Development Assistant (Donor Relations Associate)

Permanent, Full-Time | Washington, DC Based with Work from Home Flexibility | $55,000-$65,000 per year to start, plus generous benefits | Expected Start: September-October 2024

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The Animal Welfare Institute – a DC-based national advocacy organization dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people – seeks to hire a Donor Relations Associate who shares our vision of a world where no animal suffers because of humans.

About AWI: Working at AWI, you will join more than 30 highly motivated staff and consultants working in our headquarters in Washington, DC, and remotely across the United States and Canada. For 73 years, we have advanced our mission through strategically crafted political and legal advocacy, educational programs, litigation, research, and engagement with policymakers, scientists, industry, educators, other NGOs, the media, and the public. We are a national nonprofit dedicating more than 90 percent of our budget to programs and campaigns that protect animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild.  AWI is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, and creating a culture that values differences and where all employees thrive.

Why this position matters: AWI is seeking a Donor Relations Associate, committed to the principles of improving animal welfare, who can provide exemplary support to the donor relations work of the organization. The Donor Relations Associate is a detail-oriented problem solver who appreciates the connection between accurate records and strong relationships with the organization's supporters. This person is an excellent communicator and an organized implementer. They are comfortable with tasks of repetitive detail as well as tasks that require attention to context and relationships. The person who fills this important position has a passion for AWI’s mission and a demonstrated commitment to preventing animal suffering and protecting wildlife; a commitment to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture; and a commitment to the highest standards of professional conduct.

You could be our next Donor Relations Associate if you:

• Have 2-3 years of progressive workplace-based experience in donor relations or a similar discipline
• Have experience in a detail-oriented position that required high-level organizational skills
• Can follow directions, take initiative, and successfully context switch
• Are fluent in DonorPerfect or similar donation management platform
• Have experience with database entry, data uploading, and the intricacies of Excel
• Can see the person behind the donation and possess the tenacity to ensure each donor’s intent is represented correctly in the database
• Have experience balancing speed with accuracy in high-volume data entry
• Recognize the importance of “back office” operations and take pride in providing administrative support for the organization
• Are committed to integrity and the practice of confidentiality
• Can work under pressure, work independently and on a team, meet deadlines, and simultaneously manage multiple projects

What you'll be doing:

• Gift Processing and Acknowledgment
• Entry of donor information and gifts into fundraising/membership database (presently AWI uses DonorPerfect online)
• Enter, code, and track all checks and cash donations
• Process credit card and Electronic Fund Transfer payments; including donations made over the phone
• Process weekly deposits according to internal auditing protocols
• Generate acknowledgment communications (emails, cards, and letters) and welcome packets; ensure they are signed by the appropriate people and mailed to donors in a timely fashion
• Data Accuracy
• Update contact information and preferences in DonorPerfect according to member self-selection via donation reply slips, emails, phone calls, and returned mail
• Run and respond to data analysis reports, including duplicate reports, to ensure data integrity
• Generate periodic donor reports
• Donor Relations
• Respond to donors’ phone and email requests for information, and connect donors to appropriate staff members for details and follow-up
• Record significant contacts with members in DonorPerfect to ensure high-quality relationships
• Assist monthly donors with keeping credit card information up-to-date, and provide support with declined and incomplete donations
• Fulfill orders for AWI publications 
• Represent AWI in a professional and patient manner on the phone, via email, in the office, and occasionally at events

Job Location: While there is flexibility to occasionally work from home, the Donor Relations Associate is expected to be in AWI's DC office – located in a row of converted townhouses one block from the Eastern Market Metro – on a regular basis.

AWI is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to employment practices that provide equal opportunities for all persons without regard to age, gender, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. We are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within our organization, and encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the animal welfare movement.