Fundraising Associate

Riders Alliance fights for reliable, affordable, world-class public transit in order to build a more just and sustainable New York. Since our founding in 2012, transit riders have become a powerful and recognized political constituency in New York City. Our members have identified the most pressing issues facing riders, organized their communities, and successfully lobbied elected officials to commit to ambitious agendas around improving public transit. 

We are currently hiring a Fundraising Associate to help expand and engage our donor base. The Associate will help execute key elements of our annual fundraising plan including gift processing and acknowledgement, digital and mailed appeals, cultivation activities, merchandise sales, and an annual gala. We’re looking for a creative, collaborative, accountable project manager who can wrap their arms around logistics, tasks, and details while authentically connecting with members of our community of transit supporters. The Associate will report to and work closely with the Director of Fundraising and Operations.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Operations and Administration

• Participate in fundraising planning, assessment, and improvement 
• Responsible for CRM data integrity through accurate entry and maintenance of contributions and donor records 
• Order and maintain fundraising materials and supplies
• Create and update fundraising web pages
• Manage merchandise and swag inventory for donors, members, staff, store, events, and special initiatives

Donor Stewardship and Communications

• Generate, distribute, and track donation acknowledgment letters
• Carry out fundamental stewardship of sustaining members, first-time donors, and event participants
• Strengthen the fundraising capacity of the organization through donor recruitment, retention, and upgrading initiatives, including individual giving appeals and campaigns to expand our pool of monthly sustaining donors
• Collaborate across the organization to create donor communication opportunities through newsletters, blog posts, publications, social media campaigns, and newsworthy work 
• Manage creative goal-oriented marketing strategies to expand and inspire donor base
• Lead donor appreciation projects like thank you gifts, holiday cards, and digital content
• Draft donor-facing copy as needed

Events Management and Donor Engagement

• Annual gala: 
• Project manage annual fundraising event to assure all deadlines and goals are met
• Manage communications and logistics with gala venue and vendors
• Think creatively about how to make the gala fun, inclusive, engaging, and special for all members, supporters, and honorees 
• Member cultivation and recruitment experiences: 
• Execute recruitment and engagement activities, such as social events, peer-to-peer fundraising, donor surveys, issue briefings, and family and kid-centric activities
• Collaborate with staff across the organization to provide opportunities to engage and recruit donors

Time commitment: Full-time, 40-hours a week (with some schedule flexibility). We are currently a hybrid office.

Expectations: Riders Alliance is a grassroots organization with thousands of members and hundreds of donors. Our growing fundraising program is focused on raising the annual budget while building community and connection with donors who will be longtime supporters and ambassadors of our mission, helping us broaden our impact and improve public transit. Our small staff size necessitates good communication and collaboration, and allows us to be creative and experimental about engagement experiences.

Qualifications:

• Values making public transit more reliable, accessible, affordable, and truly world-class
• 2 - 5 years of personal, political, or professional fundraising or marketing experience 
• Ability to prioritize and juggle multiple assignments
• Highly organized and attentive to detail, especially names and numbers
• Clear, concise, compelling communication skills
• Demonstrated innovative and problem-solving abilities 
• Proficiency using a CRM for relationship and communication management 
• Examples of digital marketing or social media engagement success
• Experience liaising with outside vendors helpful 
• Experience with online project management tools such as Asana, Trello, or Mondays a plus

Riders Alliance is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy. 

Riders Alliance values diversity in backgrounds and in experiences that are reflective of the city it serves. Applicants of all backgrounds are strongly encouraged and welcomed to apply.

Riders Alliance offers employer premium support for medical and dental insurance, vision insurance, 403(b) retirement account with generous employer match, life insurance, access to commuter benefits, and more.

Please send a thoughtful cover letter and resume to hr@ridersalliance.org with the subject line: “Fundraising Associate”.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis; early applications are encouraged.