Development Operations & Program Specialist

Detroit, MI

Development Operations & Program Specialist

Detroit MI

Friends of the Children is a nonprofit that is impacting generational change by empowering youth through relationships with professional mentors. We do this by providing children facing the most obstacles with a long-term, salaried, professional mentor, who we call a “Friend,” from kindergarten through high school graduation, 12+ years – no matter what. 

We are currently seeking a highly motivated, committed professional to join our team as a Development Operations & Program Specialist

Position Description

 

The Development Operations & Program Specialist will play a critical role in and be responsible for delivering operational and program support functions helping the Development Department achieve our growth plan.

The Development Operations & Program Specialist will be responsible for supporting operations and program functions of the Development Department – including, but not limited to gift processing, acknowledgments, executive support in prospect and donor profiling, direct appeals, special projects including holiday giving programs, events, administrative duties, and other agency fundraising efforts. They will maintain accurate prospect, donor, and grants tracking information in Donor Dock and manage other event and prospect management software as needed. 

The Development Operations & Program Specialist will also provide accurate and timely processing of gift and acknowledgment correspondence and create systems to manage holiday and other giving programs.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Database Management & Gift Processing (approximately 40%) 

  • Serve as the primary administrator for Friends-Detroit’s Fundraising/CRM database – Donor Dock.
  • Ensure and enforce data integrity and standardization; monitor, input, review, and approve data in Donor Dock.
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date constituent, event, gift records, and other donor information with supporting documentation in Donor Dock.
  • Enter and update gift and donor records in Donor Dock to efficiently provide accurate contribution revenue reporting and donor acknowledgment correspondence. 
  • Input daily contribution (cash, pledge, and Gift-In-Kind) details into Donor Dock in accordance with Gift Batch Entry processes. 
  • Produce donor correspondence, including solicitation and acknowledgment letters, and manage the timely acknowledgment (within 72 hours) of all contributions. 
  • Flag gifts needing special acknowledgment by the Executive Director (ED) or Director of Development (DoD) within 48 hours of gift receipt.
  • Review and correct prospect and donor mailing information in lists and databases and provide a final scrubbed list to senior staff for review.
  • Respond to requests for planned and unplanned mailing lists, and donor and gift data promptly.
  • Continually push the evolution of Donor Dock by collaborating with colleagues on new ways to leverage the system's functionality to address user pain points and achieve goals.
  • Monitor new Donor Dock released features/apps and functionality to provide recommendations to management; provide support to troubleshoot issues and identify resolutions.
  • Produce analytical lists/reports to evaluate fundraising progress, including donor reports, contact and giving histories, and prospect clearance status, and other queries.
  • Scan and file signed letters in an organized, retrievable manner.
  • Partner with the Finance Department to coordinate general accounting of gifts, and daily deposits, and assist as needed with monthly revenue reconciliation and annual audit requests.
  • Produce donor-giving statements as needed and requested by staff and donors.
  • Track and monitor matching gift pledges and manage communications with administrators for the matching gift programs at donor companies. 
  • Coordinate the processing and distribution of in-kind gifts.

Development Operations (approximately 30%)

  • Provide support to the Development team to make sure that fundraising goals are met. Working with the Development team and Executive Director, help identify donors and gifts in achieving the projected revenue plan. 
  • Collaborate on data-informed marketing strategies and expansion initiatives. Identify methods for strengthening existing recruitment and stewardship efforts and explore opportunities for new donor prospects and giving campaigns.
  • Work proactively with the Development team to review and revise criteria and make recommendations for targeted mailing lists, alignment with best practices, and optimal usage of prospect and donor data.
  • Organize and compile donor mailings, informational packets, correspondence, and related materials in response to donor inquiries.
  • Support communications by assisting with marketing emails, social media posts, and website updates. 
  • Provide general administrative support to the Development department, such as scheduling meetings as required and maintaining development office inventory. 
  • Respond to requests for information from donors, volunteers, and staff in a professional and timely manner.
  • Administrative support and Liaison with the Board of Directors

Program & Event Support (approximately 20%)

  • Assist the Fund Development Director with arranging Donor meetings and engagement opportunities.
  • Support the Development team with the preparation and execution of events, including creating invite lists, managing RSVPs, and generating name tags for attendees.
  • Support Development team at events including setting up and staffing registration table and assist with set-up and breakdown.
  • Manage special program projects. 

Organizational Support (approximately 10%)

  • Support organizational fundraising efforts, including but not limited to, events, donor cultivation, annual mailing, and funder visits.
  • Support programmatic efforts and events as needed and when appropriate.
  • Actively contribute and participate in organizational-wide activities to advance the overall success of our organization and delivery of our mission.
  • Other duties as required.

Required Experience

Position Requirements (Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Work Demands)

  • Bachelor's degree and a minimum of two years’ experience in database administration or fund development.
  • Experience managing and maintaining CRM data, including thorough experience in reporting, data entry, processes, and campaigns. 
  • Experience with Donor Dock and or similar donor database administration and implementation required. 
  • Understanding of fundraising cycles and best practices, program strategies, and donor stewardship is required. 
  • Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw conclusions. 
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects concurrently under deadline pressure and changing priorities. 
  • Ability to solve problems creatively to meet organizational goals and objectives.
  • Ability to review the work of others to ensure conformance to standards. 
  • Strong communication and writing skills with the ability to interact effectively across a broad spectrum of staff, both orally and in writing, is required. 
  • Strong focus and acumen with data, data synthetization, reporting, and analysis.
  • Enjoy working independently and as part of a team.
  • Ability to represent Friends-Detroit at fundraising events and meetings and to work well with a broad range of constituencies.
  • Ability to maintain a high level of donor confidentiality.
  • Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as event and project deadlines dictate.
  • Able to travel to meetings and events as needed. 
  • Must be willing to join a quick-paced energetic Development team, and work with a group of talented, committed volunteers.
  • Strong computer skills required. Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Excel, and fundraising and/or prospect research databases is strongly preferred.

Salary range: $55K-$60K annually

Benefits: Comprehensive

Professional Level: Professional

MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIRED:

2-year degree is required. 4-year degree preferred. 

Location: Detroit, MI 

Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices, and to working toward racial equity. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, disability, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely based on their qualifications for the job to be filled.

Friends of the Children is growing rapidly as communities across the country are experiencing the power of how “One” changes a child's story: One Friend. One Child. 12+ years. No matter what. #ThePowerOfOne

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