Development Specialist

Development Specialist

The Riverside Church is seeking a detail-oriented and organized Development Specialist to join our Communications & Development team. In this role, you will directly support the Director and Development Coordinator in advancing major and legacy gift efforts. Your primary focus will be preparing donor briefing materials, conducting prospect research, and providing administrative and logistical support for donor engagement.

Responsibilities

Major Gifts Support (Primary Focus)

• Prepare donor briefing materials, profiles, and reports to ensure meaningful interactions during prospect visits and meetings.
• Conduct prospect research to identify new major and legacy gift opportunities, including individuals, foundations, and corporations.
• Support the Director and Coordinator in cultivating relationships with major gift prospects and maintaining a portfolio of donors and prospects.
• Assist in coordinating donor correspondence, including thank-you letters, bequest acknowledgments, and meeting follow-ups.

Development Operations & Administrative Support

• Update the donor database with member and donor activity and generate reports as needed.
• Coordinate reports using Excel for incoming gifts and pledges.
• Assist with logistics for major initiatives such as the Annual Giving Campaign and Giving Tuesday.
• Support fundraising campaigns and donor events as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required or 2–4 years of work experience preferred, ideally in development, nonprofit administration, or a related field.
• Proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets (Excel), database entry, and presentation software.
• Demonstrated experience in office administration, data entry, research, and/or event planning.
• Stellar written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills to juggle multiple tasks efficiently.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality and sound judgment.

Requirements

• Experience with databases such as Raiser's Edge, Blackbaud, or Pushpay.
• Prospect research experience.
• Familiarity with preparing donor briefings or materials for major gift officers.
• Experience working in a church or nonprofit development capacity.
• Knowledge of email marketing software (e.g., Mailchimp, Benchmark) – nice to have, but not required.
• Coordinating event logistics.
• Social media experience, a plus

The Riverside Church is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No employee or applicant for employment shall be discriminated against in any term or condition of employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are constantly striving to make our organization anti-racist. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values. As an employee, you become part of that mission. We expect this same commitment from our staff.