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:

1. Manages the Salesforce donor database for accuracy (e.g., contact info, activity updates, etc.)
2. Maintains the accuracy and integrity of the database and donor processing system by ensuring that all contacts, donations, pledges and activities are properly recorded.
3. Processes monetary donations, sends acknowledgment letters on a weekly basis.
4. Generates reports/queries from the Salesforce database and ensures data hygiene.
5. Works with the Associate Director of Development to reconcile donations with the Finance Department on a monthly basis.

Individual Donor support:

1. Responds to donor inquiries on time, consulting with Development staff as needed.
2. Works with colleagues to ensure accurate and timely gift acknowledgments (auto-generated, written correspondence, phone calls).
3. Prepares year-end tax summaries for individual donors.
4. Undertakes individual donor stewardship support and prospecting when requested.
5. Assists with the compilation and creation of fundraising materials.

Grants Management support:

1. Provides support to the Associate Director regarding grants management in partnership with Finance and Programs.  
2. Maintains the grants tracking spreadsheet and/or Salesforce database.
3. Maintains grant related files and folders including the creation of grant fact sheets.
4. Tracks donor and funder permissions regarding public recognition for their contributions; documents protocols and processes for publicizing. 
5. Helps prepare necessary attachments and documentation for proposals and reports.
6. Conducts preliminary research on prospective corporate, foundation, and tribal funders when requested.

The ideal candidate will have an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Creative Writing, or a related field. Please note that education in the form of a degree or relevant work experience is also accepted.

This position is looking for a candidate that has:

1. 1 - 2 years of administrative or internship experience with a non-profit and/or Native organization
2. A positive, can-do attitude, with a growth and learning mindset, and the ability to work as part of a busy, high-performance team.
3. Highly organized, efficient, and attentive to detail, with excellent follow-up and follow-through skills. 
4. 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. 
5. It is helpful to have broad knowledge of tribal communities and cultures, and an understanding and awareness of the Native arts and culture field. 
6. Project management and/or events planning experience. 
7. 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.

For the full job description and to apply please visit First Peoples Fund's career page at www.firstpeoplesfund.org/about/careers.