Development Associate

Organization Overview

The Food Allergy Science Initiative (FASI) is an organization with an urgent mission to accelerate the development of breakthrough discoveries to transform the lives of people with food allergies. Our research will improve how we diagnose, treat, and prevent food allergies for millions of adults and children living with them. The organization was founded in 2016 at the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard and established as an independent 501(c)3 organization in 2021.

Through FASI's relentless pursuit of knowledge, our researchers have yielded remarkable progress, establishing ourselves as a pioneering force in food allergy research and fostering a robust scientific program that boasts the collaboration of the nation's most brilliant researchers.

FASI is in an important growth phase, expanding its national profile and strengthening the philanthropic infrastructure needed to support long-term revenue growth. The Development Associate will provide critical support to the Director of Development by managing prospect research, CRM and research tool administration, event logistics, and executive calendar coordination, including scheduling with high-net-worth individuals. This role is foundational to building the operational infrastructure that sustains long-term philanthropic growth.

Reporting to the Director of Development, the ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and energized by supporting a growing development function. This position offers meaningful exposure to donor strategy and pipeline analysis as skills develop.

• Conduct prospect research on individuals, family foundations, and corporations to identify new funding opportunities.
• Use tools such as iWave, Altrata, Rel Sci, Linked In, and other public sources to assess philanthropic capacity, alignment, and timing.
• Develop prospect profiles summarizing capacity indicators, giving history, and affinity to inform donor engagement.
• Monitor philanthropic activity and wealth events relevant to the prospect pipeline.

• Maintain data integrity within Little Green Light (LGL), including timely entry of contact reports, proposals, and donor records.
• Administer access and organization of prospect research platforms, including iWave, Altrata, and Rel Sci.
• Generate standard pipeline reports and prospect lists from the CRM to support the Director of Development.

• Own the full lifecycle of cultivation, stewardship, and fundraising events, from initial concept and planning through post-event wrap-up.
• Select and secure venues, negotiate and manage vendor contracts, and oversee catering, rentals, and all other event-related logistics.
• Build, own, and manage the event budget and timeline, tracking expenses against projections and ensuring accountability for outcomes.
• Build and manage guest lists, design and distribute invitations, and track RSVPs.
• Conduct pre-event prospect research and prepare attendee briefings for the Director of Development.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for vendors, venues, and internal stakeholders, owning run-of-show planning and all day-of logistics.
• Lead on-site event execution, including guest check-in, vendor coordination, and troubleshooting in real time.
• Own post-event follow-up, including thank-you communications and tracking of engagement activity.
• Conduct post-event evaluation, including budget reconciliation and documentation of lessons learned to inform future events.
• Staff occasional events in the early morning (prior to 9:00 a.m.) and evening (after 5:00 p.m.), as required by the event schedule.

• Manage the Director of Development's calendar, including prioritization and coordination of donor and internal meetings.
• Serve as a professional point of contact to schedule meetings with high-net-worth donors and prospects.
• Prepare meeting materials and briefing documents in advance of donor meetings.

• Draft donor correspondence, gift acknowledgment letters, and stewardship communications.
• Field inquiries from prospects and donors via telephone, correspondence, and email.
• Support gift processing and acknowledgment workflows in partnership with Finance, including support for quarterly financial reports.
• Process and submit expense reports and invoices as needed.
• Provide general administrative support to the development function.

• Regularly prepare Board of Directors-level materials, including decks and reports, in support of the Director of Development.

• Bachelor's degree required.
• One to two years of experience in development, fundraising, administrative support, or a related field.
• Strong organizational skills with demonstrated ability to manage a calendar and competing priorities.
• Proficiency with CRM systems;
  Little Green Light experience preferred.
• Strong written and oral communication…