Development Associate

About Miriam’s Kitchen

Miriam’s Kitchen (MK) is a mission-driven nonprofit working to end chronic homelessness in Washington, D.C. through meaningful relationships, high-quality meals, and holistic support services. Our kitchen is more than a place to prepare food—it’s a community space where dignity, nourishment, and connection come together. 

Position Summary

The Development Associate (DA) works to support both the individual giving program and the gift processing / operations function of the Development team. As such, this position reports to the Director of Donor Relations (DDR) but works very closely with the Development Systems Manager (DSM). 

The DA works to deepen and enrich relationships with – and financial support from – first-time and lower-level donors. Frequently the DA is called upon to process gift acknowledgements and assist in the maintenance of our donor records database (Salesforce). Among other tasks, the DA is responsible for outreach to our monthly MK Club members, under the guidance of the DSM. The Development Associate also sends out mass-email and monthly e-newsletters to support MK’s efforts at communicating with individual donors. 

This is a full time (40 hours), hybrid position located in Washington, DC (minimum of 2 days in the MK office per week). As with other Development team members, this position may be asked on occasion to help support events outside of regular business hours (nights or weekends). 

This will be a highly resourceful team player, have excellent organizational skills, and highly detail oriented. They are comfortable working independently or with an ad hoc team in a time constrained environment while maintaining accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility. Professional and confidential demeanor is of the utmost importance in this role. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Support Individual Donor Engagement 
• Under guidance of the DSM, develop and implement strategies that recruit new MK Club (monthly giving) members 
• Draft monthly communications to MK Club 
• Manage the distribution of monthly e-newsletters and other key communications aimed at individual donors and prospects 
• When appropriate, monitor and post to MK’s social media platforms 
• Supervised by the DDR, manage portfolio of lower-tier individual donors (sub-$500 annual giving) and devise strategies to improve retention 
• Monitor incoming donor calls and serve as contact for donors who have gift processing questions 
• Conduct personalized stewardship outreach and relationship-building activities, including phone calls, email, face-to-face and other outreach 
• Participate in donor cultivation events where appropriate 

Support Gift Processing & Acknowledgment Oversight

• When necessary (typically two weeks per month) provide daily gift entry and coding via the established gift acknowledgment processes 
• Suggest improvements to standard operating procedures for gift processing workflows 
• Support DSM to ensure timely donor acknowledgments meet organizational standards 
• Generate accurate Salesforce reports for a variety of constituencies (e.g., Board, peers, and donors) 

Team Collaboration

• Assist DSM in providing Salesforce and other systems training to the rest of the Development team 
• Participate in department meetings and support continuous improvement initiatives 
• Support Chief Development Officer with special projects as assigned 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (preferred) in nonprofit management, business administration, communications, or related field OR (2) years of relevant experience
• Proficiency in Salesforce or comparable CRM systems with proven database management, data analysis, reporting, and technical troubleshooting capabilities 
• Experience with online fundraising platforms and payment processing integrations preferred 
• Attention to detail, project management, and organizational skills with ability to work independently in a hybrid environment 
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities 

EEO Statement 

Miriam’s Kitchen is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace that reflects the diverse communities we serve. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. We strongly encourage candidates from historically marginalized backgrounds to apply.