Development Specialist

HIAS; United States; Hybrid; USD 67,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

HIAS is seeking a Development Specialist to strengthen donor research, stewardship, and reporting. You will provide actionable donor intelligence, support portfolio management, and help ensure fundraising success through data-driven insights and streamlined operations.

The role requires collaboration across fundraising, programs, finance, and communications, with responsibility for improving donor engagement and maintaining accurate CRM records.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, development operations, prospect research, or donor stewardship.
• Strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to translate donor data into actionable fundraising insights.
• Proficiency in CRM systems (Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, or similar) and research tools (iWave, Research Point, etc.).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a donor-centric approach to stewardship and messaging.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, working cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborative mindset, with experience supporting fundraisers and working across teams.
• Commitment to HIAS’ mission and an understanding of philanthropic trends, particularly in individual giving.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth research on prospective donors to assess giving capacity, philanthropic interests, and engagement potential.
• Provide fundraisers with detailed donor profiles, briefing materials, research findings, and donor engagement recommendations to support cultivation and solicitation efforts.
• In conjunction with leadership, assign donors to relevant fundraiser portfolios and manage the portfolio review process.
• Leverage data tools, wealth screening platforms, and industry reports to identify donor trends and engagement opportunities amongst individual donors.
• Coordinate and implement personalized donor stewardship activities and recognition plans to support meaningful donor engagement and retention.
• Review daily gift reports and alert various internal stakeholders for stewardship follow up.
• Work closely with fundraisers to execute donor engagement activities, including exclusive briefings, intimate gatherings, and virtual discussions.
• Maintain and enhance donor records within the CRM system (Raiser’s Edge), ensuring accuracy in donor history, gift tracking, and engagement touchpoints.
• Generate and analyze reports to track donor pipeline activity, fundraising progress, and campaign effectiveness, providing data and insights to support fundraising decision-making.
• Manage list segmentation, data hygiene, and CRM optimization to improve outreach and engagement.
• Manage the team’s information sharing platforms (Teams channels, SharePoint folders, etc.) to ensure fundraisers have updated one pagers, program information, and other internal and external facing resources.
• Serve as a key liaison between development, programs, finance, and communications teams, facilitating coordination and consistent donor-facing communications and stewardship activities.
• Support gift processing, acknowledgment tracking, and pledge fulfillment to enhance donor experience.
• Manage the major donor acknowledgement letter process – creating acknowledgement letters, organizing reviews, and mailing to donors in a timely fashion.
• Assist in scheduling and preparing materials for major donor meetings, providing fundraisers with the insights and tools they need to succeed.
• Organize and manage team meetings and greater department meetings for information sharing, collaboration, and strategy review.
• Support department effectiveness by drafting SOPs, improving internal systems and processes, documenting best practices, and serving as a central resource for fundraising staff.
• Lead specialized development operations projects and process improvements that strengthen donor stewardship, portfolio management, reporting accuracy, and fundraiser effectiveness.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Analytical skills

Donor research

Communication skills

Cross-functional teamwork

Attention to detail

Tools

Salesforce

Raiser’s Edge

iWave

Research Point

Job description

Position Summary

The Development Specialist is a key member of HIAS' fundraising team, responsible for providing donor research, stewardship coordination, reporting, and operational support that enables effective donor cultivation and engagement. The role leads specialized development operations workstreams, delivers actionable donor intelligence, and ensures fundraisers have the tools, resources, and information needed to advance fundraising goals.

Note, this position is based at our headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland or our office in New York, New York, and we will consider a remote option for applicants who live outside of commuting distance to either of our offices and are based in other states in which we are registered (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia).

The salary range for this position is $67,000-75,000.00.

Essential Functions

• Conduct in-depth research on prospective donors to assess giving capacity, philanthropic interests, and engagement potential.


• Provide fundraisers with detailed donor profiles, briefing materials, research findings, and donor engagement recommendations to support cultivation and solicitation efforts.


• In conjunction with leadership, assign donors to relevant fundraiser portfolios and manage the portfolio review process.


• Leverage data tools, wealth screening platforms, and industry reports to identify donor trends and engagement opportunities amongst individual donors.


• Coordinate and implement personalized donor stewardship activities and recognition plans to support meaningful donor engagement and retention.


• Review daily gift reports and alert various internal stakeholders for stewardship follow up.


• Work closely with fundraisers to execute donor engagement activities, including exclusive briefings, intimate gatherings, and virtual discussions.


• Maintain and enhance donor records within the CRM system (Raiser’s Edge), ensuring accuracy in donor history, gift tracking, and engagement touchpoints.


• Generate and analyze reports to track donor pipeline activity, fundraising progress, and campaign effectiveness, providing data and insights to support fundraising decision-making.


• Manage list segmentation, data hygiene, and CRM optimization to improve outreach and engagement.


• Manage the team’s information sharing platforms (Teams channels, SharePoint folders, etc.) to ensure fundraisers have updated one pagers, program information, and other internal and external facing resources.


• Serve as a key liaison between development, programs, finance, and communications teams, facilitating coordination and consistent donor-facing communications and stewardship activities.


• Support gift processing, acknowledgment tracking, and pledge fulfillment to enhance donor experience.


• Manage the major donor acknowledgement letter process – creating acknowledgement letters, organizing reviews, and mailing to donors in a timely fashion.


• Assist in scheduling and preparing materials for major donor meetings, providing fundraisers with the insights and tools they need to succeed.


• Organize and manage team meetings and greater department meetings for information sharing, collaboration, and strategy review.


• Support department effectiveness by drafting SOPs, improving internal systems and processes, documenting best practices, and serving as a central resource for fundraising staff.


• Lead specialized development operations projects and process improvements that strengthen donor stewardship, portfolio management, reporting accuracy, and fundraiser effectiveness.


• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Requirements

• 3-5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, development operations, prospect research, or donor stewardship.


• Strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to translate donor data into actionable fundraising insights.


• Proficiency in CRM systems (Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, or similar) and research tools (iWave, Research Point, etc.).


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a donor-centric approach to stewardship and messaging.


• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, working cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment.


• Collaborative mindset, with experience supporting fundraisers and working across teams.


• Commitment to HIAS’ mission and an understanding of philanthropic trends, particularly in individual giving.