Development Operations Assistant (Hybrid)

Development Operations Assistant (Cager)

The Part-Time Development Operations Assistant is a hybrid role (onsite at least once per week) that supports the Development team by processing and recording incoming gifts, managing donor acknowledgements, coordinating with Finance on deposits, and maintaining accurate donor records. Reporting to the Director of Annual Giving, this individual executes daily gift processing, data entry, report distribution, and general administrative and operational support for the Development team.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Process and record all incoming donations (mail, web, event, etc.), including logging, coding, and maintaining accurate donor and gift records in accordance with established procedures.
• Generate and distribute daily caging reports to the Development team.
• Prepare and send standard donor acknowledgements and thank you letters; distribute custom acknowledgement notes as drafted by the Director.
• Escalate data discrepancies, donor issues, and policy-related questions to the Director.
• Coordinate with Finance regarding deposit notifications and make directed corrections to gift records as needed.
• Monitor and respond to routine inquiries received through the donations email account; escalate complex matters to the Director.
• Pick up and organize Development mail. This role requires working in-office at least once per week.
• Maintain organized physical and digital filing systems, office storage, and print materials; order supplies as requested.
• Provide general administrative support to the Development team, including document preparation, mailings, data entry, and event-related gift tracking as needed.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Experience in administrative, operational, or fundraising support preferred.
• High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Ability to follow established procedures consistently and manage recurring tasks with reliability.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential financial and donor information responsibly.
• Comfort working in a database environment (Salesforce experience preferred but not required).
• Ability to work on-site and manage time effectively within a part-time schedule (approximately 25 hours per week).
• Knowledge of and appreciation for the mission of IHS strongly preferred.

Estimated Work Schedule:

• 25 hours weekly.
• This role requires working in-office at least once per week.

The Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) is a think network advancing the principles and practices of freedom in the academy, public policy, and civil society. Founded in 1961, IHS believes that the liberal tradition has yielded unprecedented freedom and human flourishing. And in this moment, when the forces of illiberalism on both the left and right are gaining ground at an alarming pace, our vision is to spark a new spirit of liberal freedom. Our work includes:

• Cultivating a pool of intellectual talent for partners in policy, civil society, philanthropy, and the academy through $1.5 million in fellowship and career development programs.
• Catalyzing scholarship and academic networks to strengthen the fields of foundational and applied research that matter most to a free society.
• Equipping freedom-focused research centers, think tanks, foundations, and civil society organizations with the research and experts they need to maximize their impact in policy and in communities across the country.