Development Associate

Bay Nature Institute is a nonprofit, independent media organization devoted to environmental journalism covering the San Francisco Bay Area. We publish the quarterly Bay Nature magazine, produce live field visits, and conduct educational seminars that connect the people of the San Francisco Bay Area to our natural world and motivate them to solve problems with nature in mind. With nearly 8,000 active members, Bay Nature is a community of learning and engagement.

The Development Associate is a member of the Business Team responsible for implementing fundraising initiatives that grow Bay Nature’s donated income and strengthen relationships with members. The position focuses on cultivating and stewarding a segment of engaged individual donors while supporting broader annual fundraising campaigns and development operations.

The Development Associate is a full-time (40 hours/week) non-exempt employee and reports to the Development Director. An excellent candidate will possess high energy and an entrepreneurial spirit with strong communication, organizational, and project management skills.

I. Individual Giving Program

• Develop and implement a structured mid-level donor engagement program designed to deepen relationships with Bay Nature members and increase annual giving participation.
• Manage a portfolio of engaged individual donors, including outreach, stewardship, and cultivation activities such as personalized communications, meetings, and event invitations.
• Create and implement donor stewardship strategies that recognize and retain loyal members through meaningful engagement with Bay Nature’s journalism, programs, and events.
• Track donor engagement activities and giving trends in Bay Nature’s donor database to support relationship management and program evaluation.

II. Fundraising Campaigns & Donor Engagement

• Support the planning and execution of Bay Nature’s annual fundraising campaigns in partnership with the Development Director.
• Coordinate donor communications including appeals, acknowledgments, and stewardship messages across email, mail, and social media channels.
• Assist in developing messaging, graphic design assets, and campaign collateral that communicate the impact of Bay Nature’s journalism and programs to members.
• Help organize donor cultivation events, field visits, and volunteer opportunities that connect members with Bay Nature’s work and mission.

III. Development Operations

• Maintain accurate donor records, contact histories, and engagement notes in Bay Nature’s donor database.
• Generate donor reports, build lists, and record gifts to support fundraising campaigns, donor outreach, stewardship activities, and an annual awards event.
• Assist in analyzing fundraising performance and donor engagement metrics to inform future strategies.
• Coordinate with the Membership Manager to ensure effective execution of fundraising workflows and donor communications.

IV. General

• Participate in Bay Nature business and staff meetings.
• Meet with the Development Director once a week.
• Attend and represent Bay Nature at donor events, public programs, and community gatherings as appropriate.

This is a hybrid position that requires physical presence in the Bay Area, with two days per week at the Bay Nature office in Berkeley and occasional evening or weekend events requiring time shifting of work hours.

Benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, participation in the Bay Nature 403(b) retirement plan, and coverage under Bay Nature health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.