Development Associate

Position Overview

The Development Associate provides essential administrative, operational, and logistical support to the Development Department at Weeksville Heritage Center. Reporting to the Director of Development, the Associate supports donor communications, individual giving activities, fundraising campaigns, grant coordination, Board engagement, and event support. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented and proactive professional interested in learning all aspects of nonprofit fundraising within a dynamic cultural organization.

Key Responsibilities

1. Fundraising & Donor Support

• Draft and prepare donor correspondence, including acknowledgment letters, renewal notices, and stewardship communications for individual, corporate, and foundation donors.
• Support the preparation and coordination of individual giving campaigns, including annual appeals, membership drives, and digital fundraising initiatives.
• Prepare donor lists, giving histories, and reports to inform cultivation and stewardship strategies.
• Conduct basic research on potential donors, funders, and sponsors as requested.
• Maintain accurate donor information and gift entries in the customer relationship management (CRM) system, ensuring all donations are recorded and reconciled with the Finance Department.

Data & Administrative Support

• Maintain accurate and organized records in the CRM system and shared databases.
• Ensure all CRM data is accurate, complete, segmented correctly, and audit-ready.
• Develop and maintain internal trackers and systems, including grant trackers, Board trackers, development calendars, and event databases.
• Maintain organized digital files across Google Drive, ensuring accessibility and consistency across the department.
• Provide general administrative support to the Development Department as needed.

Grants & Institutional Support

• Maintain grant calendars, deadline trackers, and internal workflows to align Development, Finance, Programs, Education, and Operations.
• Collect invoices, vendor quotes, project documentation, and compliance materials required for city and state capital funding.
• Upload required program, financial, and organizational documents to government portals including PASSPort (Mayor’s Office of Contract Services), HHS Accelerator, and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Grants Management System (GMS).
• Assist with preparing materials for proposals and reports, including budgets, program descriptions, and supporting documentation.

Board of Trustees & Committee Support

• Coordinate and manage all logistics for quarterly Board of Trustees meetings and all Board Committee meetings, including scheduling, materials preparation, and day-of support.
• Prepare meeting materials, presentations, and onboarding packets for new trustees.
• Draft Board and Committee minutes and track action items to ensure follow-through across departments.
• Coordinate annual Board document collection, including pledges, Non-Disclosure Agreements (, and Conflict of Interest Forms.
• Maintain organized Board files, attendance logs, and pledge-tracking systems.

Events & Campaigns

• Manage invitation lists, RSVP tracking, guest communication, and post-event stewardship processes.
• Coordinate with event consultants, designers, and internal teams to prepare materials, run-of-show documents, and donor briefings.
• Assist in managing sponsorship tracking, benefits fulfillment, and ticketing reports for fundraising events.
• Provide onsite staffing and support during fundraising and cultivation events, including the Annual Spring Benefit and all cultivation events.

Weeksville Heritage Center offers a benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; a retirement plan that employees can contribute to after the eligibility period, and paid vacation, paid sick leave, and personal days with the option for a hybrid work schedule.