Senior Donor Engagement Assistant

Space Center Houston is a space exploration learning destination dedicated to revealing how science and humanity power space exploration through meaningful, moving experiences about people and the courage, innovation, and teamwork they use to expand the boundaries of what's possible. We inspire guests of all ages to connect with the significance of space exploration as incredible feats of human spaceflight continue to bring joy and wonder to the world. Owned and operated by the nonprofit Manned Space Flight Education Foundation, we are the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center and a Smithsonian affiliate.

We are currently seeking a full-time Senior Donor Engagement Assistant responsible for providing administrative support, stewardship coordination, and prospect research for Space Center Houston. The successful candidate will work closely with the Chief Development Officer (CDO) to manage and maintain the Development department’s donor cultivation strategy, assisting to ensure that all relationships are properly nurtured and prioritized. Responsibilities and qualifications are shown below:

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Administrative Support

• Provide administrative assistance to the CDO, including drafting correspondence, taking and transcribing meeting notes, coordinating agendas and meetings, submitting expense reports, etc.
• Create communications documents and presentations for internal and external use, based on direction from the CDO and other staff.
• Participate in relationship development strategy meetings, including tracking key details relevant to growing donor relationships; Record and distribute action items.
• Follow up with staff across the organization to track status on action items.
• Support assigned board committees in tracking priorities, agendas, and meeting minutes, with direction from the CDO and President & CEO.
• With other departments, evaluate requests for tours of Space Center Houston and Johnson Space Center and determine appropriate Development opportunities.
• Design customized tours of Space Center Houston and Johnson Space Center for VIPs and other identified guests of the Executive and Development teams.
• Track and assist in the follow-up cultivation activities of tour guests, affinity groups, and other parties engaged on-site by Space Center Houston
• Manage member and donor correspondence via phone, email, and in-person.
• Respond to requests for information about the Space Center Houston donor programs, including clarification of benefits and upselling higher levels of benefits.
• Perform data entry related to donations and contact information with a high level of accuracy.

Donor Prospect Research

• Create detailed biographical and financial profiles on individuals and institutions using a variety of prospect research resources. Analyze and synthesize accumulated information to assess financial capacity, philanthropic tendencies, giving propensity, and linkages to the organization.
• Create and provide briefing materials and prospect profiles to key SCH stakeholders in preparation for cultivation and solicitation meetings.
• Update prospect management tracking systems including the organization's CRM database.
• Document data obtained through third-party research, data mining projects, and appointment contacts within the CRM database.
• Participate in gift officer portfolio reviews and related data analysis.
• Monitor external news sources for insights into our donors and the philanthropic community.
• Document all procedures and guidelines according to department protocols.
• Provide support related to properly nurturing, stewarding, and prioritizing donor relationships.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent and at least one year’s experience in the workforce or 2-3 years of experience in the workforce.
• Availability to work a Monday-Friday day work schedule with an early start time (7 or 8 am). Work schedule may occasionally include some evenings and/or weekends as needed.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with exceptional ability to communicate in writing and verbally across many levels of the organization.
• Motivated self-starter who works well with a team and also independently.
• Ability to respond adeptly to changing priorities, and to juggle and prioritize simultaneous assignments in a fast-paced environment.
• A strong ethic of service and desire to be a part of a fun, hard-working team.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience working in CRM databases and managing customer/donor data in a controlled and methodical manner.
• Understanding of how details can play an important role in growing business relationships.