Development & Communications Coordinator

Job Type: Full-time

Description:

Join McAlister Institute, a 48-year beacon in San Diego’s Recovery Community.

McAlister Institute is expanding its Development & Communications team during a pivotal period—an active capital campaign and renewed focus on strengthening annual philanthropic support. We are seeking a highly organized, creative, and mission-driven Development & Communications Coordinator to support development operations and communications initiatives that enhance donor engagement, increase visibility, and strengthen McAlister’s long‑term sustainability.

This role also intersects with contributed and earned income streams—including the Bingo Hall and Thrift Store—allowing for rich storytelling, exposure to participatory programs and their participants, and involvement in donor events that collectively support increased visibility, fundraising, and fee‑for‑service business development.

• 13 paid annual holidays, including your birthday; 12 paid vacation days, paid sick leave
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility
• 403(b) Retirement Plan + up to 6% Employer Match
• Health Insurance available the first of the month following 30 days of employment (Sharp)
• EAP

The Development & Communications Coordinator manages the daily operations of McAlister’s fundraising and communications activities. This includes gift processing, donor acknowledgments, database management, and producing compelling content across multiple platforms to cultivate relationships with individual donors, corporations, family foundations, and community partners.

• Implement communications strategies that elevate organizational visibility and reinforce donor engagement.
• Produce creative, mission‑centered content for the website, social media, e‑newsletters, annual reports, press releases, and fundraising materials.
• Manage social media platforms and content calendar to increase engagement and promote initiatives.
• Attend programs and events to gather content—photography, video, testimonials, and interviews—for storytelling and communications needs.
• Support donor recognition efforts and help execute stewardship communications for annual, corporate, and foundation partners.
• Collaborate with the Capital Campaign Director and Events & Engagement Manager to execute development‑related communications, including editorial calendars and campaign messaging.
• Create and maintain web content related to development initiatives and donor engagement.
• Monitor trends in nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and digital communications to inform strategy.
• Maintain brand consistency and messaging alignment across all platforms.
• Build and nurture relationships with media outlets; support earned media, PSAs, advisories, and coverage of key events and initiatives.
• Provide dependable support for materials, logistics, and communications that contribute to successful fundraising outcomes.

• Manage and maintain the donor database (Donor Perfect), including data entry, gift processing, reporting, acknowledgments, and ongoing data cleanup.
• Ensure all donations are recorded and acknowledged within 48 hours, reinforcing donor trust and stewardship excellence.
• Support the planning and implementation of fundraising events, appeals, stewardship activities, and donor campaigns.
• Prepare fundraising materials such as proposals, donor reports, collateral, and event content.
• Conduct research to help identify and qualify new donor prospects.
• Support annual fundraising campaigns, including sponsor ships, year‑end appeals, targeted donor outreach, and small business/corporate engagement.
• Assist with volunteer coordination for events and fundraising activities.
• Build and maintain relationships with individual donors, small businesses, and corporations across targeted regions.
• Collaborate with the Events & Engagement Manager to support execution of signature events and donor stewardship activities.
• Provide support for special projects, cross‑department initiatives, and events as assigned.
• Maintain accurate, timely donor records, produce gift lists, and support reporting needs for development…