Development Associate (Development Department)

About Urban Institute:

The Urban Institute is a research-to-impact institution founded on one simple idea: To improve lives and strengthen communities, we need practices and policies that work. From advancing well-being to fostering shared prosperity, leaders across sectors are working every day to create brighter futures for all people and communities. For more than 50 years, Urban has delivered evidence and solutions that drive meaningful change, and this remains our charge today.

Our Mission

To drive impact by equipping changemakers with evidence and solutions.

Our Values

Collaboration, Fairness, Inclusivity, Independence, and Integrity

For more information on the Urban Institute, please visit https://www.urban.org.

The Opportunity:

The Urban Institute’s Development Department fosters a truly collaborative environment while strengthening funding partnerships that sustain its relevance in a changing world. Urban’s Development Department seeks a highly motivated professional to serve as a Development Associate (Individual Fundraising).

Reporting to a Senior Director on the Development team, the Development Associate will play a key role in supporting strategic fundraising initiatives for individual donors, including the Board of Trustees. This position works closely with senior leadership within the Development team and the Executive Offices Board Manager to coordinate and execute high-impact engagement strategies with individual donors.

The Development Associate will play a critical role across individual giving, trustee engagement, and day-to-day development operations. This position supports several core fundraising functions that are essential to maintaining donor stewardship, trustee engagement, and operational continuity. This opportunity offers the chance to help shape a vital fundraising function at one of the nation’s leading research and policy organizations.

What You’ll Do:

Donor Engagement & Portfolio Management

Partner with Development leadership to advance donor cultivation, stewardship, and fundraising priorities through research, strategy development, relationship management, and execution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the Senior Director of Development in developing and implementing donor engagement and fundraising strategies for priority prospects and donors.

• Conduct prospect research and analysis, providing recommendations to inform cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation activities.

• Manage and track donor engagement activities, relationship milestones, and follow-up actions in Salesforce.

• Monitor donor and fundraising activity, preparing reports, analyses, and recommendations for Development leadership.

• Coordinate donor communications, meeting requests, stewardship activities, and executive correspondence.

• Progressively manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, including relationship management, stewardship, and engagement execution under the guidance of the Senior Director of Development.

Trustee Engagement & Executive Support

Support trustee engagement and Development Committee initiatives by coordinating planning, communications, research, and project management activities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the Senior Director of Development and Chief Business Development Officer in planning and executing committee priorities, trustee engagement efforts, and fundraising initiatives.

• Manage committee workflows, project timelines, follow-up actions, and supporting documentation.

• Prepare meeting materials, reports, briefing documents, and strategic recommendations for trustees and executive leadership.

• Coordinate communications and action items among Development, executive leadership, trustees, and program staff.

Donor Strategy, Meeting Preparation & Solicitation Support

Provide project management and strategic support for donor meetings, solicitations, and fundraising initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop donor profiles, briefing materials, relationship histories, and meeting recommendations for executive leadership, trustees, and Development staff.

• Coordinate preparation, distribution, and follow-up of donor meeting materials and action plans.

• Collaborate across departments to ensure alignment on donor engagement objectives and messaging.

• Support solicitation planning by developing engagement strategies, messaging, timelines, and tracking processes.

• Maintain accurate donor, campaign, and engagement records in Salesforce and prepare performance reports to support decision-making.

Special Events & Annual Initiatives

Serve as a primary project manager for key donor and trustee engagement events, including the annual Board Dinner.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate guest selection, engagement strategies, invitations, communications, RSVP tracking, and event logistics.

• Oversee the preparation of guest briefing materials and prospect profiles.

• Manage event staffing, execution, and post-event analysis, including recommendations for future engagement opportunities.

• Coordinate cross-functional participation to ensure successful planning and execution of engagement events.

Who You Are:

This position requires exceptional communication, organizational, interpersonal, and project management skills, along with strong technological proficiency. The ideal candidate will be a highly motivated professional who demonstrates initiative, sound judgment, discretion, adaptability, and unwavering personal integrity.

The successful candidate will:

• Possess a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent combination of education and experience), along with 3 to 4 years of relevant professional experience. Experience in fundraising, nonprofit development, advancement services, stakeholder engagement, or related internship and volunteer work is preferred.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft correspondence, briefing materials, and executive communications.

• Strong organizational, project management, and analytical skills, with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, solve problems, and translate research and analysis into actionable recommendations.

• Experience collaborating across teams and stakeholder groups, including supporting and working with senior leaders and executives.

• Strong research and analytical capabilities; experience with prospect research, donor intelligence, or fundraising strategy is preferred.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, online research tools, project management platforms, and CRM systems; Salesforce experience preferred.

• Ability to adapt to changing priorities while maintaining professionalism, responsiveness, and high-quality work.

• Demonstrated discretion in handling confidential and sensitive information.

• Interest in philanthropy, public policy, and mission-driven organizations.

Applications must include all of the following:

• Resume

• Cover letter

The recruitment process for the selected candidates is as follows:

• Initial interviews with human resources and hiring manager

• Panel interview with a small group of Urban team members (if selected to proceed)

• Final interview with the Chief Business Development Officer

Note: Candidates in the Washington, DC metropolitan area are preferred; however, we also welcome hybrid and remote applicants.

What You’ll Experience:

No matter your role with Urban, you will contribute to meaningful work that makes a difference for people and communities across the country. We are committed to working in a manner defined by our mission and values.

Urban’s greatest asset is our people.

The salary range for this position is Min $70,700 – Mid $82,820 – Max $94,940. Salary offered is commensurate with experience and considers internal comparisons. Salaries are just one component of Urban Institute’s total compensation package. Urban is committed to supporting our staff’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being through a robust benefits package for yourself, eligible dependents, and domestic partners. It includes generous paid time off, including nine federal holidays, medical (including prescription), dental and vision insurance, and transit benefits. Urban is competitive in that we offer 403(b) retirement plan participation immediately after you’re hired and a generous employer contribution after six months of service and 500 hours, with immediate vesting. You’ll also have access to a health advocate, personal finance coaching, an Employee Assistance Program, and educational assistance for undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The Urban Institute has formally recognized the Urban Institute Employees’ Union, which is part of the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). Urban management and the Union work together in good faith and are motivated by a shared commitment to this institution. This position is included in the Union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining negotiations.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned. This posting is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Urban management reserves the right to amend and change duties, responsibilities, and requirements to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

The Urban Institute is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender or gender identity, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, veteran status, pregnancy or family responsibilities, matriculation, disability, political affiliation, or any other protected status under applicable law. The Urban Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you have a physical and/or mental disability and are interested in applying for employment and need special accommodations to use our website to apply for a position, please contact Human Resources at humanresources@urban.org.  Reasonable accommodation requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.