Development Associate
Administration, Customer Service
New York, NY, USA
USD 62k-65k / year
This position reports to the Director of Development and works closely with RPA’s Events, Communications, Finance, and Executive teams.
This role is grounded in development operations, including regular work with a CRM, gift records and reports, and donor information. It also offers exposure to many areas of nonprofit fundraising, including prospecting, donor stewardship, board of directors engagement, corporate sponsorships, and institutional fundraising.
This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys data, research, organizational, and relationship support, and who wants to build broad experience in fundraising.
Responsibilities
Development Operations
Maintain RPA’s CRM database (Salesforce), including updating contact records, entering gifts, producing reports, and supporting data integrity
Support day-to-day administration of RPA’s online donation platform (DonorBox), including creating and updating donation pages
Process contributions and prepare acknowledgments and tax receipts in a timely manner
Create and track invoices, pledge reminders, and payment records
Prepare donor lists, appeal lists, mailing lists, giving histories, and other reports to support fundraising, stewardship, and development planning
Work with the Finance team to support coding, reconciliation, and revenue tracking
Prospect Research
Conduct basic research on individual, corporate, foundation, and institutional prospects
Prepare prospect profiles, giving histories, and relationship notes for funder meetings and outreach
Support regular prospect and pipeline review, with a focus on the Board of Directors, State Committees, corporate supporters, and institutional funders
Donor, Board & Event Support
Support administrative tasks for the Nominating & Governance Committee of the Board, including meeting preparation and candidate communications
Respond to or route routine donor questions related to contributions, contact updates, and stewardship events
Provide on-site or virtual support for major RPA events and select cultivation and stewardship events as needed
Handle donor, board, financial, and prospect information with discretion and confidentiality
Qualifications
At least 1 year of experience in nonprofit development, administration, operations, or related work
Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage recurring deadlines
Comfort working with data, databases, spreadsheets, and online platforms
Experience with Salesforce or another CRM preferred, but not required
Strong research skills and ability to summarize information clearly and accurately
Good written and verbal communication skills
Strong interpersonal skills and comfort communicating with donors, board members, partners, and other external stakeholders
Ability to work independently, ask questions, manage multiple tasks, and follow through
Proficiency with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office
Familiarity with DonorBox, iWave, Asana, Slack, or similar tools a plus
Interest in nonprofit fundraising, civic engagement, urban planning, or public policy a plus
Compensation
This is a full-time position with retirement, health, vision, and dental benefits. Salary and title are commensurate with skills and experience in a range from $62,000 to $65,000.
This position is hybrid, consisting of a combination of remote work, in-person meetings and events, as well as 1-2 days per week in RPA’s NYC office in Lower Manhattan. Work may occasionally include evening or weekend meetings.
About RPA
RPA is an urban planning nonprofit, non-partisan organization that conducts planning, research, and advocacy to prepare the NY-NJ-CT metro region for the challenges of the next generation. These include major infrastructure, urban planning, housing, environment, and climate policies and investments.
RPA is a workplace that values diversity. Employment and promotional opportunities are equal opportunity without regard to race, color, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability or any other protected characteristic as established by law.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a resume, a brief (one page maximum) cover letter, and three references by September 27. Because of the high volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to reply to every applicant. We kindly request no phone calls or emails.