Advancement Associate

About us: The Lenfest Institute for Journalism is a unique nonprofit organization whose sole mission is to build sustainable business models for local journalism. The Institute’s goal is to transform the news industry in the digital age to ensure that high-quality local journalism remains a cornerstone of our democracy.

Journalism requires new business models, powerful innovation, and diverse audiences. The Lenfest Institute is working throughout local news ecosystems, in Philadelphia and beyond, to crack the code on a sustainable future for this vital resource. The Lenfest Institute is an innovator and a change agent developing scalable solutions across Philadelphia and nationwide. Learn more about us at lenfestinstitute.org.

Description of Activities: The Advancement Associate role is a key member of the Institute team and manages community giving efforts, gift processing and database management, and key priorities in donor stewardship. They also partner on grant writing for individual and institutional partners. The Advancement Associate will be involved in all aspects of the Institute’s fundraising and donor communication strategies.

Responsibilities will include: crafting donor-focused communications, including solicitation and acknowledgement letters, reports to funders, and other marketing materials; drafting and editing grant proposals and grant reporting multimedia presentations for the Institute and the programs we support; and assisting with administrative tasks critical to maintaining donor databases and fundraising. This position supports the entire team and reports to the Director of Advancement.

Job Responsibilities

• Manage community giving initiatives, which includes managing fundraising campaigns for both Philadelphia Inquirer and Lenfest Institute donors.
• Manage all gift processing for both online gifts and physical checks
• Draft and oversee all acknowledgement and thank you letters to individual and institutional donors
• Assist in drafting and execution of solicitations, including Board and Lenfest Council giving, and grassroots campaigns
• Manage Donor Search data and prepare research profiles on donors and prospects
• Manage Salesforce database and maintain data integrity of donor records
• Manage donor communications through Mailchimp
• Help manage logistics for Advancement events and assist in other organizational events and programs
• Other duties as assigned 

Qualities of a successful candidate:

• Creative and adaptable problem-solver that thrives on teams, while also autonomous and self-driven in the execution of tasks
• Strong time-management skills and thoughtfulness in the creation of experiences and materials
• Data-driven and detail-oriented, with strong organizational and communication skills
• Excellent writing skills
• Comfort and experience working in databases
• An ability to work in a collaborative environment. We’re a collaborative organization that values camaraderie, and everyone on our team pitches in across the organization to drive our work forward. We also value innovation, creativity, and originality, and we’re always seeking to explore new and experimental ways of connecting with our donor community.
• 1-3 years of experience in a Fundraising/Development role or related experience

Other Information

• The Lenfest Institute is currently working in a hybrid fashion, with the full team spending 1-2 days a week in the office at 801 Market Street in Philadelphia and 3-4 days a week working remotely. Candidate needs to be able to be in the office for team days.
• Salary for the Advancement Associate role is $60,000.
• Health Insurance and other comprehensive benefits provided

To Apply

Please send your resume and cover letter to jobs@lenfestinstitute.org.

We look forward to hearing from you!