Sr Development Associate

Position Overview:

Reporting to the Director of Resource Development, the Sr. Development Associate advances Catalyst’s community engagement and fundraising efforts and supports development operations. The role manages donor stewardship, volunteer support for events, and accurate, up-to-date constituent records in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

Essential Job Functions: 

Community Engagement & Fundraising

• Build and steward relationships with donors, partners, and constituents; provide responsive customer service by phone, email, and in person


• Plan and deliver fundraising events and campaigns, including timelines, logistics, budgets, metrics, and post-campaign reporting


• Manage a monthly donor portfolio and support stewardship of online, major, in-kind, corporate, community, and volunteer relationships


• Coordinate donor tours and meetings


• Maintain and improve development processes, calendars, countdowns, materials, and supplies to support multiple programs and initiatives


• Develop and implement strategies for annual and seasonal campaigns (e.g. Giving Tuesday, Igniting Potential, Back to School, Big Day of Giving, Sacramento Fast Pitch)


• Cultivate community partnerships (e.g. community foundations) and participate in relevant professional associations and committees


• Coordinate with Marketing to align messaging and provide content for newsletters, quarterly updates, social media, email, and advertising


• Recruit, train, and manage event and campaign volunteers

Database Management

• Maintain accurate constituent records; partner across departments to reconcile donor restrictions, funds, and accounting records


• Process and enter gifts and constituent updates in the CRM daily; collaborate with the Director of Resource Development to ensure moves management is timely and accurate


• Audit CRM data and run queries and reports to support outreach, segmentation, and decision-making


• Execute donor stewardship and acknowledgements (i.e. letters/notes, calls, incentive fulfillment, and year-end tax receipts) across gift types


• Conduct prospect research and analysis and compile data for quarterly dashboard reporting

Perform other duties that are reasonably related to the position’s key responsibilities and are consistent with the employee’s job classification, skills, and training

Required Qualifications: 

• Associate's degree


• 2-3 years' experience with fund development

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree


• 5+ years' experience with fund development


• Experience with CRM systems (e.g. Livelmpact)


• Proficiency with MS Office


• Bilingual in English/Spanish

Key Competencies: 

• Ability to learn and stay current with CRM and other relevant software


• Strong written and verbal communication skills


• Attention to detail for effective proofreading


• Budget support skills for events, campaigns, and outreach


• Sound judgment and discretion; ability to maintain confidentiality of donor information


• Self-directed, organized, and effective in a fast-paced, goal-oriented environment


• Collaborative and adaptable; ability to work independently and build rapport with diverse stakeholders

Working Conditions: 

• Generally pleasant working conditions


• Less than 50% of daily assignments involve prolonged physical effort


• Travel: Up to 10%

Shift Type: Full Time, Exempt

Schedule: Onsite, Monday - Friday, 8 hours per day