The Development and Communications Assistant helps implement and execute a comprehensive development program that will ensure that Friends of Casco Bay has the funds needed to accomplish its mission. The primary focus of the Development Assistant is to maintain the day-to-day operations of the Development Office in collaboration with the Development Director. In addition, the Assistant designs print and on-line materials and helps coordinate event planning and execution.
The Assistant manages the donor database, processes payments and acknowledgements, coordinates regular fundraising mailings and emails, assists the Development Director with writing and compiling grant proposals and reports, as well as researching new funding sources, collaboratively plans and coordinates events, designs invitations and programs, and maintains the web site. The Development Assistant provides critical support to the Development Director (DD) and reports to the Executive Director (ED). This is a full-time, professional position with benefits, requiring 40 hours per week with occasional nights and weekends for special events.
In addition to the day-to-day data management and development work, this position offers opportunities for the successful candidate to apply creativity and innovation to bring our print and on-line communications to a new level. While there is ample content material available, Friends of Casco Bay is open to new ways of reaching existing and potential constituencies through imaginative advertising, utilization of new social media, and planning outreach events.
Friends of Casco Bay receives restricted and unrestricted funds from individuals, corporations, foundations, governmental entities, and other nonprofit organizations, through membership recruitment and renewal, annual fund, corporate support, foundation grants, contracts and fees, endowment, in-kind gifts, and special events. Annual revenue is $700,000. Our fundraising strategies are donor-centric and collaborative. Friends of Casco Bay maintains careful stewardship of our donors, and the Development Assistant plays a key role in building relationships with these supporters.
Duties
Record Keeping & Internal Organizational Development
§ Keep accurate and detailed donor records in database and physical files
§ Use donor database to generate mailing lists and mail merges
§ Use donor database to generate reports and analyses for use in planning and assessment
§ Process daily payments: data entry, acknowledgement letters and calls
§ Help create Development Committee agendas; take meeting minutes
§ Track and report progress toward reaching fundraising goals in various categories: individual gifts, foundation grants, etc.
§ Work with Office Manager to track, acknowledge, and report yearly in-kind gifts
§ Help prepare reports for the ED and Board on the status of fundraising efforts
§ Meetings: Attend staff, Development Committee, and, when appropriate, board meetings
§ Trainings: Upon consultation with DD and ED, participate in appropriate professional development opportunities
Fundraising
§ Help implement weekly and yearly development plans, meeting deadlines and fundraising goals
§ Help maintain the calendar of due dates for proposals, reports, and event planning
§ Coordinate monthly membership renewal mailings
§ Assist with Annual Fund appeals and special acquisition projects
§ Assist with writing and/or compiling foundation grant proposals and major donor, government, and corporate requests
§ Assist with Boat Donation program
Research and Planning
§ Work with the DD and ED to develop short- and long-term fundraising goals and strategies, including weekly task list and monthly proposal deadline schedule
§ Research new sources of funding: individual donors, corporate partners, and government and foundation grants
§ Work with program staff to understand program content, goals, and new initiatives, in order to effectively articulate program substance
§ Set and implement goals for raising awareness and funds via website, email, and social networking
Events
§ Help plan, prepare for, and execute annual film festival, donor “thank you” event, and house parties
§ Coordinate work with DD and ED to plan and execute other special events
Communications and Design
§ Refresh existing templates and/or design new materials for events (invitations, posters, programs, sponsorship materials) for various public events, annual meeting, house parties, and other events
§ Keep website dynamic and refreshed with current information by working closely with other staff for content
§ Design newsletters, brochures, displays, annual report, and other print and online materials in collaboration with Assistant Director, DD, and ED
§ Collaborate with other staff on strategic use of Constant Contact emails, design, and send out
§ Continue exploration of use of social media
Donor Communications
§ Help write/edit thank you letters
§ Process daily acknowledgement letters
§ Help call donors on phone to thank them (daily)
§ Write and/or compile grant reports and updates to donors
§ Help develop theme, content, and design of newsletter and annual report
§ Produce and/or compile content for website; ensure timely, substantive updates
§ Create regular email messages to be sent to membership or targeted groups
§ Manage Facebook group page
Other Duties
§ MaineShare: attend board meetings and do presentations at campaign sites, as asked
§ Oversee projects for volunteers helping with development tasks
Skills and Experience
Experience: Our ideal candidate would have experience in database management, graphic design, and event planning, would have worked in the nonprofit or environmental field for at least one year, and would have experience in fundraising and donor/customer relations. The ideal candidate must be facile with computers, organized, collaborative, detail oriented, goal driven, and able to meet deadlines.
Communication ability: Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential, along with an ability to speak eloquently (in due course) about the issues we work on with our donors.
Computer skills: Competence in use of PC word processing, database, spreadsheet, and design software. Friends of Casco Bay currently uses Word, Publisher, Excel, Adobe Illustrator, and ebase (Filemaker Pro). We also use online programs such as Constant Contact (for mass emails) and Microsoft OfficeLive (for website).
Personal attributes: Professional, energetic, optimistic, flexible, team-player. Must be willing and able to learn new skills.
Interested applicants will send a letter, a resume, and a sample of their work to:Search Committee, Friends of Casco Bay, 43 Slocum Drive, South Portland, Maine 04106.
Or, email to jfetterer@cascobay.org
Friends of Casco Bay website is www.cascobay.org
Posting date: 3.4.10