Stewardship Associate

Position: Stewardship Associate

Full-Time

Reports to: Director of Development 

Salary Range: $58,000-$63,000

Location: Washington, D.C. 

Work Arrangement: Hybrid (two days in the office) 

Voluntary Self-ID Questionnaire 

ORGANIZATION

Issue One is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization that unites Republicans, Democrats, and independents to win game-changing federal reforms to fix our broken political system and create an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. Issue One educates the public and Congress to pass legislation to increase transparency, strengthen government ethics and accountability, reduce the influence of big money in politics, protect the freedom to vote, and strengthen U.S. elections.

Since its founding in 2014, Issue One has had an outsized impact on Washington. Our Don’t Mess With US and election administration campaigns helped win $825 million in federal funding for states to improve their cybersecurity and manage their elections in 2020 amid the pandemic.

Our $15 million Count Every Vote campaign and the National Council on Election Integrity – a unique bipartisan group of more than 40 leaders of Congress, Cabinet secretaries, and business and civic leaders – lead a crucial effort to defend the integrity of the 2020 elections and push back against attempts to undermine faith in the democratic process.

Issue One helped lead the congressional push to establish a 9/11-style commission to investigate the attack on the U.S. Capitol, which passed the House, won bipartisan support in the Senate, and helped drive the national conversation about election disinformation, political accountability, and national security.

Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus of more than 200 former members of Congress, governors, and Cabinet secretaries allows us to form unique relationships with current decision-makers and brings heft to our legislative and communications work. In addition, our legislative work is backed by a strong research arm, a savvy and innovative communications team, and a strong development program enabling us to have the resources necessary to win.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Stewardship Associate supports our fundraising team and manages the organization’s data and stewardship activities. This includes serving as the lead for gift processing and donor acknowledgments. While assisting with donor stewardship and communication, the Associate also owns, adjusts, and maintains the department dashboard and related analysis as a critical tool for measuring fundraising progress and informing the department’s activities and strategy. They also provide project/event coordinator and administrative support to the team as needed. The Associate must be organized, detail-oriented, interested in building and maintaining strong systems, a motivated self-starter, possess excellent written and oral communication skills, have the ability to prioritize among a wide variety of tasks and understand the importance of donor data management.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead in the department to maintain the donor database and related SOPs, and to ensure the team understands the database and can maximize our organizational use from it; 
• Own all database processes and workflows to increase efficiencies, with an eye for creating new efficiencies;
• Perform all gift processing tasks, including processing donations, sending acknowledgments, and maintaining gift records on the donor database;
• Maintain the donor database and ensure all donor meetings, events, and email correspondence are recorded and tracked;
• Create regular fundraising reports and other database reports and summarize findings on a regular basis. Proactively analyze these reports to identify trends and opportunities and share insights with the team to guide strategic decisions on the department’s activities;
• Work with internal and external finance partners to ensure accurate tracking of gifts;
• Serve as a lead administrative support and project coordinator for the development team;
• Conduct donor prospect research and carry out all administrative details associated with various donor engagement strategies, including fundraising events, meetings, trips, conference calls, and campaigns;
• Prepare and send printed and electronic fundraising materials, including email communications, stewardship materials, event and meeting materials, and other fundraising documents as necessary;

 Job-Related Experience

• 2+ years of experience in a similar development role — database and gift processing experience a plus, experience using Raiser’s Edge strongly preferred;
• Experience with donor communication and comfort with financial management and revenue tracking are highly desirable; and 
• Experience working with senior leadership on relationship management tasks.

Job-Related Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Ability to prioritize and execute tasks with minimal direction;
• Extremely organized and detail-oriented, especially when it comes to database management;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills are a must;
• Ability to research, analyze, summarize, and present information in a clear manner; 
• A passion for or interest in democracy reform issues;
• Flexible, high-quality customer service attitude that can work with all IO stakeholders, including donors, vendors, and executive leadership; and 
• Commitment to working as a team player and maintaining a sense of humor.

Location

We require all local staff to be in the office every Tuesday and Wednesday. This hybrid approach facilitates close collaboration and engagement with our team and relevant stakeholders.

Benefits

Issue One has developed a comprehensive benefits package that invests in our staff to improve their health and promote a solid work-life balance. 

• All full-time employees are eligible for a platinum health plan with 100% of the premium paid by Issue One. In addition, the organization covers 75% of the premium for all spouses and dependents of IO staff. 
• Staff receives over 50 paid days off annually, including holidays, vacation, personal time, and office-wide closures. 
• Issue One provides reimbursements and stipends for internet and commuting and promotes a hybrid work environment that allows for working from home but establishes regular in-person office opportunities twice a week.
• Issue One offers wellness reimbursements and student loan assistance. In addition, all staff are encouraged to participate in professional development throughout the year, and the organization hosts several opportunities for fun and fellowship. 

Tentative Recruitment Timeline

• March 15-29: Position is posted, and resumes are collected 
• April 1-5: Resumes are screened, and phone screens are scheduled.
• April 8-12: Phone screens take place, and first-round panel interviews are scheduled. 
• April 15-19: First-round panel interviews take place, and finalists are named. 
• April 22-26: Second-round panel interviews with finalists take place. 
• April 29-May 3: Preferred candidate named and the role offered (contingent on a background check and verification of all educational credentials). 

Special Note: While Issue One will do its best to follow the above timeline, there are instances where the selection process is shortened or delayed due to circumstances beyond our control. The organization will do its best to update all selected candidates on any changes to the timeline. In addition, while resumes may be submitted after March 29, there’s no guarantee they will be screened for a potential interview.

DEI Philosophy and Self-ID Questionnaire 

Our DEI efforts focus on empowering staff, valuing differences, and ensuring every voice matters. We aim to attract diverse candidates with varied perspectives and experiences, reinforcing our commitment to a workplace where everyone's unique contributions are celebrated.

We ask all applicants to fill out a voluntary self-identification questionnaire as part of our application. This helps us maintain our DEI commitment and create equal opportunities for success.

How to Apply:

1. Interested applicants can apply by "Apply for this Job" in the top-right of this page. Please include how you heard about the position.
2. All applicants are encouraged to complete the self-identification questionnaire. 

Issue One is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities and all other employment laws and regulations. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation (including transgender status, gender identity or expression), pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), reproductive health decisions, marital status, personal appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, credit information, employment status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed servicemember status, status as a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking, homeless status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. Issue One is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy in regard to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, fringe benefits, and other compensation, the application of disability and/or temporary disability policies, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.