The Donor Relations Assistant (Temporary) reports to the Director of Donor Relations and works closely with the Donor Relations team on donor stewardship, planning, and implementation, and assists the team's goals and ongoing efforts to build and nurture long-term relationships with Occidental College donors. This position plays an important role in ensuring the team's mission is achieved by providing administrative and operational support for acknowledgement letters and receipts, reports, donor communications, and occasional engagement events; answering and responding to external and internal inquiries via telephone and email; scheduling meetings and taking meeting notes; data entry; and serving as an administrative liaison between the Donor Relations Office and campus partners.
Job Duties
30% - Coordinates and implements administrative and operational functions of the Donor Relations team, including but not limited to, printing/collating and mailing letters, reports, receipts, and other communications; making copies and scanning; e-filing; answering and responding to external and internal inquiries via telephone and email; scheduling meetings and taking meeting notes; entering data; and documenting and updating policies and procedures. - (Essential)
25% - Responsible for preparing and producing weekly acknowledgements. Develops and maintains donor-related reporting and acknowledgment processes and documents procedures. - (Essential)
20% - Oversees data and information requests to advancement services and engagement communications and other departments and campus partners; validates data to ensure accuracy, including but not limited to any communication pieces as well as donor honor rolls, donor walls and recognition plaques. - (Essential)
10% - Assists with budget tracking; responsible for submitting the Office of Donor Relations' credit card reports, invoices, and contracts. Also submits and tracks work orders for vendors and the Business Office, Facilities, and other internal campus partners; arranges payment for vendors and submits appropriate check requests. - (Essential)
5% - Maintains Donor Relations project and production calendar for ongoing and future projects. Also updates various other tracking spreadsheets using Asana, Excel, Smartsheet, Google, etc. - (Marginal)
5% - Prepares materials for donor reports and communications. Assists with researching, writing, and editing endowed and spend-down fund reports or communications to donors, including our scholarship reports, and with proofing and preparing reports or other communications generated by other team members. - (Marginal)
5% - Supports other special and ongoing stewardship and recognition projects as needed by the Director of Donor Relations and/or the Donor Relations Coordinator, such as assisting with launching and administering new and revised stewardship programs, including but not limited to, our gift societies and first-time donor program. - (Marginal)
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree.
Demonstrated experience working with and interacting effectively with a diverse clientele to provide the highest level of customer service to internal and external audiences.
Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills, with excellent written communications skills and attention to detail.
Proven computer proficiency in Microsoft Office and computer applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google drives/folders/forms, and Adobe Acrobat.
Demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to take initiative, set priorities, and proactively manage deadline-driven projects.
Ability to contribute positively and efficiently to a fast-paced, priority-shifting, strategy-driven, and cooperative work environment with a wide range of professionals in a variety of functional roles.
Experience working with confidential documents and sensitive information with discretion.
Ability to proactively and independently develop and implement tools and systems for setting objectives and for planning and evaluating all aspects of donor cultivation and stewardship.
Ability to create tracking systems to manage projects, information, and progress.
Possesses thorough research, analytical, and critical thinking skills, including skills to identify and prevent potential problems, advise management as required, and propose effective strategic resolutions in a creative and timely manner.
Must be able to work standard business hours.
Preferred Qualifications
At least two years of related work experience, particularly within higher education, non-profit organizations, or fundraising. Experience with writing custom reports and communication pieces preferred.
