Development Assistant

The Organization:
The Florence Project was founded in 1989 to respond to a representation crisis for indigent non-citizens detained at the rural Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center in Florence, Arizona. Through our programs today, we provide services to thousands of adults, youth, and children detained in Eloy, Florence, Phoenix, and Tucson, Arizona on any given day. In 2001, the Florence Project implemented our Integrated Social Services Program, one of the first of its kind in this field. The Florence Project provides high quality legal and social services and supports initiatives for national changes in immigration law and policy.

Development Assistant:

The Development Assistant is a key position in the Development Team. The primary duties will be to assist the Project with raising funds to support our programs. The Development Assistant will work under the direct supervision of the Development Manager and in partnership with the Project’s Co-Executive Directors, staff, and Board of Directors. The position may be based in our Phoenix or Tucson office, with regular travel to other Project offices. This position is contingent on funding.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Management of Donor Records and Gift Entry:

• Record donor contact information and gift transactions in the database with a major emphasis on data entry, including updating/correcting detail as appropriate, and contacting donors when issues arise.

• Respond timely and in a friendly professional manner to donor inquiries.

• Ensure integrity of the data by following all policies and procedures related to how donor and gift information is to be kept.

• Access and download donor and gift detail from various platforms as needed for data entry.

• Maintain donor confidentiality.

• Participate in regular maintenance of databases, including identified clean-up projects to ensure data integrity.

• In partnership with the Development Manager, coordinate with the Finance Department to reconcile financial and fundraising numbers.

• Support the Development Team, the Executive Director and the Board of Directors in contributing to donor records in an accurate and timely manner.

Donor Acknowledgements and Stewardship

• Prepare and send accurate donor thank you letters in a timely fashion, including Welcome Packets for new donors.

• Ensure donors receive a personal thank you call by making calls as well as coordinating weekly call lists for the Development Team, Co-Executive Directors and Board of Directors.

• Assist with retention efforts by identifying donors for targeted stewardship.

• Assist fundraising efforts by gathering and sharing donor comments and special stories for communications with staff, Board and the public.

• Collaborate with Team on stewardship strategies to further enhance relationships with constituents.

Development Team Support

• Participate as a collaborative member of the team, helping to plan and execute fund development strategy and activities throughout the year.

• Generate accurate and timely database reports for mailings, e-blasts, data mining, donor cultivation and solicitation.

• Coordinate and collaborate to ensure project elements assigned are completed timely and as requested.

• Maintain fundraising materials and supplies for the department and all programmatic staff.

• Keep accurate minutes of all Development Team meetings.

• Ensure centralization, organization and accessibility of digital files.

Other Duties:

• Assist the department with the planning and execution of fundraising and community outreach events.
• Assist with communications to designers and vendors for materials, as requested by the department.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements:

• Associates degree or above.  A combination of education and relevant experience could be considered.

• At least 2 years of experience managing tasks and demanding schedules.

• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing: Strong command of written communication.

• Experience with data entry

• Experience with administering—or willingness to learn—a variety of platforms: Raiser’s Edge NXT, GSuite, Microsoft Products, Legal Server, Adobe products, miscellaneous databases, and copying, scanning, faxing, printing technologies, etc.

• Ability to manage up, with the ability to speak up in a kind and respectful manner when they notice errors, problematic deadlines, or areas for improvement from directors assisting on projects, budgets, or grant applications.

• Possess a willingness to wear multiple hats and ability to prioritize

• Demonstrated commitment to advocating for indigent immigrant clients in a respectful and empowering way, zealous support of the Florence Project’s mission, and displays a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with diverse populations.

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.

• Highly organized, able to be an innovative thinker and work in high volume setting with limited resources.

• Accuracy and attention to detail a must.

• Ability to do repetitive tasks for long periods of time.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with diverse populations.

• Excellent problem solving, research and analytical skills, is able to effectively manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.

• Demonstrate to be a hardworking, flexible, respectful team player that can work effectively in a collaborative, innovative, and client centered work environment.

• Ability to work independently, be adaptable and reliable in the face of conflict, pressure, crisis or changing priorities.

• Exhibits high ethical standards and the ability to maintain confidentiality.

• Travel is required for this position.

• Must have a valid driver license and reliable transportation.

• Proven computer skills.  Advanced understanding of basic office applications.

Preferred Requirements:

• 6 months to 1-year relevant office experience preferred.

• Experience and knowledge of Raiser’s Edge or another comparable fundraising database a plus.

• Experience with event planning, marketing, social media, graphic design is a plus.

• Fluency or advanced proficiency in Spanish is a plus.

Working Conditions/Physical Demands:

• Operate in a professional office environment and requires the ability to sit for long periods of time with intermittent walking, standing, bending, squatting, pulling, and pushing.
• Ability to use standard office equipment such as scanners, computers, keyboards, phones, shredders, photocopiers, and filing cabinets. Requires the ability to lift up to ten pounds - accommodations may be available.
• May require travelling to our other office locations.
• Effective September 1, 2021, FIRRP has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy. To comply with this policy, active employees must be fully vaccinated by October 15, 2021. Employees seeking an exemption due to a medical condition or sincerely-held religious belief should contact our Human Resources Department at humanresources@firrp.org.

Salary & Benefits:

This is a full-time position. Salary is competitive for our field and geographical area and is commensurate with experience: $41,000-$52,000 Annually DOE. We strive to create and uphold a positive, supportive, and inclusive work environment for all staff. We offer excellent benefits, including:

• Medical plans including health, dental, vision coverage, subject to plan terms

• Short Term Disability

• Eligibility for group benefits such as voluntary life insurance, subject to applicable waiting periods

• Retirement plan, subject to plan terms

• Paid Time Off earned on a biweekly accrual basis- Twenty-five (25) Days of Vacation Time, annually

• Five (5) Days of Medical/Sick Time, annually

• One (1) Day of Personal Time, monthly

• Eight (8) Week Paid Sabbatical, after three years of employment

• Bereavement leave.

• Company-paid federal holidays, all observed

• Eligible for Parental Leave which includes Twelve (12) paid weeks

• Mileage reimbursement for travel between offices and places of work.

• Relocation Assistance for out of state new hires.

Application Procedures:

This is an immediate opening. Salary is commensurate with experience. The position will remain open until we receive enough qualified applicants. To apply, please submit a cover letter detailing your interest in the position as well as your resume, three professional references and email a writing sample to jobs@firrp.org (choose a writing sample that you consider will be most relevant to this position). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and candidates are encouraged to apply early. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. The Florence Project values diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages applications from people of color, LGBTQ individuals, persons with disabilities, and members of underrepresented communities.

At FIRRP, we recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the requirements of a job.  If your experience is close to what you see listed in our current job opportunities, please still consider applying.  Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and excellence, which is very much valued at FIRRP.  Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.  Please let us know if you require accommodations during the interview process.

This job announcement is for informational purposes only and is subject to change and modification without notice. This job announcement includes a non-exhaustive list of responsibilities, qualifications and requirements of the position, but does not necessarily include all the job functions of the position. This position is eligible for membership in the union Proyecto Solidaridad-FIRRP affiliated with OPEIU Local 251.