Development Program Specialist

The Nature Conservancy; Richmond (VA); Remote; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia program seeks a Development Program Specialist to secure funding, manage gifts, and keep donor records in Blackbaud CRM. The role is remote (EST) with occasional travel and a focus on data-driven fundraising支iences.

You will prepare dashboards, generate reports, and support cross-team collaboration to advance conservation priorities. Ideal candidates bring a Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years of gift coding or database management experience, strong CRM and Excel

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of experience in gift coding or database management or equivalent.
• Experience with CRM relational databases and managing/tracking data.
• Experience building relationships with staff, customers, or similar.
• Strong organization, accuracy, and attention to detail.
• Experience generating reports and interpreting data.
• Experience in business writing, editing, and proofreading.
• Experience working across teams.

Responsibilities

• Process and manage all commitments (pledges and intentions), outright gift processing and any other contributions for Virginia Business Unit.
• Create financial and non-financial adjustments for all Virginia Business Unit.
• Create Grant ID requests, in collaboration with Finance.
• Development support for Virginia quarterly pledge reviews.
• Troubleshooting of delayed processing and uncommitted batches, in collaboration with Director of Development Operations.
• Ensure that all revenue coding adheres to SOP requirements and provides advice to team.
• Manage database maintenance.
• Conduct research on prospective and current donors, creating briefings and updating donor profiles in the database.
• Demonstrate sensitivity in handling confidential information.
• Assist in ad-hoc projects and tasks.
• Act independently on assigned tasks and exercise independent judgment based on analysis and experience.
• Coordinate a variety of complex projects, working within a defined timeline and budget.
• Ensure compliance with TNC policies and procedures, and external (donor/legal/IRS) requirements.
• Travel to Virginia or other TNC locations at least twice a year for TNC-related workshops or projects.

Skills

Gift processing

Database management

CRM experience

Relationship building

Attention to detail

Reporting

Written communication

Team collaboration

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Blackbaud CRM

Microsoft Excel

SQL basics

Job description

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Development Program Specialist will be an integral part of the Virginia Development team, whose goal is to secure funding and ensure financial sustainability for the conservation priorities of the Virginia Business Unit and beyond. This is a remote position in the Eastern Standard Time zone and expected to work 9am-5pm EST. The Specialist will be responsible for all aspects of gift processing to ensure that donor gifts are received and acknowledged as per TNC's best practices and compliance. They will manage gift coding, record gifts in the donor database and work with other philanthropy and finance staff to track donor commitments and associated documentation, as well as reporting requirements. The Specialist will prepare and update fundraising dashboards and track philanthropic contributions. The Specialist, with the Development Operations Manager, will serve as subject matter expert for data management in the donor database (Blackbaud CRM). They will create, update, and maintain constituent records and perform data entry functions for the team as needed. They will produce reports and queries from the donor database in support of fundraising efforts including events, donor mailings, and pledge reminder letters. They may assist with special initiatives. The Specialist will conduct research on prospective and current donors and support the writing of strategic internal and external facing documents. The Specialist must maintain advanced skills with the systems in order to execute tasks and provide support to team members. They will implement processes and practices in order to improve effectiveness based on their in-depth understanding of related policies and procedures. The Specialist will effectively communicate and collaborate widely with internal stakeholders and assist staff in making decisions, solving problems, and improving workflows. They will maintain a robust peer network to stay up to date on best practice.

We’re Looking for You:

Want to help save the planet? The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia program works to create a future where people and nature thrive together. Our innovative science-based solutions are designed to secure clean water in our rivers and bays, restore healthy forests from the Appalachians to the Atlantic, protect our oceans and coasts, and foster resilient communities. We are looking for a self-driven individual who is able to work independently in a fast-paced environment. Relationship building, project coordination and intellectual curiosity will be key to this role.

Responsibilities & Scope:

• Process and manage all commitments (pledges and intentions), outright gift processing and any other contributions for Virginia Business Unit
• Create financial and non-financial adjustments for all Virginia Business Unit
• Create Grant ID requests, in collaboration with Finance
• Development support for Virginia quarterly pledge reviews
• Troubleshooting of delayed processing and uncommitted batches, in collaboration with Director of Development Operations
• Ensure that all revenue coding adheres to SOP requirements and provides advice to team
• Manage database maintenance
• Conduct research on prospective and current donors, creating briefings and updating donor profiles in the database
• Demonstrate sensitivity in handling confidential information
• Assist in ad-hoc projects and tasks
• Act independently on assigned tasks and exercise independent judgment based on analysis and experience
• Coordinate a variety of complex projects, working within a defined timeline and budget
• Ensure compliance with TNC policies and procedures, and external (donor/legal/IRS) requirements
• Travel to Virginia or other TNC locations at least twice a year for TNC-related workshops or projects

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of experience in gift coding or database management or equivalent combination.
• Experience working with CRM relational databases, including managing and tracking data.
• Experience building relationships with staff, customers, or similar.
• Strong organization skills, accuracy, and attention to detail.
• Experience generating reports and interpreting data.
• Experience in business writing, editing, and proofreading.
• Experience working across teams.

Desired Qualifications:

• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience are appreciated.
• Ability to analyze information for the purpose of coordinating or planning activities and solving problems.
• Ability to work under pressure and perform repetitive data entry tasks.
• Experience interpreting guidelines to achieve desired results.
• Ability to communicate clearly about a variety of complex topics, verbally and in writing.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience, coursework, or other training in principles and practices of relevant field.

Salary Information:

The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $60,000-$80,000 annually. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate’s location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.

Who We Are :

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor. One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience.

What We Bring:

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!

TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.