or project management.
• Strong writing skills and attention to detail.
• Availability to work additional evening hours if necessary.

Responsibilities

• Oversee prospect activity support from preparation through follow-up, including drafting outreach, briefing materials, reports, meeting notes, and action plans.
• Track donor interactions, gift conversations, solicitation strategies, stewardship opportunities, and follow-up commitments.
• Prepare talking points, donor strategies, relationship summaries, and recommended next steps.
• Coordinate proposals, donor briefings, planning meetings, correspondence, and other requests for the fundraiser.

Skills

Writing skills

Attention to detail

Office software proficiency

Time management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Development Coordinator is an integral member of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) development team. This full-time non-exempt position provides high-level strategic, operational, and administrative support to an Executive Director of Principal Gifts to advance the philanthropic mission of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Prospect and Relationship Management Support

• Oversee prospect activity support from preparation through follow-up, including drafting outreach, correspondence, briefing materials, reports, meeting notes, and action plans.
• Track donor interactions, gift conversations, solicitation strategies, stewardship opportunities, and follow-up commitments.
• Prepare talking points, donor strategies, relationship summaries, and recommended next steps.
• Partner with Research and other colleagues to assess University affiliations, giving history, external philanthropy, recent activity, and relevant institutional priorities.
• Ensure donor and prospect information is accurately and promptly recorded in the alumni and donor database.

Meeting, Proposal, and Workflow Support

• Coordinate proposals, donor briefings, planning meetings, correspondence, and other requests for the fundraiser.
• Prepare a high volume of high-quality briefings for domestic and international travel and meetings with the President, Deans, Provost, faculty, and other University leaders.
• Coordinate meeting objectives, participants, logistics, materials, and follow-up responsibilities with internal stakeholders.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner by helping the fundraiser assess priorities, anticipate needs, and determine next steps.
• Monitor the fundraiser's schedule, deadlines, correspondence, and competing priorities; draft or coordinate responses as appropriate.
• Help ensure timely communication with internal and external constituents and communicate the fundraiser's availability, priorities, and bandwidth when needed.

Travel and Follow-Up

• Coordinate travel preparation, including donor research, briefing materials, meeting logistics, talking points, and follow-up plans.
• Serve as a point of contact for troubleshooting and time-sensitive issues during travel.
• Coordinate post-travel activities, including debriefs, thank-you notes, follow-up correspondence, database updates, expense reports, and additional stewardship or solicitation actions.
• Partner with the Development Assistant and other colleagues to ensure timely completion of post-travel responsibilities.

Gift and Database Administration

• Develop proficiency in the alumni and donor database to research prospects, organize information, produce reports, and maintain accurate records.
• Process and route complex, high-level gifts and pledges through appropriate channels.
• Notify fundraisers when gifts or pledges are completed and coordinate with colleagues to support accurate acknowledgment and stewardship.
• Collaborate with Development Assistant to ensure donor, prospect, meeting, gift, pledge, and follow-up information is entered accurately and promptly.

Collaboration and Service

• Provide responsive, professional service to donors, alumni, faculty, senior administrators, and development colleagues, including support related to gift logistics, meetings, and events.
• Collaborate with colleagues in Research, Donor Relations, Events, Gift Administration, Communications, and other areas to advance fundraising priorities.
• Serve as a resource regarding relevant policies, protocols, and procedures.
• Build effective working relationships across Alumni Affairs and Development and contribute to departmental and team goals.
• Participate actively in team and staff meetings, identify process improvements, and perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Working Conditions: Workplace role requirements outside of campus-based engagements required by AA&D/team or unit, such as reunion activities, retreats, etc. You will be expected to work at certain events/campus activities, such as reunions each spring, and participate in department retreats that are taking place on campus in Cambridge, MA. We will do our best to give you up to 2 weeks notice of these situations.

Basic Qualifications:

• 1-2 years of work experience related to development, volunteer management, constituent engagement, or project management.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office software.
• Strong writing skills and attention to detail.
• Available to work additional evening hours if necessary.
• You will be expected to work certain events/campus activities, such as reunions each Spring, and participate in department retreats that are taking place on campus in Cambridge, MA.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Strong written and oral communication skills, including strong knowledge of English grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Ability to accurately proofread and edit correspondence.
• Must be highly organized, detailed oriented and can work competently and efficiently in a multi-task environment.
• Strong inter