Development Operations Associate

The Helix School; San Rafael (CA); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 65,000; Part time

Job summary

The Helix School seeks a Development Operations Associate to manage donor data, pledges, and digital fundraising infrastructure. This hybrid, 32-hour-per-week role supports the Development Department in San Rafael, with two on-site days and an hourly rate of $36.06–$39.06 depending on experience.

Key duties include database administration, gift processing, donor acknowledgment, and event support. Strong organizational skills and proficiency with CRMs and email platforms are essential.

Qualifications

• Associate degree from an accredited college or university.
• 1–3 years nonprofit development or database operations.
• Availability for some evenings and weekends for events.
• High data-entry accuracy and strict attention to detail.
• Ability to handle confidential donor information securely.
• Excellent English language written and verbal communications.
• Experience with donor CRMs and email platforms.

Responsibilities

• CRM & Database Management: administer Bloomerang CRM, QGIV fundraising suite, and Mailchimp platforms.
• Maintain accurate constituent profiles and gift records, ensuring data integrity.
• Run routine database audits, clean-up queries, and deduplication processes.
• Sync data across platforms and sources including donors, event attendees, families, staff, and volunteers.
• Gift Processing & Grant Tracking: process checks, cards, ACH, and stock gifts; track grants.
• Generate and send tax receipts within established timelines.
• Support events and fundraising activities and communications.
• Segment email lists and build automated journeys in Mailchimp and Bloomerang.
• Build and optimize online donation pages and surveys.
• Set up mobile giving and event invitations; manage mail merges.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Systems thinking

Tech-savvy

English communication

Education

Associate degree

Tools

Bloomerang CRM

QGIV fundraising suite

Mailchimp

Salesforce

Microsoft Excel

Google Suite

CANVA

Job description

The Development Operations Associate manages the donor database/CRM, pledges and donation processing, digital fundraising infrastructure, and manages email lists, tagging, and segmentation for email platforms. This role ensures data and list integrity, accurate record keeping for all gifts and pledges, timely automated and manual gift acknowledgements and donor recognition, and supports email communication through precise list management. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, a systems-thinker, and tech-savvy. This role also supports events for the Helix School and Helix Adult Academy and may require occasional evening and weekend availability for events as needed.

The Development Operations Associate is a non-exempt, hybrid position working 32 hours per week (0.80 FTE) in the Development Department. Reporting to the Annual Fund Development Manager, this role supports fundraising operations, donor database management, gift processing, and development events for The Helix School and The Helix Adult Academy. The position requires a minimum of two days per week on-site in San Rafael and offers an hourly rate of $36.06–$39.06, depending on experience. Employees working 30 or more hours per week are eligible for benefits in accordance with The Helix School's benefit plans and policies.

Essential Functions

• CRM & Database ManagementServe as the primary system administrator for the Bloomerang CRM and QGIV fundraising suite, and Mailchimp email platforms


• Maintain accurate and up-to-date constituent profiles and gift records, ensuring data integrity


• Run routine database audits, clean-up queries, and deduplication processes


• Sync data across platforms and sources including donors, event attendees, current and former school families and staff, board members, and subscriber lists across multiple platforms


• Gift Processing & Grant TrackingDonation Entry: Process all incoming checks, credit cards, ACH, and stock gifts.


• Acknowledgment Letters: Generate and send tax receipts within established timelines


• Grants Research: Research potential grants for Helix School and Adult Academy collaborating with the Director of Development


• Grant Pipeline: Track grant deadlines, proposals, awards, and reporting schedules


• Digital Fundraising, Events & CommunicationsEvent Production: Provide hands-on operational and logistical support for all events


• List Segmentation: Segment email lists and apply target tags for campaigns


• Email Journeys: Build, test, and manage automated email journeys in Mailchimp and Bloomerang supporting as guided by Development Manager


• Fundraising Forms: Build, test, and optimize online donation pages and Google Form surveys


• Mobile Giving: Set up, monitor, and report on text-to-give campaigns


• Event Outreach: Create and deploy event invitations using Paperless Post


• Mail Merges: Execute complex mail merges for physical direct mail appeals


• Online Auction & Event Registration: Support Gala & 5K events on select 3rd party platforms for auctions, events, invitations, etc.

Qualifications

• Education, Experience & CompetenciesEducation: Hold the minimum of an associate degree from an accredited college or university


• Background: 1–3 years of experience in nonprofit development or database operations


• Event Support: Willingness and availability to work some evenings and weekends for events


• Precision: High data-entry accuracy and strict attention to detail


• Discretion: Ability to handle confidential donor financial information securely


• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and independently


• Excellent English language written and verbal communications


• Required Technical Proficiency and experienceDonor CRMs: Minimum 1 year advanced hands-on experience in Salesforce, Blackbaud, e-Tapestry, Bloomerang, QGiv, or other comparable CRMs and fundraising platforms


• Email: Direct experience and demonstrable skills managing email lists and campaigns in Mailchimp, Bloomerang, Constant Contact, or HubSpot


• Core technologies: Proficient in Microsoft Word (editing functions), Excel (filters, Pivot tables, VLookUP), Powerpoint; Google Suite programs, fundraising, and preference for expertise in content generation via CANVA, CapCut/video and META applications


• Payment processors, portals, and protocols: Benevity, Square, PayPal, QGIV, DAFs, and the like. Experience processing gifts-in-kind, soft credits, split gifts, pledges, pledge payments

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Sit, stand, walk, and move throughout the campus and event spaces during the workday


• Lift and carry up to 25 lbs


• Push and pull doors, carts, boxes, or event equipment as needed


• Maintain professional composure and emotional self-regulation during stressful, unpredictable, or confrontational situations which, though rare, may occur with students, families, visitors, or other members of the school community


• Occasionally work evenings or weekends supporting fundraising events and school activities

Working Relationships

This position reports directly to the Development Annual Fund Manager with dotted line support to the Director of Development. The Development Operations Associate collaborates regularly with the Marketing Manager, Director of Development, and Director of THAA.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Helix School does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors and clients.