Development Coordinator for Operations & Events

GrubStreet is the leading literary arts center in the country. We are a hardworking and creative bunch and pride ourselves on a warm and supportive work environment. The Development Coordinator for Operations & Events position plays a key role in helping GrubStreet to support our mission. 

The Development Coordinator for Operations & Events is responsible for critical tasks, including processing donations, coordinating gift acknowledgements, and supporting event planning for donors and members. This is a full-time permanent position, with occasional evening work required for donor events. This position is based out of our fast-paced and friendly Boston office, with options to work remotely a few days per week. This position reports to the Senior Manager for Leadership Giving and works closely with the entire development team as well as the finance and marketing teams.

We encourage BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color), LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and other communities historically underrepresented in arts administration spaces to apply. GrubStreet strives to dismantle every system, process, or structure that would discourage any person from working with us. We actively seek diversity, equity and inclusivity because the excellence of our work and the value of its impact depend on them. We strive to create an environment where the perspectives we bring to our work are valued as much as the work we produce.

Processing and Acknowledging Gifts

• Process gifts daily in coordination with the finance team.
• Enter gift and donor data into database and development reporting spreadsheets.
• Manage all aspects of gift acknowledgements, including preparing, assigning, and sending out formal acknowledgement letters and call lists for thank you calls. Coordinate with all members of the team and volunteers to ensure that assignments are completed and information is entered into the database.
• Manage all aspects of pledges, including entering pledge commitments and payments into database and preparing and tracking pledge forms.
• Lead monthly reconciliation with Finance team.

Database Maintenance, List Management, and Systems Responsibilities 

• Pull and clean custom lists for donor communications, including appeal mailings.
• Assist with annual appeal communications, including mail-merging letters and logging mailings into the database.
• Identify and flag overlap among outreach lists across multiple campaigns to ensure smooth donor communications. 
• Enter details of donor meetings and other donor contacts into database for record-keeping and to ensure follow-up.
• Complete regular database maintenance tasks, including ensuring that donor notes are consistently logged, updating contact information and contact preferences, and other tasks as needed.
• Serve as Development team representative on cross-departmental website working group.
• Serve as Development liaison to GrubStreet’s web developer to request updates to the website as needed. 
• Adhere to strict confidentiality agreement related to donor and gift information.

Donor Event Coordination

• Assist with coordination of fundraising events, including annual fall gala and smaller cultivation events, such as “author toasts” and gatherings at the annual Muse & the Marketplace writers’ conference. Tasks include helping with venue selection, catering, coordinating sponsorships, keeping track of attendees, invitation production, welcoming donors, and event follow up.
• Help coordinate production of events at the new center, including tours of the new space and fundraising events. Tasks include helping with catering, keeping track of attendees, invitation production, welcoming donors, and event follow up.

Individual Donor Cultivation & Support

• Support creation of proposals to donors and reports on what their giving has accomplished, including drafting copy and collecting photos and other impact data, as need-ed.
• Meet with donors and members as needed to cultivate support.

Membership

• Assist with membership cultivation and membership events.

Qualifications: 

• Strong data entry and database management skills required.
• Strong tech skills, including facility with list management and spreadsheets.
• Knowledge and facility with fundraising operations required.
• Extremely detail-oriented with very strong organizational skills.
• Solid interpersonal and communication skills – both oral and written; comfort calling both donors and possible vendors on the phone.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office (Word and Excel).
• Willingness to learn and work well within a team environment.
• Interest in working with donors.
• At least 3 years of experience with non-profit fundraising or related experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

About the Organization 

GrubStreet works to remove social, cultural, and institutional barriers in order to facilitate and support an expansive and equitable artistic ecosystem where all voices thrive and where writing and storytelling flourish. This mission is essential because our collective voices have the power to shape a more just and connected world by revealing truths, transforming lives, and deepening human understanding.

GrubStreet, the largest creative writing center in the U.S., annually engages over 5,000 students – both teens and adults – in programs that range from two-hour workshops to year- long graduate level seminars. 

Our teachers are working artists who bring the highest quality instruction and mentorship to aspiring storytellers. We also host a major writing conference each year and public storytelling events. The education and networks we facilitate foster a richer local writing scene, with a strong focus on increasing opportunities for writers of color, low-income writers, and teen writers. 

Our programs eliminate common barriers to participation in the arts and lifelong learning, and build community among participants. We continue to increase scholarships and provide free writing programs (including bilingual classes) for adults and teens in low-income communities in Egleston Square, East Boston, and Mattapan. 

Position Details

GrubStreet is an equal opportunity employer. We provide a competitive salary and benefits package and a dynamic, collaborative work environment. This position is based out of our fast-paced and friendly Boston office, with options to work remotely a few days per week. The salary range for this position is $52,000-57,000, commensurate with experience.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Instructions: Please submit your resume and cover letter at this link: https://airtable.com/shr7iOIxjJZC4Foyp. If you have trouble or have questions, please email jobs@grubstreet.org and put “Development Coordinator for Operations and Events” in the subject line. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. No phone calls, please. 

Position Type: Full time

Position Level: Coordinator, at least 3 years of experience needed 

Position Reports to: Senior Manager for Leadership Giving

Location: Boston, with options to work remotely a few days a week