Development Associate

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) seeks a highly organized professional with excellent written communication skills to play a crucial role in the development team and to craft fundraising and marketing materials that secure the resources required to improve the lives and opportunities of women.

The position remains open until filled.

About the Institute

IWPR inspires public dialogue, shapes policy, and improves the lives and opportunities of women of diverse backgrounds, circumstances, and experiences by conducting and communicating actionable research. Named a top think tank in the United States, IWPR has shifted the conversation on issues such as the gender wage gap, employment and job discrimination, paid leave, educational access, child care, and many others. IWPR’s research strives to give voice to the needs of women from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds across the income spectrum and to ensure that their perspectives enter the public debate on ending discrimination and inequality, improving opportunity, and increasing economic security for women and families. Read more about the history and impact of IWPR here.

Addressing policy through an intersectional and gendered lens, IWPR is unique in its ability to marshal social science research and bring it to bear on policy questions facing the nation and the world. IWPR’s staff members have training in economics, sociology, psychology, international development, theology, public policy, and women’s studies, enabling IWPR to utilize multi-disciplinary approaches to research. Skilled researchers and communicators, they translate complex issues into understandable dollars and cents figures. We work with policymakers, scholars, and public interest groups to build a diverse network of individuals and organizations that conduct and act on women-oriented policy research.

IWPR is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that also works in affiliation with the Program on Gender Analysis in Economics at American University. IWPR’s work is supported by foundation grants, government grants and contracts, donations from individuals, and contributions from organizations and corporations. The candidate who secures this position is eligible to pursue an MA degree in the College of Arts and Sciences at American University part time with free tuition.

About the Position

The Development Associate at IWPR will work with the Development Director and the President to help expand and diversify program and general support funding. The Development Associate will engage the entire organization in communicating the impact of IWPR’s work and building relationships to achieve our fundraising goals. The successful candidate will have a positive attitude and a passion for women’s equality and engaging others to share that vision. They will be an incisive writer and self-starter, who is excited by the opportunity to work in a dynamic, mission-driven organization as it grows.

Responsibilities include:

• Manage the Institute’s direct mail and email solicitation campaigns, including write compelling letters, emails, and other fundraising materials.
• Tell the story of IWPR through engaging annual reports, regular blog posts, and other multimedia formats.
• Coordinate the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship IWPR’s individual donor relationships.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and manage grants and contracts.
• Collaborate with the Communications Department on outreach activities to increase fundraising impact.
• Coordinate with fundraising and logistics for event fundraising.
• Assist with the tracking of organizational outputs, outcomes, and impacts.
• Prepare gift acknowledgements and track donations and donors in IWPR’s Salesforce.com CRM.
• Provide direct customer service to and for individual donors and prospects.
• Assist the Development Director with board relations.
• Assist with administrative tasks as needed such as answering phones and ordering supplies, for example.
• Assist the President in major and founding donor outreach and acknowledgement.

The Development Associate will report to the Development Director.

Qualifications:

• Dedication and commitment to advancing women’s equality.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to compellingly communicate values and information to multiple audiences.
• A knack for picking up “the voice” of the organization, communicating impact, and telling stories that engage prospective donors.
• Thorough knowledge of fundraising processes and best practices.
• A meticulous attention to detail and the ability to prioritize work in a fast-paced environment.
• A team orientation, strong interpersonal skills, and ability to relate well to people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Ability to handle sensitive information in a confidential manner.
• Experience with Microsoft Word and Excel, including proficiency with mail merges, and experience with Adobe InDesign is a plus.
• In-depth knowledge of how to conduct and use donor research tools and CRM systems, including iWave and Salesforce.

Experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years related work experience.

Compensation:

Salary will begin in the low $50,000s, commensurate with experience. Benefits include health insurance, matching retirement plan contributions, generous vacation, holidays, paid sick leave, a transportation subsidy, and free tuition to candidates studying part-time in College of Arts and Sciences Masters programs at American University.

IWPR is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants without regard for race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

To Apply:
To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter, resume, two writing samples (1-3 pages each), and contact information for three references by email to development@iwpr.org with “Development Associate Search” as the Subject. Please be sure to include all required application documents in a single document. No phone calls please.