Development Assistant

The American Battlefield Trust, the nation’s premier historic land preservation nonprofit, seeks a Development Assistant to support donor engagement and serve as a key administrative partner to the Development Department. This role plays a vital part in ensuring donors receive exceptional service and thoughtful stewardship, while also supporting internal gift processing and departmental operations.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Donor Support & Contact Center Oversight

• Serve as a primary point of contact for donors via phone and email, providing high-quality customer service and resolving complex or escalated inquiries.
• Oversee contact center services provided by the external gift processing vendor, including participating in weekly status meetings, providing training, and developing instructional documentation.
• Manage the main public email inbox and online contact forms, responding to donor and community inquiries and routing messages to appropriate staff as needed.

Gift Processing & Data Management

• Process and record gifts received at the headquarters via check, stock, or electronic Donor Advised Fund transfers, preparing data for upload into the fundraising database (EveryAction).
• Track and coordinate expected gifts by working with staff across the organization to confirm gift purpose, timing, and other key details.
• Create, update, and maintain donor records in EveryAction, supporting overall data quality and accuracy through routine quality assurance.

Donor Acknowledgement & Stewardship

• Generate high-touch acknowledgment letters each week for major donors, using templates or drafting customized language as appropriate.
• Draft and maintain standardized acknowledgment letter templates for direct mail and other fundraising appeals.
• Assist, as needed, with printing and mailing donor acknowledgments and stewardship materials.
• Manage a small in-office inventory of donor premiums.

Development Department Support

• Provide general administrative support to the Development team, including submitting invoices, processing expense reports, researching database issues, assisting with meeting agendas, and creating Board of Trustees materials using provided fundraising data.
• Serve as a liaison to other departments, participate in cross-departmental meetings, and prepare meeting notes for staff distribution.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university preferred
• 1-3+ years of experience in membership fundraising strongly preferred; candidates with relevant experience in customer service, sales, or other professional fields will be considered. Prior nonprofit experience is a plus.
• Strong interest in donor communications and a commitment to delivering exceptional customer service via phone and email.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a collegial, high-performing Development team.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and time management; ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proactive, resourceful self-starter with strong problem-solving and troubleshooting abilities.
• Professional, polished demeanor with a strong work ethic and sense of initiative.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and CRM/database systems; experience with EveryAction is preferred but not required.

The Trust is composed of professionals with backgrounds ranging from real estate, to politics, to event planning — and everything in between — our staff is united by a commitment to excellence and a passion for keeping American history alive.

The Trust offers a robust benefits package as detailed below:

• Hybrid office environment
• Medical, dental and vision coverage, with the premium cost on individual coverage paid 100% by the Trust
• Paid time off + eleven holidays
• 403(b) retirement plan with company contribution after one year (regardless of employee’s own contribution)
• Paid life, AD&D, & disability benefits
• Paid parental leave
• WMATA/transit reimbursement program
• Year-round intern program
• Opportunities to participate in events and visit historic sites
• Professional development opportunities
• Coffee and tea stations
• Complimentary onsite gym