Development Associate - Advancement & Communications

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

First Peoples Fund (FPF) is a national non-profit organization founded in 1995. Its mission is to honor and support the Collective Spirit® of First Peoples artists and culture bearers. Collective Spirit® is that which manifests a self-awareness and sense of responsibility to sustain the cultural fabric of a community. Collective Spirit moves each of us to stand up and make a difference, to pass on ancestral knowledge and simply extend a hand of generosity. First Peoples Fund recognizes the power of art and culture to bring about positive change in Native communities, beginning with individual artists and their families.

Through grants and awards, FPF provides Native artists, culture bearers, and cultural practitioners with monetary support, networks, financial services and training to flourish as entrepreneurs and community leaders. Through community and youth development programs, First Peoples Fund supports the work of artists and culture bearers to teach cultural and entrepreneurial practices, deepen artistic and cultural identity and increase their access to financial resources. All of our programs include the training and mentorship our partners need to be successful.

The Development Associate is an entry-level role which provides essential administrative, project coordination, and system management support for Advancement & Communications (A&C). Working closely with all members of the department, the Development Assistant reports to the Associate Director of Development. The Development Associate is the linchpin of the Development team, coordinating and executing crucial database, operational, and administrative duties for the Development Team. The successful candidate should possess strong technology skills and be a detail-oriented multi-tasker who is passionate about being a part of our mission and vision.

Pay: This is a full time, non-exempt/hourly position. The pay range is $20.00 to $28.00 per hour. Pay may vary depending on your location, skills, and experience.

Location/Travel Requirements: This position may be based out of our Rapid City, SD office if in the area or remote. Occasional travel will be required for this position and the candidate must have a valid driver's license to do so.

Please note that this position is open to candidates in the following time zones: Mountain Time, Central Time, Eastern Time, and Pacific Time only.

Pre-screen: Upon offer, employees will be required to complete and pass a background check. 

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Development

• Database Administration:
  • Manages the Salesforce donor database for accuracy (e.g., contact info, activity updates, etc.)
  • Maintains the accuracy and integrity of the database and donor processing system by ensuring that all contacts, donations, pledges and activities are properly recorded.
  • Processes monetary donations, sends acknowledgment letters on a weekly basis.
  • Generates reports/queries from the Salesforce database and ensures data hygiene.
  • Works with the Associate Director of Development to reconcile donations with the Finance Department on a monthly basis.
• Individual Donor support:
  • Responds to donor inquiries on time, consulting with Development staff as needed.
  • Works with colleagues to ensure accurate and timely gift acknowledgments (auto-generated, written correspondence, phone calls).
  • Prepares year-end tax summaries for individual donors.
  • Undertakes individual donor stewardship support and prospecting when requested.
  • Assists with the compilation and creation of fundraising materials.
• Grants Management support:
  • Provides support to the Associate Director regarding grants management in partnership with Finance and Programs.  
  • Maintains the grants tracking spreadsheet and/or Salesforce database.
  • Maintains grant related files and folders including the creation of grant fact sheets.
  • Tracks donor and funder permissions regarding public recognition for their contributions; documents protocols and processes for publicizing. 
  • Helps prepare necessary attachments and documentation for proposals and reports.
  • Conducts preliminary research on prospective corporate, foundation, and tribal funders when requested.

Administrative Support

• Provides administrative and analytical support to the Advancement & Communications team with a focus on Development. Receives work assignments from the Associate Director, Associate Director of Communications and VPAC. 
• Provides the A&C team with project management and tracking support, including tracking budget and expenses.
• Assists with the planning, coordination, and execution of Advancement & Communications events (in-person and virtual). 
• Maintains and monitors the general Advancement & Communications email account(s) daily and responds to inquiries in a timely manner.
• Assists with the preparation of documents, presentations, talking points, background and briefing materials and email communications. Creates and/or revises PowerPoint presentation decks.
• Edits and proofreads documents for grammar, spelling, syntax, punctuation and formatting while preserving style and voice. 
• Attends meetings associated with Advancement & Communications, takes notes/minutes as requested. Synthesizes and tracks action items and upcoming deadlines. 
• Observes and assesses A&C workflows and procedures. Recommends and assists with planning and implementation of improved approaches. Monitors trends and best practices. Suggests new ways of doing things to streamline our work and optimize our impact.
• Maintains mailing lists, databases and files/folders. 
• Works with Advancement & Communications contractors and external partners, as needed.
• Regularly updates and documents all processes and protocols in the Development and Associate’s manuals. 

Organizational

Specific responsibilities, but not limited to, include the following: 

• Participates in strategic planning, budget, and proposal development and other organizational activities. 
• Responsible for regular reporting requirements as requested or required by the organization.
• Assists with organizing program and project meetings, workshops, conferences, and special events to advance organizational goals. 
• Participates in or attends necessary training and professional development opportunities. 
• Adheres to all FPF Policies. 
• Performs other duties as assigned. 

Education:

• Education in the form of a degree or relevant work experience is also accepted.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

Required 

• At least 1-2 years administrative or internship experience with a non-profit and/or Native organization.
• Demonstrated history and experience with general office procedures, standard office systems and professional office culture and norms. 
• A positive, can-do attitude, with a growth and learning mindset, and ability to work as part of a busy, high-performance team.
• Highly organized, efficient, and attentive to detail, with excellent follow-up and follow through skills. 
• Tact, diplomacy and excellent interpersonal skills. Must be able to communicate effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders. Ability to develop, build and foster positive working relationships. 
• Ability to communicate appropriate information and provide deliverables to other departments in a timely and effective manner. 
• Demonstrated time management and organizational skills to complete assignments in the context of fluctuating & competing workloads, shifting deadlines and stakeholder priorities. Accountable and consistent. 
• Demonstrated resourcefulness and problem-solving skills. Systems and process thinker.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with the ability to take direction. 
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (namely Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Suite. Comfortable learning additional software programs.
• Consistently maintains high ethical and confidentiality standards.
• A sensitivity to the sometimes confidential nature of the department’s work and a commitment to maintaining donors’, funders’ and beneficiaries' confidentiality as requested.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends. Limited travel may be required. 
• No extraordinary physical requirements. The job involves normal physical requirements for an administrative position. 

Preferred 

• Broad knowledge of tribal communities and cultures, and an understanding and awareness of the Native arts and culture field. 
• Project management and/or events planning experience. 
• Experience with Classy, or other similar online donor platforms; Salesforce or other similar customer relationship management systems; Mailchimp or similar email marketing platform; Webflow, WordPress, or other content management systems; project management software.

BENEFITS

First Peoples Fund is an eligible employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Visit https://studentaid.gov/pslf/ for more information if this applies to you.

First Peoples Fund is proud to offer the following benefits:

• Health, Dental, and Vision are provided to full time employees effective the 1st of the month after hire. These benefits are provided at no cost to the employee. Family coverage is available for cost.
• Sick Leave: 48 hours - available at date of hire and can use as earned
• 11 Paid Holidays with 1 Personal Culturally Significant Day
• Voluntary Benefits: Aflac benefits through payroll deductions

  • Short-Term Disability Insurance

  • Cancer Coverage

  • Hospital Coverage

  • Accident Coverage

  • Whole or Term Life Insurance

  • Critical Illness Coverage

After 180 day Introductory Period

• Annual Leave: 70 hours for first year of employment
• 401(k) with company match

First Peoples Fund does not sponsor applicants for work visas. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

First Peoples Fund participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. First Peoples Fund will only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.

First Peoples Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees regardless of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, status as a covered veteran, or other military status.