Development Assistant/Associate

Bernard Zell is an independent, progressive Jewish day school in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago serving over 400 students in nursery through eighth grade. Founded in 1946, the school combines the best of Jewish learning and traditions with innovative educational practices in a rigorous and nurturing learning environment. Dedicated educators partner with families to fulfill the goal of raising children to be their best selves and good citizens of their communities. 

The Development Assistant/Associate will work as part of a dynamic Advancement team to support the school’s advancement efforts and manage and optimize the fundraising operations that are crucial to the success of the organization. This position will oversee and maintain systems for all philanthropic gifts and prospects, including fundraising campaigns.

This position would be ideal for a candidate desiring either a school year schedule (e.g., mid-August to early June) or year-round part time work.

Key Responsibilities:

• Track and analyze donor data across all fundraising efforts 
• Generate development reports including weekly dashboards, statistical analysis and giving trends
• Manage all gift processing, solicitation, acknowledgement, and invoicing efforts across campaigns and giving platforms
• Manage email and direct mail solicitations; identify target constituents for each mailing, create and segment the list, and update attributes on constituent records
• Update development and campaign information on school website as needed
• Conduct regular database record maintenance, resolve system problems that may significantly affect business operations, and communicate procedures to ensure proper resolution of system issues
• Manage financial reconciliation processes such as the month-end close with Business Office and the reconciliation of merchant services accounts associated with online transactions
• Support all development and advancement events with an emphasis on the Annual Fundraiser
• Serve as the main customer support point of contact for all development initiatives
• Support the Advancement department and larger school community with other duties as assigned

Qualifications & Skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to interact with multiple constituencies
• Strong customer service ethic and exceptional judgment
• Results-oriented and able to effectively prioritize work in a dynamic environment
• 2-4 years experience in managing and maintaining CRM database
• Ability to occasionally work outside of business hours to support events
• Knowledge of Jewish community, culture, heritage and traditions preferred
• Enthusiastic team player with a positive attitude