Development Associate

Reports to: Co-Director of Development
Location: NYC preferred; potential to work remotely in the U.S.
Classification: Full time, non-exempt
Salary range: $55,000 - $58,000

About Bend the Arc:

Bend the Arc is a movement of over 125,000 progressive Jews across the United States who are working together to achieve our vision: A just and equitable United States, free from white supremacy, where Black liberation is realized, and all people are thriving. We are the only national Jewish organization focused exclusively on social change in the U.S.

Alongside all who are most negatively impacted by antisemitism and white supremacy, we’re working to expand civil rights, defend democracy, and protect each other. We’re mobilizing in cities and states across the country and advocating in Washington to win a new future — where everyone can thrive, no matter what we look like, how we pray, or where we come from.

Bend the Arc has recently adopted a new strategic plan to guide our work in the coming years. This plan is centered on our commitment to dismantling white supremacy and advancing Black liberation in our organization, in the Jewish community, and in the U.S. at large. We are seeking candidates who are ready to engage with a long-term organizational race equity transformation process at a historically majority white and Ashkenazi organization, as we strive to embody our racial equity commitments.

The Bend the Arc family of organizations consists of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, our 501(c)(4) organizing and advocacy arm; Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC, the first and only Jewish PAC to advocate exclusively for progressive policies in the U.S.; and Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, our 501(c)(3) education and leadership arm.

Headquartered in New York City, we have remote staff nationwide with clusters in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Washington DC, with a network of staffed chapters, volunteer-led local groups, and affiliates organizing nationwide.

About the Position:

The Development Associate is an integral member of the Development team, which raises more than $6 million each year across Bend the Arc’s family of organizations. The team currently consists of two Co-Directors, two Development Officers, an Associate Development Officer, Development Associate, and part-time Grant Writer. Together, the team stewards individual and major donors and institutional funders across the country, with concentrations in NY, Boston, DC, LA, and the Bay Area. Our bi-coastal team has a strong commitment to relational culture and learning, and holds regular learning sessions around racial equity in fundraising work.

The Development Associate’s primary responsibilities are in department operations and systems management, with the topline priorities of ensuring smooth workflow of significant Development team projects, maintaining the integrity of department data and processes, and ensuring that donors are promptly recognized and responded to.

The Development Associate also supports events and special projects of the Development department as well as the PAC. This role holds an important piece of donor relationships, often in the vein of gift processing or event coordination, requiring attention to detail and a high level of donor support. Additionally, this position requires coordination and work with colleagues across all Bend the Arc departments, making relationship building a key to success in this role.

Key Responsibilities:


Gift, Data, and Donor Communications Processing

  • Process and track all gifts and contributions to all entities (501c3; 501c4; PAC), including checks, credit cards, and stocks;
  • Prepare acknowledgement letters, honor/memoriam letters, and pledge letters;
  • Maintain donor and gift records using the Raiser’s Edge database; run weekly gift reports and other reports as requested; track ongoing donor correspondence; track incoming and outstanding pledges;
  • Work with outside consultants on weekly, monthly, and quarterly projects;
  • Liaise with PAC compliance firm to disburse funds to endorsed candidates;
  • Run monthly fundraising reports for the Board Finance Committee;
  • Reconcile with the Finance Department on a monthly basis;

Administrative Support

  • Prepare and update donor packets to support fundraising efforts;
  • Provide administrative and logistical support in the planning and implementation of PAC and donor events, phone calls, parlor meetings, galas and conferences, which may occasionally (5-6 times per year) require working evening or weekend hours;
  • Serve as first point of contact for mid-level and major donors; respond to internal and external calls, mail, and email;
  • Provide day-to-day administrative support to the Development Department and PAC, and perform other administrative duties as needed;
  • Support the communications team and the Associate Development Officer with digital fundraising efforts and direct mail projects;
  • Assist the CEO when the Executive Assistant is out/needs additional support.

Systems Support

  • Maintain Raiser’s Edge database and perform clean-up and other projects to increase data integrity;
  • Reconcile Raiser’s Edge and NationBuilder donor information;
  • Maintain Development Department files (hard copies and electronically);

Required Skills and Qualifications:

  • Highly organized, motivated, and detail-oriented
  • Ability to efficiently and accurately manage multiple deadlines and tasks across projects
  • Demonstrated commitment to and passion for the mission of Bend the Arc, including commitment to racial equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression practices. As a Development team we are inspired by the Community Centric Fundraising model led by BIPOC fundraisers, approaching this work as transformational rather than transactional.
  • Comfortable with data entry; self-motivated and able to complete high-volume, detailed tasks (particularly in remote environment)
  • Ability to manage sometimes fast-paced environments (particularly around peak months)
  • Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with remote supervision and colleagues
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and exercise discretion
  • Ability to communicate organizational mission, values, and current work clearly and effectively with donors both in writing and in interpersonal communication
  • Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google platforms (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Hangouts, etc.), as well as comfort learning new technology and systems
  • Experience with databases and other software such as Raiser’s Edge, NationBuilder, and Slack is preferred, not required.

Essential Physical Tasks:

Bend the Arc is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application/interview process and to perform essential job functions. Please advise in writing of any needs at the time of application by emailing [email protected]. Must be able to sit in a stationary position for prolonged periods of time, and constantly operate a computer, video platforms and other office machinery. Must be able to identify, discern, and communicate constantly, and collect and analyze information in databases and spreadsheets. Must occasionally travel by air and ground transportation and move about to attend conferences, events and an annual staff retreat/conference in accordance with organizational guidelines on travel due to COVID.

Compensation, Benefits and Work Schedule:

This is a full-time, non-exempt position, and is eligible for Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice's newly formed collective bargaining unit. The work schedule will include some evenings and weekends when needed, including team and staff retreats and donor events, approximately 4 times per year. The annual salary range is $55,000 - $58,000 commensurate with experience, and includes a comprehensive benefits package:

  • Medical, dental and vision benefits fully paid for by Bend the Arc for individual coverage and employer contribution of 80% toward monthly premiums for dependent and family coverage;
  • Long and short term disability benefits fully paid for by Bend the Arc;
  • 401K with employer contribution of 2% after your first year;
  • Paid time off including:
    • 15 vacation days during your first three years with an increase to 20 vacation days in your fourth year
    • 12 sick days per year
    • 23 paid holidays each year
    • Generous Caregiving / Personal Leave of Absence policy with a Paid Leave Benefit that covers 3 weeks of paid leave for each year of employment, up to 12 paid weeks after four years on staff
    • Fully paid sabbatical of up to 12 weeks for long-term employees;
  • Adoption Assistance Program providing reimbursement of up to $1,500 for qualified adoption expenses;
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account;
  • Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account for eligible health related expenses
  • Commuter Benefits;
  • Employee Assistance Program;
  • Life Insurance fully paid for by Bend the Arc
  • Access to professional development funding
  • And more!

In addition to this benefits package, Bend the Arc has a commitment to a thriving and intentional organizational culture, as well as a commitment with staff and board to be in ongoing practice and learning around racial equity and inclusion.

Bend the Arc is working 100% remotely due to COVID, and does not currently have a set date for returning to in-person work. We offer a stipend to facilitate remote work, if needed. We regularly update our policies for in-person gathering to reflect CDC guidelines and best practice.

To Apply:

Statistics show that women and structurally marginalized and/or underrepresented groups of people need to see themselves in almost 100% of the requirements in job postings to even apply. Bend the Arc encourages you to apply even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, as no one applicant ever does. We look forward to hearing from you.

Please submit your resume and a cover letter sharing 1) why you are a good fit for this role, and 2) how you see the role of fundraising in growing a movement of American Jews rising up for Black liberation and the promise of multi-racial democracy to [email protected] with “Development Associate” in the subject line of your message. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with interviews taking place mid-to-late April.

Due to the number of applications we typically receive, we sincerely regret that someone from our hiring team will not be able to respond to all applicants. Only those considered for the position will be contacted to interview. No phone calls please.

Bend the Arc values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture because we recognize that diversity within our staff helps us organize and work well with diverse Jewish and progressive constituencies. Candidates should be willing to work within the Jewish community, but may be of any (or no) faith or background.

Bend the Arc provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction, or any other legally protected status. Women, people of color, people with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understand the scope of the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, or responsibilities associated with the position.