OVERVIEW
Lutheran Services in America in Washington, D.C.—a national network of 300 health and human services organizations that reaches one in 50 people in America each year across 1,400 U.S. communities—seeks a Mission Advancement Associate to support all mission advancement activities. The ideal candidate will have at least three years of experience with a proven track record of success in supporting, developing, and executing fundraising campaigns and strategies.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Under the direction of the Chief Advancement Mission Advancement Officer, the Mission Advancement Associate is responsible for gifts processing, donor relations and supporting external communications to grow awareness and giving. This position will support in the implementation of the annual fund development plan, including donor engagement and retention, fundraising appeals, as well as assist with special events.
As an externally facing member of the Mission Advancement team, the MAA will provide an exceptional donor experience to help build lasting relationships and meet revenue goals and strategic priorities.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Be a super-user of the systems and processes. The MAA will become an expert user of our fundraising systems including our iMIS database, Bonterra web platform, MailChimp and Excel. The MAA will be experienced with data entry, running reports, analyzing and interpreting data. Key activities include:
- Performing timely and accurate gifts processing as well as system maintenance, including ensuring reports used are generating quality output, data integrations are functioning, etc.
- Generating scheduled and ad-hoc reports as needed to support campaign execution, compliance and leadership reporting.
- Tracking donor information to include number of donors, average gift amount, etc. to create plan for growth.
Provide an exceptional donor experience. The MAA will manage gift processing and acknowledgements, coordinate mailings and field donor inquiries—supporting the important act of saying “thank you” to our donors. Key activities include:
- Managing the overall donor acknowledgement process ensuring that all letters are correct, meaningful, properly laid out and timely.
- Updating thank you letters at least quarterly.
- Speaking to donors about LSA at special gatherings.
Collaborate across departments. The MAA will work across teams within LSA to support fundraising efforts and build relationships with peers within the larger LSA network. Partnering with the Member Engagement, Marketing & Communications and Finance teams to deliver exceptional experiences for our donors, organizations, and partners is key. This role is expected to effectively work across departments internally and externally to enable support for fundraising. Key activities include:
- Regularly collecting, developing and updating materials to reflect most current news, events, progress/success stories, program outcomes and needs for website, social media pages, monthly digital newsletters to engage supporters, partners, and other key constituencies with up-to-date information.
- Managing e-distribution and mailing lists and measuring impact of email communications.
- Conducting revenue reconciliation of donations and gather, analyze and use data to prepare reports, monitor progress and evaluate impact.
Coordinate projects. The MAA is a critical position on the Mission Advancement team, who will work on a variety of projects with multiple variables. The ability to prioritize competing deadlines, work within a defined timeframe and budget will be essential. The MAA will also provide support to the mission advancement team in the areas of event management, donor identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. Key activities include:
- Creating and managing a system for donor identification and qualification.
- Implementing digital or small mail campaigns for grassroots donors (donors under 1k).
- Supporting doing monthly discovery on prospective donors and corporations.
- Creating profiles and donor briefs for qualified prospects for monthly review.
EDUCATION
Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred. All candidates are encouraged to reference education and training beyond degrees, including credentials, professional development and life experiences.
WHO YOU ARE
To be successful in this role, you will excel in these areas:
- You are passionate about the work we do and the work of raising money.
- 3+ years of fundraising experience at a nonprofit organization.
- You are seriously detail-oriented, tech-savvy, and experienced with creating and maintaining effective systems, processes, and tools. In this role, you will be managing and strengthening our development infrastructure, including the donor database and reports. Your familiarity with digital platforms, data, modern communication technologies, and funder databases will be important.
- You have a high commitment to accuracy regarding: data entry, management, and reporting.
- You are an excellent writer with overall strong communication skills, including the ability to put together material into clear and compelling stories and make a case for funding our work, using both qualitative and quantitative data.
- You can work independently, take initiative, and collaborate well with colleagues.
- You enjoy working out of your home as well as in the office. You know how to
manage your time and projects independently as well as ask for help when needed to keep projects on track. You have the experience and confidence to deliver high-quality work.
- Ability to travel and work flexible hours (estimated 3-6 trips per year).
ABOUT LUTHERAN SERVICES IN AMERICA
Lutheran Services in America is a national network of 300 health and human services organizations that reaches one in 50 people in America each year. Recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s top nonprofit organizations, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $23 billion in combined annual revenue. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Lutheran Services in America leads innovative collaborations with its member organizations and partners in philanthropy, academia, healthcare and business to address the most critical challenges in our communities and advance health and opportunity for all. Together, we create pathways to keep families together, champion solutions that empower older adults to age with independence, dignity and purpose and advocate for policies that expand access to services, improve quality of life and provide greater independence for people with disabilities. We are committed to equity and to dismantling the impact of systemic bias. Learn more at lutheranservices.org.
TO APPLY
Please send a brief cover letter with salary requirements and a resume to Deborah Hoesly, Chief Mission Advancement Officer at dhoesly@lutheranservices.org
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
Experience:
- Fundraising: 3 years (Required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Washington, DC 20002