Development Associate
11 days ago
Arlington
Job Description Location: Arlington, VA Work Days in Office: Hybrid 4 days in office with 1 day remote from home location Travel: Up to 20% Position Type: Full-time, Exempt About Spirit of America: Spirit of America is a privately funded 501c3 nonprofit headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Our mission is to engage citizens in preserving the promise of a free and better life. We do this by working alongside US troops and diplomats and providing private assistance to defend freedom, and strengthen America’s national security, and save and improve lives. Spirit of America leverages an unprecedented partnership with the US military based on a groundbreaking agreement with the Department of Defense. Our agreement with the Department of Defense allows the military to collaborate with us, identify needs, receive and distribute our assistance, and provide us with logistical support. No other nonprofit has such an agreement. Thus, every dollar invested in Spirit of America builds on and leverages investments made by the US government and military. That leverage — combined with our entrepreneurial, venture capital capability — provides philanthropic investments in Spirit of America with asymmetric impact and return on investment. Our work saves and improves lives, prevents conflict, and strengthens America’s security. In the world’s toughest places, people experience the best of who Americans are and what we stand for. About the Role: As we continue strengthening Spirit of America’s development operations, this position plays a critical role in ensuring our major gifts and donor engagement strategies are executed with excellence. In a fast-paced, high-impact department, this role supports our frontline fundraisers through strong organization, exceptional attention to detail, and a commitment to delivering a best-in-class donor experience. The ideal candidate is proactive, resourceful, and able to anticipate needs — helping the team stay focused on cultivating and stewarding high-value philanthropic relationships that advance our mission. The Development Associate provides essential administrative and operational support to head of Development and Spirit of America’s Development team, with a primary focus on gift processing, Salesforce CRM, donor research, donor acknowledgments, and department-wide administrative administration. This role ensures the accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of donor information and supports the daily workflow of the Major Gifts team. Reports To: Managing Director of Development Direct Reports: None Key Responsibilities: CRM Data Support • Enter donor information, contact details, interactions, and meeting notes into the CRM., • Maintain clean,accurate, and up-to-date donor records across the Major Gifts portfolio., • Pull reports and lists for donor segmentation, stewardship, and cultivation planning., • Support data hygiene projects (deduplication, address updates, file cleanup)., • Produce salesforce reports forexecutiveteam., • Provide administrative support to the Major GiftOfficersand DevelopmentLeadership, including scheduling, meeting prep, and file management., • Assistwith preparing materials, folders, and briefings for donor meetings and internal development meetings, including quarterly board meetings., • Track departmental deadlines and support the completion of administrative tasks., • Monitor the Development inbox and route inquiries appropriately., • Responsiblefor the creation and distribution of the Major Gifts weekly roundupreport, • Conductdonorand prospect research to inform fundraising strategy., • Gatherandsynthesizeinformation from public sources, databases, and internal records to help assess donor capacity, philanthropic interests, giving history, and alignment with Spirit of America’s mission., • Draft and refine thank-you letters, simple donor emails, and follow-up notes., • Assemble mailing lists and donor outreach materials for stewardship campaigns., • Help prepare basic donor updates, summaries, and short memos., • Assistinwriting offoundation proposalsand grantreports., • Assistwith tracking grant reportingdeadlines and anyspecialrequirementsset outin grant agreements., • Assistwith logistical support for donor events: RSVPs, check-in lists, nametags, materials preparation, and follow-up., • Support majorgiftsstaff in preparing collateral, packets, and materials for donor engagements., • Cross-Functional Coordination, • Coordinate with Finance, Communications, and Program Operations to support donor stewardship and ensureaccuratereporting., • Partner with Development Operations & Data on recurring tasks and monthly cycles. What Success Looks Like in This Role: Success in this role means becoming an indispensable partner to Spirit of America’s Major Gifts teams — someone who keeps the trains running, ensures data integrity, and elevates donor engagement through exceptional support. Within the first year, a successful Development Associate will have built strong working relationships across the department, mastered core systems and workflows, and contributed to a more efficient, organized, and high-functioning development operation. Their work will enable frontline fundraisers to focus on cultivating meaningful donor relationships by ensuring that administrative, operational, and data-related tasks are handled with accuracy, timeliness, and professionalism. Key Qualifications • Bachelor'sdegree and1-2years relevant experience, • Exceptional attention to detail anda commitmentto accuracy., • Strong writing skills and ability to produce polished correspondence., • Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines., • Fast learner with a proactive, service-oriented mindset., • Experience with a CRM/database preferred (Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, etc.)., • Comfortable handling confidentialdonorand financial information., • Professional communication and interpersonal skills. Compensation Range: Salary ranges from $70,000 to $76,000 based on experience. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, and 403(b) contribution match to 4%. Equal Employment Opportunity Spirit of America is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, or other protected characteristics in accordance with applicable laws.