Development and Executive Support Associate

The Development and Executive Support Associate plays a central, hands-on role in carrying out the Prison Society’s fundraising and external engagement strategy. Reporting to the Director of Development and working in close coordination with the Executive Director and colleagues across the organization, this position is responsible for implementing fundraising activities that support individual giving, campaigns, events, foundation and corporate partnerships, and other philanthropic collaborations. The role also serves as a Board of Directors liaison and is responsible for keeping the Executive Director’s calendar in order.

This is a collaborative, detail-oriented role suited to someone who enjoys supporting both relationship-building and day-to-day development operations. The Development and Executive Support Associate plays an important role in donor and foundation stewardship, assists with board engagement in fundraising efforts, and contributes to the planning and execution of events and donor communications. This position works closely with the Executive Director and development team, offering a unique opportunity to gain exposure to nonprofit leadership and strategy while building hands-on experience across multiple aspects of fundraising.

This is a unique opportunity to have a lasting impact on human rights while working alongside a remarkable team that embodies dedication, empathy, and a spirit of collaboration.

Founded by Benjamin Rush and Benjamin Franklin in 1787, the Prison Society is entrusted with protecting the health, safety, and dignity of Pennsylvanians in prison, and in supporting their families while they care for loved ones behind bars.

A statewide organization, with a small staff of 21, and a large and growing network of 200+ volunteers, on any given day you will find the Prison Society inside correctional facilities, helping incarcerated people access healthcare, or on zoom running a virtual support group for moms with incarcerated sons, or on the phones of our helpline fielding hundreds of calls and letters from incarcerated people and their families looking for basic information on issues that impact them. You can learn more about these programs on our website.

Over the last four years, the Prison Society's budget has tripled from $1 million to $3 million thanks to new government funding sources, major foundation commitments, and an uptick in individual giving. With a strong base of support and a stable infrastructure in place, this organization is poised to continue growing—creating an opportune time to join the development team.

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This is where you come in!

What You’ll Be Doing

Your work is the foundation for fundraising and leadership. You play a central, cross-functional role at the Prison Society, supporting the organization’s development efforts and leadership team including the Executive Director and Board of Directors.

You help bring our annual fundraising plan to life. With guidance from the Development Director, you coordinate appeals, campaigns, donor touchpoints, and events from start to finish to make sure every effort is thoughtful, timely, and aligned with our goals.

You support donor stewardship so our donors feel valued. You oversee acknowledgements and stewardship systems, ensuring gratitude is genuine, communications are timely, and relationships continue to grow.

You are the steady hand behind our grant work. Grants are a team effort here and you help keep it all moving. In coordination with the Director of Development, you manage timelines, collect attachments and submit grants into foundation portals to elevate our collective grantmaking work.

You keep our donor data accurate, accessible, and useful. You manage gift entry and reporting, oversee weekly acknowledgements, and share donor information across the organization—making sure every gift, pledge, and interaction is recorded with care.

You support a truly inspiring board of directors, preparing board materials, keeping the board calendar, taking minutes, planning board events, and generally getting to know and support these diverse, caring, civic leaders.

You keep the Executive Director organized by managing her calendar, setting up meetings, corresponding with her contacts, and keeping her on track

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Your Core Competencies

1-2 years of experience in fundraising / development, preferably in non‑profit settings.

You have a track record of supporting fundraising activities, including experience working on annual giving programs, fundraising and volunteer events, donor databases, and/or institutional fundraising (grants).

You want to be a database wizard. You have a curiosity for learning new systems and improving processes. You aren't afraid to get in the weeds of a CRM system.

You are professional and personable. While you don't need to be an extrovert, you do need to enjoy being in conversation with lots of different people: donors, foundations, board members, and people reaching out to the Executive Director. These can be high-networth philanthropists, or people just home from prison. You are able to communicate clearly and warmly with everyone, adjusting your written and verbal communication to be a match for your audience.

You are thoughtful and discreet with the sensitive information you are privy to, including donor information and Executive Director correspondence. You know how to gently and appropriately remind a very important board member about something they've forgotten, and you're not afraid to clearly and professionally approach the Executive Director about a sensitive topic.

You masterfully juggle multiple tasks. You prioritize and reprioritize, exhibiting excellent time management and problem-solving skills. You have the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines with excellence.

You love your to-do list. Keeping track of tasks, deadlines, and projects lights you up - as does crossing stuff off your list. You are not easily overwhelmed but rather always envisioning the future and working to get there.

You are fastidious. You pay attention to detail. Spreadsheets are your jam. You feel a sense of victory when you catch an error. You can't rest until you understand what you're working on and are able to ensure accuracy.

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What You Need to Know

• Location This is a hybrid position where you will work remote and in-person out of the Philadelphia office.
• Hours This position works 40 hours per week, primarily during regular business hours of 9am-5pm.
• Manager You will report to the incoming Development Director of the Prison Society.
• Travel - Yes. You will travel throughout Pennsylvania to meet with various groups—foundations, partners, donors, volunteers from diverse backgrounds, and everyone in between.
• Start date As soon as possible
• Salary & benefits $50,000-$55,000. A flexible spending account, medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage provided.
• Flexible time off We encourage a healthy work-life balance and do not cap the number of days off our employees can take. In addition, we observe 11 paid holidays.

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At the Prison Society, we don’t just accept difference—we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our staff, our mission, and our community. The Society is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. Individuals directly impacted by the criminal justice system are encouraged to apply. If the above speaks to you, we’re excited to learn more about you!

Flexible spending account, medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage provided.