Development Associate

Position: Development Associate — Hybrid (Chicago)

Company: Borderless Magazine NFP

Manager: Chief Development Officer

Status: Full-Time Exempt Employee

Location: Chicago with hybrid remote and in-person work

Compensation: $50,000 to $60,000 depending on experience, plus benefits

Application Due Date: Rolling

Approximate Start Date: November

Website: www.borderlessmag.org

Borderless Magazine is an award-winning nonprofit news outlet that is reimagining immigration journalism for a more just and equitable future. Our online publication publishes stories in English and Spanish, works with immigrants and their allies to tell their own stories, and trains journalists to report on immigration issues more ethically. We recently won Next Challenge’s “Future of Local Journalism” award for our community-centered reporting.

With more than 500,000 people engaging with our journalism each year, we have built a trusted, community-rooted news source that informs, connects, and inspires action. Find out more at www.borderlessmag.org.

Borderless Magazine seeks a highly organized, detail-oriented Development Associate to power the systems and processes that keep our fundraising and donor engagement running smoothly. This essential, entry-level role is focused on managing the behind-the-scenes operations that fuel our growth and supporting our Chief Development Officer in advancing donor relationships and development strategy.

The ideal candidate thrives on keeping multiple projects on track, communicating clearly, and delivering accurate, timely work. You do not need a background in nonprofit fundraising — experience in project coordination, operations, or administrative roles will translate well here. This is a chance to join a mission-driven team reimagining immigration journalism for a more just and equitable future, and to learn the craft of development in a collaborative, equity-centered newsroom.

This is a hybrid role based in Chicago. It requires in-office presence one day a week, with occasional additional days for key meetings or events.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to join a diverse team at an organization that values work-life balance. This is a new role and we are looking for someone ready to hit the ground running.

What You’ll Do

• Lead development operations: gift processing, grant coordination, donor stewardship, membership management, campaign/event support.
• Support donor strategy: meeting prep, progress-to-goal tracking, prospect research, and follow-up.
• Tackle special projects that strengthen our fundraising and operations.

What We’re Looking For

• 1–3 years of experience in roles requiring strong organization and project coordination — nonprofit experience welcome but not required.
• Skilled at managing multiple priorities, meeting deadlines, and communicating clearly.
• Proficient in Google Workspace; ready to learn new tools.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) a plus.

Areas of Responsibility

1. Development Operations (primary focus)

• Promptly process and record all gifts accurately in our donor database, ensuring data integrity.
• Manage timelines and coordinate grant submissions; support accurate grant tracking and reporting.
• Execute donor stewardship activities, including acknowledgments, impact communications, and fulfillment of member benefits.
• Maintain membership lists, track renewals, and coordinate membership campaigns.
• Support logistics and communications for fundraising campaigns, including email, social media, and direct mail efforts.
• Assist with planning and executing fundraising events, including vendor coordination, registration, and follow-up.

1. Donor & Strategy Support

• Prepare briefing materials, agendas, and follow-up for donor meetings with the CDO and leadership team.
• Support the tracking of progress toward fundraising goals and the preparation of regular progress-to-goal reports.
• Conduct select research on prospective donors and funding opportunities.
• Support timely follow-up with donors and prospects to ensure next steps are completed.

1. General Development Projects

• Partner with colleagues across departments to support cross-team initiatives that advance fundraising goals.
• Assist with compliance tracking, budget monitoring, and expense reporting.
• Take on special projects and other development tasks as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• 1–3 years of professional experience in any role requiring strong organization and project coordination — nonprofit or fundraising experience is desired but not required.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive) and comfort learning new software tools; familiarity with donor databases (Salesforce, DonorPerfect, or similar) is a plus.
• Discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information.
• Demonstrated reliability and follow-through.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in customer service, client relations, or administrative support.
• Familiarity with or interest in Chicago’s nonprofit or media landscape.
• Experience coordinating events or managing logistics.
• Bilingual capabilities, especially Spanish/English.

The Approach

• Highly organized and systematic: Keeps information, deadlines, and workflows well-structured; spots potential bottlenecks early, and proactively addresses them.
• Proactive problem-solver: Anticipates needs, brings solutions to challenges, and adapts quickly when plans change.
• Collaborative and clear communicator: Works well across teams, keeps stakeholders informed, and listens actively.
• Mission- and values-aligned: Demonstrates respect, humility, and commitment to Borderless’ values — People Centered, Resilience, Community First, Equity, and support of Fearless reporting.
• Detail-driven but big-picture aware: Maintains precision in data and deliverables while understanding how each task supports the fundraising strategy.
• Growth mindset: Eager to learn, take feedback, and build new skills in nonprofit development

Benefits

• Subsidized medical, dental and health insurance for themselves and their spouse/children
• 20 days of vacation accrued per year
• 10 days of sick/mental wellness days
• 10 paid holidays plus the week between Christmas and New Year’s off
• Six weeks of paid family leave, plus additional subsidized leave available through short-term disability insurance
• The opportunity to invest in Borderless’ 403(b) retirement plan
• A one-month paid sabbatical for personal enrichment after working full-time at Borderless for five years

Time Expectations

Borderless Magazine operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The majority of the manager’s work will happen during these hours, but the manager will occasionally need to work evenings or weekends for a special event or deadline.

Location

The Development Associate will be expected to work in person at Borderless’ office in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood at least once a week.

Borderless’ Values

• People Centered: We approach our coworkers and the people we interview, train, and mentor with humility and an appreciation of their innate human dignity. We never deceive each other or the people who entrust us with their stories.
• Community First: We are deeply connected to immigrant community members. We prioritize the expertise, desires and needs of immigrants and those who care about them.
• Resilience: We see strength and power in each other and uplift one another in everything we do. We see suffering in the world, but find ways to take care of each other — and ourselves — as we serve our community.
• Fearless: We bravely report the truth of our communities. We are not beholden to political or financial interests. We hold ourselves and others accountable as we help build a more just future.
• Equity: We strive to create spaces and opportunities for people who do not traditionally have power or a platform in the journalism industry, particularly BIPOC and immigrant community members.

How to Apply

Borderless Magazine is an equal-opportunity employer and we encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including immigrants, women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, older people, and people with disabilities.

To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, name and contact information for three professional references to the Chief Development Officer, CJ Ortuno, at team@borderlessmag.org with the subject line "Development Associate.”

Your cover letter should answer the following questions:

1. Why are you interested in working at Borderless?
2. What makes you a great candidate for this position?
3. What is your connection to immigration or immigrant communities, if any? (Please note in your cover letter if you can read, speak Spanish, or other non-English languages, as those skills are especially valuable to us.)

Borderless Magazine is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we hope to fill this position as soon as possible.