Development Associate, NIJC

About NIJC

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego, NIJC's team of 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, along with 2,000 pro bono attorneys, is at the forefront of immigration reform.

About the Position

NIJC seeks a Development Associate who will play a key role in NIJC's fundraising, with a focus on individual giving, donor services, and events. The position supports donor cultivation and stewardship, planning and executing fundraising and cultivation events, fundraising campaigns (including NIJC's year-end appeal), and day-to-day development operations. The successful candidate will be a team player and relationship builder with excellent organization, writing, and administrative skills and a strong dedication to NIJC's mission.

The Development Associate reports to the Associate Director of Individual Giving and is a member of the seven-person development team. NIJC is a hybrid workplace.

Essential Duties and Functions

Individual Giving and Donor Services

• Support NIJC's annual appeal and other fundraising campaigns, including generating mailing lists from NIJC's customer relationship management (CRM) database; participating in strategy and goal development; and communicating with donors and prospects
• Draft written communications to donors-including appeal letters and emails, collateral for donor meetings, and cultivation touchpoints
• Support the Associate Director of Individual Giving with donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors, including providing regular reports on donations from the CRM and conducting prospect research to identify and qualify new donors
• Serve as the primary contact for donors and potential donors with questions about contributions to NIJC, including managing the development email inbox, and provide exemplary and timely customer service
• Provide scheduling and logistical support for donor meetings, site visits, and fundraising campaign activities

Events

In collaboration with other members of the Development team and internal and external stakeholders, assist with the planning, design, and production of fundraising events, including:

• Producing invitation lists from NIJC's CRM and other data sources
• Coordinating logistics, such as managing supplies, registration, and seating
• Liaising with event venues and vendors
• Managing follow-up with event sponsors on sponsorship benefits and RSVPs
• Support the Associate Director of Individual Giving with fundraising from individual donors in conjunction with the events, such as through individual sponsorships or paddle raise donations

Development Operations

• Track donor engagement in the CRM, including logging donor communications and updating donors' personal information
• Inform the development of database standards and coding to ensure that the CRM is set up to effectively manage NIJC's individual giving program
• Assist with regular data quality projects, such as duplicate record cleanup and address updates
• Run accurate reports to support development strategy and activities

Teamwork

• Work collaboratively with Development and other teams on shared goals, including strategic and team planning
• Participate in regular Development team, cross-departmental, and organization-wide meetings
• Represent NIJC at special events, including community-led fundraising events, which may occasionally take place in the evening or on weekends.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree in a related field, such as nonprofit management, communications, marketing, etc. and at least one year of experience (can include internships or part-time positions) in development, fundraising, nonprofit administration, event coordination, or similar area. In lieu of a bachelor's degree, at least four years of experience in a relevant role. Familiarity with philanthropy, immigration, legal aid, and/or issues related to civil/human rights is beneficial.
• Language Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills and ability to manage complex, multi-step tasks.
• High level of attention to detail, consistent and reliable follow-through, and ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Self-starter who will take initiative and work independently to achieve results, but can also collaborate and contribute positively to team efforts.
• Computer Skills: Strong computer skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite. Experience with EveryAction, Little Green Light, or comparable CRM strongly preferred.

Competencies:

• Planning/Organizing – Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plans for additional resources; sets goals and objectives; organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; develops realistic action plans.
• Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Adaptability – Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events; able to multi-task and lead in a fast-paced environment.
• Dependability – Follows instructions, responds to management direction; takes responsibility for own actions; keeps commitments; willing to work additional hours when necessary to meet critical deadlines or support team needs.
• Quantity - Meets productivity standards; completes work in timely manner; strives to increase productivity; works quickly.
• Written Communication – Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; varies writing style to meet needs; able to read and interpret written information.

Physical Abilities Statement

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• The person in this position occasionally needs to move about the inside of the office to access filing cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine.

It is the policy of NIJC not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

For any technical issues please contact recruiting@immigrantjustice.org