Development Strategist

Democratic National Committee; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 48,690 - 59,510; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off, including federal holidays

Health and dental insurance, 90% paid by DNC

401(k) plan with up to 5% employer match

Pre-tax flexible spending account benefits

Job summary

The Democratic National Committee is seeking a Development Assistant to play a critical role in expanding fundraising programs. This position involves prospecting, cultivating, and maintaining relationships with major donors, managing donor records, and supporting innovative fundraising initiatives.

The ideal candidate should possess strong organizational skills and be confident in making direct outreach to enhance donor engagement and relationship-building. This full-time role offers a salary starting at $54,100, reflecting the importance of the position in supporting the DNC's fundraising efforts.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of political fundraising landscape.
• Experience with donor database management is preferred.
• Familiarity with ActBlue is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct donor prospecting through research and cold calls.
• Maintain accurate donor records in NGP VAN.
• Support outreach operations to maximize capacity.

Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Strong attention to detail

Proficiency with Google Workspace

Ability to make hard asks on the phone

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience

Tools

NGP VAN

Job description

We’re hiring! Are you fired up to elect Democrats up and down the ticket?

Position Summary

The Development Assistant will play a critical role in expanding one of the DNC's fastest-growing fundraising programs, reporting directly to the Development Lead. This position assists in prospecting, cultivating, and maintaining relationships with our Leadership Circle donors ($1,000+/year), managing donor contact and giving records, and supporting innovative fundraising initiatives. The ideal candidate will be confident in making hard asks, highly organized, detail-oriented, personable, and passionate about helping the record-breaking grassroots fundraising team surpass its goals through effective donor engagement and relationship-building.

Responsibilities

Donor Communication & Cultivation

• Commitment to make 7 hours of cold calls per week
• Conduct donor prospecting through research and cold calls
• Draft donor correspondence, including thank-you notes and personalized outreach emails
• Compile talking points and relevant news clips to share with specific donors
• Help write and vet monthly and quarterly donor newsletters
• Prepare call sheets and help staff grassroots call time, including taking notes and tracking follow-up items
• Respond to donor inquiries and direct more complex questions to the Development Lead
• Assist with refreshing and customizing Development Program ActBlue pages

Event & Program Support

• Help organize virtual fundraisers to engage new donors
• Support the Development Manager in tracking bundlers' progress on their custom ActBlue pages
• Assist with special projects and initiatives to enhance the Development program's effectiveness
• Assist with scaling digital and community fundraising efforts by identifying and engaging with influencers on Substack and other digital platforms

Donor Management & Administrative Support

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records in NGP VAN and Development Program tracking system
• Document all donor interactions, including detailed notes from phone calls, meetings, and email correspondence
• Process and track donor acknowledgments, ensuring all $1k+ donors receive personalized thank-you emails within one week of their donation
• Prepare call sheets and briefing materials for the Development Manager's donor meetings
• Support outreach operations to maximize capacity
• Monitor incoming high-dollar gifts and assist with follow-up communications

Donor Research & Prospecting

• Conduct prospect research to identify potential new donors and gather relevant information
• Research donors' political giving history and non-political philanthropic interests
• Create and maintain profiles of prospective and current donors
• Identify mid-level donors who have volunteered as stronger prospects for giving and/or bundling
• Help analyze donor data to identify patterns and opportunities for donor cultivation
• Other duties as assigned to support the department and the DNC's mission.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience
• Deep understanding of political fundraising landscape
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong attention to detail and organizational abilities
• Confident making hard asks on the phone
• Proficiency with Google Workspace
• Experience with or ability to quickly learn NGP

Preferred

• Experience with donor database management
• Knowledge of campaign finance regulations, including giving limits
• Previous experience in political fundraising or tele-fundraising
• Familiarity with ActBlue

Salary: The starting salary for the Development Strategist position is $54,100.00, on an annualized basis, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

The position is full‑time, non‑exempt, meaning you will be eligible for overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 in a given workweek. This position is in the bargaining unit represented by SEIU Local‑500.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC), is committed to diversity among its staff, and recognizes that its continued success requires the highest commitment to obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the best quality services to supporters and constituents. The DNC is an equal opportunity employer and it is our policy to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or expression, ethnic identity or physical disability, or any other legally protected basis. The DNC will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination and any such conduct is strictly prohibited.

Benefits:

• Generous paid time off, including federal holidays and open leave
• Health and dental insurance for employee and dependents; 90% paid by the DNC, 10% paid by employee
• Supplementary vision plans available to employees for purchase
• Up to a 5% employer match DNC 401(k) plan
• Pre-tax flexible spending account benefits available to employees and dependents