Development Coordinator

About Kintsugi Village

Kintsugi Village is a gathering place in Detroit designed to bring people together through learning, creativity and shared experiences. Inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi — repairing broken pottery with gold — the Village is rooted in the belief that connection, belonging and meaningful experiences can help people grow and transform.

We are building Kintsugi Village with an entrepreneurial spirit, a strong culture and a deeply personal approach to relationships.

The Role

We are looking for an exceptionally organized, warm and responsive Development Coordinator to support our fundraising and donor engagement efforts.

This is not primarily a frontline fundraising or grant-writing position. Our founders and senior leadership take the lead in building relationships with donors, foundations and community partners. The Development Coordinator makes sure those relationships are supported exceptionally well — that information is organized, commitments are tracked, follow-up happens quickly and every interaction reflects the warmth and hospitality of Kintsugi Village.

The right person will enjoy being the person who keeps things moving. They notice details, anticipate what needs to happen next and take pride in making sure nothing falls through the cracks.

What You'll Do

Donor Relations & Follow-Through

• Coordinate timely, thoughtful follow-up with donors, prospective donors, foundations and other partners.
• Track conversations, commitments, next steps and important relationship milestones.
• Prepare acknowledgment letters, thank-you notes and other donor communications.
• Help ensure that every donor and prospective donor receives a personal, responsive and welcoming experience.
• Maintain a system for regular donor touches and help identify when relationships need attention.
• Support stewardship activities throughout the year, not simply when a gift is being requested.

Development Operations

• Manage and maintain the donor database, ensuring information is accurate, current and useful.
• Enter gifts, contacts, notes and other relationship information promptly.
• Maintain prospect lists, donor histories, contact reports and fundraising activity.
• Track proposals, grants, reporting deadlines, pledges and other commitments.
• Produce simple reports and dashboards that help leadership understand fundraising activity, upcoming priorities and next steps.
• Help maintain an organized development calendar so deadlines and opportunities are anticipated rather than discovered at the last minute.

Leadership Support

• Prepare background materials and briefing notes before donor and foundation meetings.
• Help research prospective donors, foundations and partners.
• Attend selected development meetings to capture notes, commitments and next steps.
• Turn conversations into action by assigning and tracking follow-up immediately after meetings.
• Draft correspondence, proposals and other materials as needed, working closely with leadership on content and tone.
• Help leadership stay focused on relationships by handling the organization and administration behind them.

Tours, Events & Hospitality

• Help coordinate donor visits, tours, small gatherings and special events.
• Make sure guests feel expected and welcomed from the moment they arrive.
• Coordinate invitations, RSVPs, materials and follow-up.
• Work across the Kintsugi Village team to create thoughtful, personal experiences for donors and guests.

Volunteer Coordination & Management

• Coordinate volunteers across all areas of Kintsugi Village, including the school, garden, arts, culinary programs, events and community experiences.
• Develop and maintain simple systems for volunteer recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, communication and tracking.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for volunteers, making sure they know where they are needed, what is expected and how they can contribute.
• Work with program and team leaders to anticipate volunteer needs and proactively recruit and schedule support.
• Welcome and orient new volunteers, helping them feel connected to the Village and confident in their role.
• Create a warm, organized and meaningful volunteer experience through thoughtful communication, recognition and follow-up.
• Track volunteer participation, interests and engagement and identify opportunities to deepen relationships and involve volunteers more fully in the Village.

What We're Looking For

Above all, we're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys supporting people and relationships.

The ideal candidate is:

Exceptionally organized. You create systems, keep good records and rarely let something fall through the cracks.

Highly responsive. You believe that getting back to people quickly matters and understand that responsiveness communicates respect.

A strong communicator. You write clearly, speak comfortably with people from many different backgrounds and understand the importance of tone.

Warm and hospitable. Kindness and personal connection come naturally to you.

Proactive. You don't simply wait for assignments. You anticipate what needs to happen and respectfully remind others when something needs attention.

Detail-oriented without losing sight of people. You understand that a donor database represents relationships, not just records.

Comfortable with informality. We work hard, communicate openly, laugh often and don't place much value on hierarchy or formality.

Collaborative and low-ego. You're comfortable working behind the scenes and take satisfaction in helping the entire team succeed.

Curious and eager to learn. You want to understand our work, our community and why Kintsugi Village matters.

Personally connected to the mission. We want someone who feels genuine enthusiasm for what we are building and enjoys sharing that enthusiasm with others.

Experience

We care more about the person than a particular résumé. Experience in nonprofit development, donor relations, executive support, customer/client service, hospitality, project coordination or a similar relationship-oriented role could all be relevant.

Experience with donor databases or CRM systems is helpful, as is comfort with Microsoft Office/Google Workspace and learning new technology. Strong written communication and demonstrated organizational skills are essential.

How We Work

Culture matters deeply at Kintsugi Village. We believe in responsiveness, kindness, openness, respect and treating every person with dignity. We value people who communicate directly, take ownership of their work, help one another and bring positive energy to the Village.

This role will have access to sensitive donor and organizational information, so discretion, good judgment and confidentiality are essential.

Most importantly, we want someone who sees development the way we do: as relationship building. Your role is to help us care for those relationships exceptionally well.