Development Program Specialist

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

Job summary

The Nature Conservancy in Virginia seeks a Development Program Specialist to join the Virginia Development team and help secure funding to sustain conservation priorities. This is a remote position in the Eastern Time zone, working 9am–5pm EST.

The Specialist will handle gift processing, donor coding, database maintenance in Blackbaud CRM, and generate fundraising dashboards and reports. Travel to Virginia or other TNC locations is expected twice a year.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 2+ years in gift coding or database management or related field preferred.
• Experience with CRM relational databases and data tracking.
• Experience building relationships across teams and with donors or customers.

Responsibilities

• Process and manage all commitments (pledges and intentions) and outright gifts for the Virginia Business Unit.
• Create financial and non-financial adjustments for Virginia BU.
• Create Grant ID requests with Finance collaboration.
• Provide development support for Virginia quarterly pledge reviews.
• Troubleshoot delayed processing and uncommitted batches with leadership.

Skills

Gift processing

Database management

Data reporting

Relationship building

Attention to detail

Cross-team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

2 years experience in gift coding or database management

Tools

Blackbaud CRM

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 manages 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.1
• 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. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”

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 of 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. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

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.

We are committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.