Development Operations & Donor Data Associate

Mercatus Center at George Mason University; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Dental

Unlimited PTO

Disability & Life Insurance

403(b) Retirement

Parking & Travel

GMU Credits

Job summary

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is seeking a Development Associate to join our Development Operations team. This position supports gift recording and donor acknowledgements while ensuring accuracy and timeliness in fundraising operations.

The Development Associate reports to the Director of Direct Response and collaborates with Development, Finance, and GMU Foundation teams to maintain records, process donor communications, and assist with special donor relations tasks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience.
• Strong attention to detail in data entry and donor acknowledgement.
• Familiarity with Salesforce or a similar CRM system.
• Experience in fundraising, prospect research, customer relations, or data entry.
• Ability to manage multiple daily tasks and meet tight deadlines.
• Self-starter with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Clear understanding of donor confidentiality and the importance of fprofessional customer service.

Responsibilities

• Records and tracks all incoming donations for the Mercatus Center in the Salesforce database.
• Reports daily to the Development Team all donations recorded for that day.
• Conducts monthly prospect research and report findings on major donor prospects to the Donor Relations Team.
• Maintains accurate gift documentation in coordination with the Development, Finance, and George Mason University Foundation teams.
• Investigates and troubleshoots payment issues in coordination with the bank and internal stakeholders.
• Maintains donor acknowledgement supplies in ordering and restocking as needed.
• Responds to donor inquiries and requests in a timely manner.
• Reviews and manages physical Development-related mail.
• Oversees the formatting and distribution of thank-you letters and receipts to donors.
• Assists with handwritten thank-you notes as needed and performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Attention to detail

Self-starter

Team player

Customer service

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is seeking a Development Associate to join our Development Operations team. This position supports gift recording and donor acknowledgements while ensuring accuracy and timeliness in fundraising operations.

The Development Associate reports to the Director of Direct Response and collaborates with Development, Finance, and GMU Foundation teams to maintain records, process donor communications, and assist with special donor relations tasks.