Development Assistant

The James Madison College (JMC) Development Office is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented individual to support its development operations, organizational efforts, and stewardship activities on behalf of the college. 

Working closely with the JMC Development Director and reporting to the Senior Director of Development for the College of Social Science and JMC, this team member will assist with a broad range of donor relations and stewardship initiatives, while also contributing to the daily operations of the office. The Development Assistant will play a key role in donor communication, stewardship activities, and overall office organization, helping to advance the mission and engagement goals of the college. 

Responsibilities/ Job Duties:  

Donor Stewardship & Communications

• Oversee key donor stewardship and engagement projects, including coordinating student scholarship thank-you letters and managing creative initiatives like the annual JMC Greeting Card from development to production and distribution. 

• Support cultivation and stewardship strategies for key donors and prospects through personalized communications, meeting coordination, and stewardship planning. 

• Collaborate with alumni and communications teams to execute impactful donor engagement activities and touchpoint strategies. 

• Leverage technology to improve and streamline development operations.  

• Provide frontline support to donors and facilitate a seamless donor experience. 

• Assist in logging contact reports and conducting discovery outreach efforts, supporting donor engagement strategies and ensure accurate documentation of interactions in the CRM system. 

Internal & External Collaboration 

• Communicate regularly with JMC staff, donors, alumni, students, and University Advancement colleagues to verify data, fulfill information requests, coordinate projects, and resolve issues.  

• Represent JMC in ongoing training and collaborative sessions related to Salesforce Ascend, Cognos, and broader University Advancement initiatives.  

Special Projects

• Lead the annual Honors Wall project: coordinate name/award selections, confirm name formatting with recipients, liaise with the etching vendor, approve proofs, and ensure timely installation. 

• Review and approve/deny alumni requests to join the JMC LinkedIn group based on University Advancement database criteria.  

• Support the creation and updating of materials such as the dean onboarding booklet, lecture/event marketing assets, and other special communications tied to college initiatives. 

Excellent writing and verbal communication skills. 

Proficiency in Microsoft Suite of tools. 

Fundraising experience or experience in donor related work at an institution of higher learning. 

Self-starter, with demonstrated ability to take initiative. 

Collaborative and team-oriented working style and excellent interpersonal skills. 

Strong work ethic.