Development Officer

Position: Development Officer

Reports to: Vice President of Philanthropy and Director of Strategic Engagement

Start Date: Immediately

Status: Full Time, Exempt

Location: United States, Remote with preference for NY-based candidates

About The Nexus Project

The Nexus Project fights antisemitism while protecting democracy. We provide nuanced frameworks for understanding when criticism of Israel crosses into antisemitism, oppose the weaponization of antisemitism accusations for political purposes, and build coalitions across Jewish and non-Jewish communities committed to fighting all forms of hatred.

Our work is grounded in the understanding that Jewish safety and democracy are inseparable. We help prevent the conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism from being used to divide communities, while confronting genuine antisemitic threats from all sources. Through education, research, and coalition-building, The Nexus Project equips policymakers, journalists, educators, and community leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to fight antisemitism in ways that are effective, principled, and rooted in facts.

About the Position

The Development Officer serves on Nexus's development team, reporting to the Vice President of Philanthropy and Director of Strategic Engagement. In this role, you will execute our fundraising strategy in partnership with senior leaders across the organization. Key responsibilities include building a comprehensive donor stewardship program with annual revenue projections and creating multiple touchpoints for donor engagement.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, detail-oriented, collaborative partner who thrives on building strong systems and relationships. This role offers a unique opportunity to design and implement the fundraising infrastructure needed for rapid, sustainable growth, combining clear communication, collaborative leadership, and a data-informed approach to driving meaningful change.

Responsibilities

As the VP of Philanthropy's key strategic partner, you'll design and implement the fundraising infrastructure we need to grow fast and grow well. You think strategically but execute meticulously. You build genuine relationships while staying fluent in data and technology. You communicate clearly, take initiative, and collaborate generously—bringing both professionalism and personality to everything you do. This role offers a unique opportunity to drive growth and transformative change simultaneously.

Cultivate, Develop, and Maintain Donor Relationships

• Develop and execute a robust donor stewardship program that includes personalized communication and meetings with donors, alongside donor briefings and special events.
• Directly solicit major donors, including individual and institutional donors.
• Cultivate a pipeline of prospective donors to ensure that Nexus’s donor pool remains robust while giving special attention to growing $5K+ donors.
• Increase retention rates and maximize support from current donors by creating and implementing donor engagement plans for donors and prospects, including individual meetings, events, donor briefing calls, and other opportunities to “see the work.”

Manage Development Operations

• Establish and maintain robust internal systems to coordinate and track progress toward development goals.
• Conduct donor research and prepare donor packets for meetings and events.
• Ensure that Nexus’s donor dashboard, Google Drive, and CRM are accurate and up to date.
• Work with our web designer to manage the donation page.
• Help us organize and maintain multiple fundraising and engagement lists to ensure targeted, effective external communications.
• Help set up and schedule high-level donor meetings for the National Director.
• Manage gift, donation, and pledge processing, including accurate data entry and timely gift acknowledgment.
• Support and manage development projects, and assist with campaign planning and execution.
• Provide support to the Vice President of Philanthropy and Director of Strategic Engagement on any programs or special events.

Design and Execute Fundraising Events

• Design and execute in-person and online events to maintain and grow Nexus’s donor portfolio and highlight the organization's work.
• Create compelling event materials, including save-the-dates, invitations, and run-of-show timelines.
• Track event metrics including attendance, revenue, expenses, and return on investment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising or a related field.
• A relationship builder who understands how to develop and maintain donor relationships as well as how to cultivate new funding relationships.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Experience cultivating donors and moving them up a ladder of engagement
• A strong communicator with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• You have experience developing donor collateral, grant proposals, and grant reports, and translating an organization’s programmatic objectives into compelling pitches.
• Strong interpersonal skills and relationship management experience
• Ability to initiate and manage multiple complex projects and work effectively in a results-oriented team environment, and meet established deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point) and Google platforms, and ability to learn new systems.
• You like to use technology to make fundraising more effective and efficient.
• An adept strategic planner who can work with the Vice President of Philanthropy and Director of Strategic Engagement to synthesize historic fundraising trends, present and future budgets to develop, adhere to, and adjust a comprehensive fundraising strategy for the organization.
• You think of yourself as a numbers person and know your way around a spreadsheet and a budget.
• A results-driven operator who understands how to translate strategy into action.
• You excel at problem-solving, time management, and leading teams towards results, and you combine ambition with pragmatism.
• You have experience managing outside consultants and direct reports.
• Experience working with development databases, preferably Network for Good
• A person of the highest ethical standards who brings professionalism to all aspects of their work and exercises discretion.
• Strong commitment to and passion for the mission of the Nexus Project
• Ability to work evenings or on weekends based on need.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual salary range is $75,000 - $90,000, commensurate with experience. The Nexus Project is fiscally sponsored by the New Israel Fund (NIF). All staff are employees of NIF and receive a comprehensive benefits package through NIF, including health insurance, retirement contributions, and generous paid time off.

Physical Requirements

There are no extraordinary physical requirements for the performance of the essential functions of this position. Nexus will make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

To Apply

We are excited to receive applications from a broad range of applicants as we grow our organization to better reflect the diversity of the communities who care about our mission. Please submit the following materials to becca@nexusproject.us:

• Cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications
• Resume
• List of three references

This position is available immediately. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Nexus Project, we value an inclusive, welcoming, and diverse workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to understanding and valuing each other's perspectives at all levels of the organization. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination.

The Nexus Project is fiscally sponsored by the New Israel Fund (NIF). All staff are employees of NIF and receive a comprehensive benefits package through NIF, including health insurance, retirement contributions, and generous paid time off.