Development Associate

About DCTV

Founded in 1972, Downtown Community Television Center, Inc. (DCTV) has grown into one of the leading documentary production and film education centers in the country. A community of and for documentary filmmakers, DCTV is a unique space where screenings, discussions, youth media, continuing education programs, and filmmaking resources exist side by side with award-winning productions and Firehouse: DCTV’s Cinema for Documentary Film.

DCTV has been recognized with 18 Emmy Awards, 4 duPont-Columbia Awards, 2 Academy Award Nominations, a Peabody Award, 6 New York Emmy Awards and accolades at film festivals around the world. In 2023, DCTV’s Co-Founders, Jon Alpert and Keiko Tsuno, were awarded lifetime achievement awards with the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, and inducted into the NATAS Gold Circle.

DCTV’s programs serve over 16,000 people annually, offering a one-of-a-kind opportunity to engage in the entire documentary process—from education and production to exhibition—empowering individuals to immerse themselves in every stage of the documentary journey.

Summary of the Position

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Development Associate to join our team and play a key role in supporting the Development department with fundraising, data analysis, and the membership program. The Development Associate will support the Director of Development to manage the entire institutional giving process—from researching and identifying potential funding opportunities to writing proposals, collecting data, and managing awarded grants. This role will also support DCTV’s individual donor portfolio and tiered membership program, organize giving campaigns and special events, and take the lead on ongoing data entry and hygiene in the Customer Relationship Management software Salesforce.

The Development Associate will collaborate with the Director of Development, Communications Manager, executive team, and program teams, to ensure alignment of organizational and programmatic objectives. The ideal candidate will be a proactive, detail-oriented professional with an interest in nonprofit fundraising and operations, a sense of collegiality and discretion,and the ability to contribute ideas in a close-knit, friendly workplace. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Director of Development in developing strategies for expanding and diversifying DCTV’s institutional, individual, and earned revenue.
• Write compelling grant proposals and reports for DCTV’s institutional funders, including private foundations and federal, state and local agencies.
• Assist the Director of Development in managing the full lifecycle of grants, ensuring compliance with grant requirements, including deadlines, financial reporting, and impact tracking.
• Support giving and membership drives, including mid-year and end of year campaigns.
• Assist with special events for donor cultivation and member benefits to drive ongoing engagement and expand the membership program.
• Collect data about DCTV’s impact from programming departments, and maintain an up-to-date database of successes and challenges to better tell DCTV’s story to supporters.
• Research new prospective funding sources and sponsorship opportunities.
• Maintain detailed records of all funding requests, deadlines, statuses, awards, and reports, and keep all Development department calendars and project management trackers updated.
• Primary team member responsible for keeping Salesforce Enterprise CRM data accurate, complete, and updated, and leveraging automation tools.
• Assist in the creation of fundraising tools such as annual reports, impact reports, newsletters, and website copy.
• Assist in the engagement of board members.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required, or equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in nonprofit fundraising, preferably with grant writing and grant management.
• Salesforce expertise a must.
• Giving campaign and event planning experience a plus.
• Knowledge and understanding of documentary films and the media industry a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes

• Grants Management: A comprehensive understanding of grant seeking and reporting policies and procedures, with expertise in compliance and reporting requirements for government, foundation, and corporate grants.
• Results-Oriented and Goal-Driven: A proven track record of successfully assisting in securing grants and a strong understanding of how to monitor grant progress, report on outcomes, and use data to drive improvements; Enthusiasm for DCTV’s membership program, and the ability to deepen member engagement.
• Relationship Building: A natural relationship builder who can collaborate well with numerous stakeholders on grant proposals and engage thoughtfully with DCTV’s donor and member base.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, combined with strong writing, editing, and proofreading abilities, and a commitment to delivering excellent, responsive service to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong Organizational Skills: Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Collaborative: A strong commitment to teamwork, including sharing information and resources.
• Ethics and Integrity: Ability to practice a high level of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Tech-Savvy: Proficiency with grant databases, reporting tools, and project management software including but not limited to: Salesforce, Foundation Directory,

Grants.gov, Asana, Google Workspace, MS Office, and Zoom video conferencing. Experience with fundraising software Click & Pledge, Agile Ticketing Service, and MailChimp a plus but not required.

• Flexibility: Ability and willingness to work in the office a minimum of 3 days/week, as well as on occasional evenings or weekends for special donor / member events and film screenings.

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary range of $68,000-$75,000, and benefits include 13 days paid vacation leave; 5 days paid sick leave; 12 paid holidays; participation in a 401(k); life insurance; medical/vision/dental; transit, health, and dependent care FSA.

To Apply

If you are interested in this opportunity to grow in your career as a fundraising professional, we encourage you to apply. Applicants must submit the following to development [dctvny.org with the subject line: Development Associate Candidate – Last Name, First Name:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• 2-3 Writing Samples (grant writing, campaign writing, email outreach, marketing copy or other related writing that showcases your personal style)

Application deadline is October 17, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as received, so applying early is strongly encouraged. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

DCTV is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other characteristics protected by law.

This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary range of $68,000-$75,000, and benefits include 13 days paid vacation leave; 5 days paid sick leave; 12 paid holidays; participation in a 401(k); life insurance; medical/vision/dental; transit, health, and dependent care FSA.