Development Associate

About Tri-State Transportation Campaign

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign is a regional transportation advocacy organization working to create a safer, more equitable, sustainable, and accessible transportation system throughout the Tri-state region which includes New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. TSTC advances policy solutions that improve mobility, reduce traffic violence, address climate change, and ensure transportation investments benefit all communities.

Position Overview

Tri-State Transportation Campaign is seeking a Development Associate to support the organization's fundraising, institutional partnerships, donor engagement, and development operations.

The Development Associate will play an important role in helping TSTC build and sustain the financial resources necessary to advance its regional transportation advocacy campaigns. Working closely with the Executive Director and organizational leadership team, the Associate will support foundation and government grant research, proposal development, grant reporting, donor communications, fundraising events, development data management, and stewardship.

The ideal candidate is an organized, thoughtful, and collaborative professional who is passionate about social justice, transportation equity, climate action, community organizing, and nonprofit advocacy.

Key Responsibilities

Foundation & Institutional Fundraising

• Research prospective foundations, corporations, government agencies, and other funding opportunities aligned with TSTC's mission and programs.
• Maintain a development calendar tracking grant opportunities, deadlines, proposals, reports, renewals, and other deliverables.
• Assist with drafting grant proposals, letters of inquiry, budgets, reports, and supporting materials.
• Coordinate with program and campaign staff to gather information, outcomes, stories, data, and other content needed for proposals and reports.
• Help monitor grant deliverables and ensure timely submission of reports and renewal materials.
• Maintain organized electronic files and records for proposals, awards, contracts, reports, and funder communications.
• Track funding opportunities and emerging philanthropic priorities related to transportation, climate, environmental justice, education, racial equity, public health, mobility, and community development.

Donor & Funder Relations

• Support stewardship and communications with foundation, corporate, individual, and institutional funders.
• Assist with preparing donor briefings, meeting materials, presentations, updates, and acknowledgments.
• Help develop compelling communications that demonstrate TSTC's impact and the importance of its campaigns.
• Maintain accurate records of donor and funder interactions and follow-up activities.
• Assist with fundraising campaigns, appeals, events, and special initiatives.

Development Operations

• Maintain accurate development records and databases.
• Track contributions, pledges, grants, payments, and outstanding reports.
• Assist with development-related financial reconciliation and reporting.
• Support the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual development reports.
• Assist with prospect research and development of donor and funder profiles.
• Help improve systems, procedures, templates, and workflows that strengthen TSTC's fundraising capacity.

Organizational & Campaign Support

• Work collaboratively with campaign, communications, finance, and administrative staff.
• Help translate TSTC's policy work and campaign victories into compelling fundraising narratives.
• Gather and organize stories, statistics, testimonials, and other evidence demonstrating TSTC's impact across the Tri-State region.
• Support special projects and organizational initiatives as needed.

Qualifications

Required

• 1–3 years of experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, grant writing, communications, program administration, or a related field.
• Strong writing, editing, proofreading, and research skills.
• Excellent organizational and project-management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff, partners, funders, and community stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and/or Google Workspace.
• Commitment to racial, economic, environmental, and transportation justice.

Preferred

Experience with one or more of the following:

• Foundation research and grant writing
• Institutional fundraising
• Government grants or contracts
• Individual donor fundraising
• Nonprofit CRM/database systems
• Salesforce or other donor-management systems
• Grant-management platforms
• Fundraising events
• Nonprofit budgeting and financial reporting
• Transportation, climate, environmental justice, public policy, advocacy, or community organizing

TSTC encourages candidates with nontraditional professional backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. We recognize that strong development professionals come from many different career paths.

Core Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

Writing & Storytelling

Ability to translate complex policy and campaign work into clear, compelling narratives that communicate impact to funders and supporters.

Research

Ability to identify prospective funders and understand their priorities, interests, and funding strategies.

Project Management

Ability to manage multiple proposals, reports, deadlines, and relationships while maintaining accuracy and organization.

Relationship Building

Ability to develop respectful and productive relationships with colleagues, funders, donors, coalition partners, and community organizations.

Mission Alignment

A genuine interest in building a transportation system that advances equity, accessibility, climate resilience, economic opportunity, and quality of life throughout the Tri-State region.

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