Development Specialist

The Development Specialist position is a part-time position located in Washington, D.C.'s Eastern Market neighborhood. The Development Specialist will provide administrative and "behind the scenes" support for SMYAL's fundraising operations and will report to the Director of Development (DOD).

To support our increasing reach throughout the Washington, D.C. region, SMYAL's 2013 development plan is ambitious and includes a number of new and revised initiatives. Our fundraising activities run the gamut from direct mail solicitations and large scale special events to grant writing and individual and major gift cultivation. The Development Specialist will have a hand in each of these. They will manage important functions that include gift processing and donor acknowledgment letters, prospect research, grant requirement tracking, website and social media maintenance, and—along with the DOD—provide excellent customer service to donors, sponsors, and other constituents.

Our development operation is fast-paced, fun, and collaborative. This part-time position will require being in the office three days per week, for a total of 20 hours. It may include some weekend or evening hours, with ample notice. The position hours may also be increased based on need and availability.

Responsibilties:

Manage gift processing for regular and in-kind donations—this includes data entry, processing gift acknowledgement letters, gift coding, and creating reports for monthly gift receipts.
Partner with DOD to plan and implement development events (e.g. SMYAL's annual Fall Brunch fundraiser, Women for SMYAL, donor recognition reception)—this includes assisting with creating invitation lists and preparing invitations, maintaining guest lists, gathering and preparing registration materials, coordinating with vendors, event set-up and clean-up, and post-event follow-up.
Assist DOD with production of annual appeal letters, annual report, print and social media advertizing, e-blasts, and updating department web pages—this includes writing, editing, and proofreading.
Help ensure SMYAL adheres to internal and external production schedules/deadlines for department projects.
Maintain development department calendar for grant deadlines.
Conduct preliminary prospect research on individual donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors.
Maintain development department's physical and electronic files to ensure documents are up-to-date and easily accessible.
Prepare information packets for donor/sponsor site visits and meetings.
Create monthly fundraising reports and other database reports as needed.
Continually update and correct database records.
Other duties as assigned by the Director of Development or Executive Director.
Qualifications include:

High school diploma required; bachelor's degree preferred.
Ability to work with efficiency, flexibility, and good humor.
Professional demeanor; ability to gracefully manage stressful situations, handle multiple projects simultaneously, meet deadlines, and function effectively with some degree of autonomy.
Ability to prioritize and organize project requirements, manage time effectively, and fearlessly ask questions when things seem confusing.
Must be detail-driven, goal oriented, energetic, and demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills.
Fluency in Microsoft Office applications
Experience with social media and Web 2.0 tools
Data entry skills are a plus
Fundraising and event planning knowledge is a plus
Prior internship or office work experience required. Non-profit experience is a plus.
Demonstrated ability to work and interact with people from a variety of different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, educational, religious, sexual, gender, and generational backgrounds.
Also a plus is a demonstrated passion for LGBTQ youth leadership and empowerment and a commitment to social change.
Must complete local and federal background checks
LGBT individuals, women, and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
About SMYAL: The Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) is the only organization in the Washington, D.C. region, solely dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Founded in 1984, SMYAL is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.

SMYAL is guided by its mission to support and empower LGBTQ youth in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. Through youth leadership, SMYAL creates opportunities for LGBTQ youth to build self-confidence, develop critical life skills, and engage their peers and community through service and advocacy. Committed to social change, SMYAL builds, sustains and advocates for programs, policies and services that LGBTQ youth need as they grow into adulthood.

SMYAL is a vibrant, supportive, and collaborative workplace with a great team that works hard and has fun doing meaningful work we believe in. Our organization values empowerment, equity, community, excellence and respect, and fosters growth for youth and staff. This is an exciting time to join the SMYAL team as we expand our impact within Washington, D.C. and suburban Maryland and Virginia. You can learn more about our work at www.smyal.org.

MORE / LESSHOW TO APPLY
Please submit a resume and cover letter to devospec@smyal.org. Resumes and cover letter must be in Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) or Microsoft Word (*.doc) format. No phone calls, please.

This position will be filled as soon a terrific candidate is found. It is therefore recommended that you submit your materials at your earliest convenience but no later than February 1, 2013. The ideal start dates is March 1, 2013.