Development Assistant

Spark the Journey is a growing national nonprofit on a mission to help young adults unlock their full potential. As a Development Assistant, you will support the Development team by managing administrative tasks, donor relations, and fundraising efforts, gaining valuable experience in nonprofit operations.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day administrative support to ensure smooth Development team operations
• Serve as a point of contact for donor inquiries via email and phone, ensuring timely and professional responses
• Assist with preparation of donor communications, presentations, and outreach materials
• Receive and sort incoming mail and deliveries on a weekly basis
• Support across development functions, special projects, and other duties as assigned
• Manage scheduling and calendar coordination for the Development team and CEO
• Coordinate logistics and materials for Board and Development Committee meetings (virtual and in-person)
• Maintain and update development calendars and key deadlines
• Ensure meetings are well-organized, with materials prepared and follow-ups tracked
• Accurately enter and process donor gifts and pledges
• Maintain clean up-to-date donor records and support overall data integrity in collaboration with the Data & Systems team
• Partner with Finance to reconcile contributions and ensure accurate reporting
• Collaborate with the Data & Systems team to maintain high-quality data hygiene across databases
• Coordinate donor acknowledgment process, grant data tracking, and regular donor record updates
• Support execution of fundraising campaigns and donor engagement efforts
• Assist in planning and coordinating fundraising events and donor meetings
• Generate reports to support fundraising strategy and track fundraising progress
• Contribute to improvements in systems, processes, and team resources

Skills

• 1–2 years of professional experience
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Clear and professional communication skills, both written and verbal
• Proactive mindset, ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams
• Experience with or willingness to learn a donor CRM (such as Salesforce)
• Legal authorization to work in United States without sponsorship
• Mandatory state criminal background check
• Experience supporting fundraising efforts, events and/or donor engagements
• Familiarity with nonprofit development operations and tools such as Salesforce

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums fully funded by Spark, with FSA options
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
• Life and disability insurance fully funded by Spark
• 15 days of paid vacation in each of the first two years; 20 days in subsequent years
• Office closed on national and state holidays and between December 24-January 1
• Professional Development and Remote Office supply funds
• Flexible hybrid and teleworking environment

Company Overview