Philanthropy Operations Specialist

ReSurge International; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Life insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

ReSurge International in Sunnyvale, California, seeks a Philanthropy Operations Specialist to oversee donor data, analytics, and reporting, and to support fundraising campaigns and donor communications. The role emphasizes accuracy, timely acknowledgments, and proactive collaboration with the VP of Philanthropy.

The ideal candidate will be skilled with Raiser’s Edge NXT, adept at building dashboards, and capable of translating data insights into strategic fundraising actions.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in development operations, donor relations, fundraising, or direct marketing in a nonprofit setting.
• Proficiency in Raiser’s Edge NXT or a comparable CRM platform is required; experience as a database administrator or power user is strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical skills with demonstrated ability to build reports, interpret data, and translate insights into actionable fundraising strategies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a donor-centric interpersonal style.
• Experience supporting multi-channel direct marketing campaigns (email, digital, direct mail) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary administrator and internal champion of ReSurge’s donor database (Raiser’s Edge NXT), ensuring data accuracy and completeness at all times.
• Design, generate, and maintain reports and dashboards to track key fundraising KPIs.
• Produce ad‑hoc data pulls and custom reports to support leadership in real‑time decision‑making.
• Provide operational support for all fundraising activities, including campaigns and events.
• Manage donor acknowledgement process with timely emails and printed letters.

Skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Donor relations

Communication

Tools

Raiser’s Edge NXT

WealthEngine

iWave

DonorSearch

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Philanthropy Operations Specialists reports to the Vice President of Philanthropy and serves as a cornerstone of the Development Department’s operational effectiveness. This role is critical to ReSurge’s ability to execute its development plan, hit key fundraising milestones, and grow philanthropic revenue in support of the organization’s ambitious strategic vision.

The Philanthropy Operations Specialist is the internal expert and champion of the donor database (Raiser’s Edge NXT), responsible for maintaining data integrity, designing and running reports, and translating data insights into actionable fundraising strategies. Beyond database management, this person provides essential day‑to‑day operational support across all fundraising activities—from donor communications and stewardship to campaign execution, prospect research, and event coordination—ensuring that no fundraising effort falls through the cracks.

This is a highly collaborative role requiring someone who is equally comfortable diving into a database and picking up the phone to thank a donor. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical skills, a proactive mindset, exceptional organizational abilities, and a genuine passion for ReSurge’s mission.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

CRM Management & Data Analytics

• Serve as the primary administrator and internal champion of ReSurge’s donor database (Raiser’s Edge NXT), ensuring data accuracy, consistency, and completeness at all times. Manage all data entry, gift processing, and gift coding to ensure the database reflects accurate and timely donor records.
• Design, generate, and maintain regular reports and dashboards to track key fundraising KPIs, including donor retention, upgrade/downgrade rates, lifetime value, conversion rates, and campaign performance.
• Produce ad‑hoc data pulls and custom reports quickly to support the VP of Philanthropy and leadership in real‑time decision‑making.

Donor Communications

• Provide comprehensive operational support for all fundraising activities, including annual giving campaigns, major gift solicitations, direct mail, email appeals, and year‑end campaigns.
• Manage the full donor acknowledgement process—ensuring all gifts are acknowledged promptly and accurately via email and hard‑copy thank‑you letters.
• Support the VP of Philanthropy in donor event planning and implementation.

Prospect Research

• Conduct in‑depth prospect research for individual major gift prospects, analyzing and evaluating biographical, business, personal, and financial information to assess capacity and interest.
• Mine internal databases, external publications, wealth screening tools, and leadership networks to identify and qualify new prospects.
• Support the VP of Philanthropy and CEO with major donor research and briefing preparation for donor meetings and events.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

• 3–5 years of experience in development operations, donor relations, fundraising, or direct marketing in a nonprofit setting.
• Proficiency in Raiser’s Edge NXT or a comparable CRM platform is required; experience as a database administrator or power user is strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical skills with demonstrated ability to build reports, interpret data, and quickly translate insights into actionable fundraising strategies.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously in a fast‑paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a warm, donor‑centric interpersonal style.
• Experience supporting multi‑channel direct marketing campaigns (email, digital, direct mail) is a plus.
• Knowledge of prospect research tools and techniques (e.g., iWave, DonorSearch, WealthEngine) is a plus.
• A genuine passion for ReSurge’s mission and the communities it serves.

WORK LOCATION

This full‑time position is primarily in‑person (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays) at ReSurge’s headquarters in Sunnyvale, California.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Salary Range: $75,000 - $90,000 ( commensurate with qualifications and experience). ReSurge International offers a comprehensive benefits package, including excellent health insurance, retirement savings plan (including company match), life insurance, and generous paid time off.