Development Associate

Advocates For Children (AFC) is a dynamic social justice organization that strives to ensure a high-quality education for New York students who face barriers to academic success, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds. AFC works on behalf of children and youth who are at greatest risk of academic failure due to poverty, race, ethnicity, disability, homelessness, immigration status/limited English proficiency, or involvement in the child welfare or juvenile/criminal legal systems.

We use uniquely integrated strategies to advance systemic reform, empower families and communities, and advocate for the educational rights of individual students.

AFC grounds our work in our organization’s values:

• Family-Centered: We listen to what families want for their children and empower them with information and support.
• Expertise: We ground our advocacy in more than 50 years of experience with the NYC public schools and deep knowledge of the legal and education systems affecting the students and families we serve.
• Passion: We are united by our unrelenting drive to dismantle obstacles to education and our unwavering dedication to NYC’s students and families.
• Community: We foster collaboration and inclusive practices within our team and with outside partners so we can learn from different perspectives and unite in advancing our common goals.
• Justice: We view the law as a powerful tool to bridge gaps in access to education and help families from under‑represented communities fight for their rights.
• Impact: We recognize that our value lies in the difference we make in the lives of students and their families and push ourselves to achieve concrete results.

AFC seeks a full-time Development Associate to become an integral member of our three‑person Development Department as we continue to strengthen our fundraising capacity and grow our base of individual and institutional donors.

The Development Associate plays a vital role in helping the Development Department achieve AFC’s annual fundraising goals. This position provides essential support across all fundraising activities, including donor database management, grants management, gift processing and acknowledgement, and special events. The Development Associate helps ensure the accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness of the department’s fundraising operations while contributing to a positive donor experience.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail‑oriented, and an excellent communicator with strong analytical and technology skills, including experience working with donor databases. The candidate will be able to manage multiple priorities, meet competing deadlines, and exercise sound judgment in a fast‑paced and collaborative environment. The successful candidate will be both a collegial team player and a self‑directed professional.

The Development Associate reports to the Director of Development and works closely with the Senior Manager, Grants and Contracts.

Act as primary administrator/manager of the organization’s donor database and income tracking systems.

• Ensure all revenue (stock, cash, pledges, in‑kind gifts, online credit card payments and electronic fund transfers) is tracked, processed and acknowledged in a timely manner and in accordance with established policies.
• Prepare data and run reports for the Development and Finance teams to ensure reconciliation of all donations, accuracy of data, and reporting.
• Analyze donor data to facilitate strategy and planning.
• Maintain various organizational/administrative documents for the department and collaborate with the Operations team on the annual audit.
• Respond promptly and professionally to inquiries from donors via phone and email.

Assist with management of government and foundation grants.

• Track grant payment schedules and record grant payments.
• Assist in the preparation of supporting materials for government and private grant applications and reports, as well as submission of compliance documents.

Assist with planning and execution of all Special Events and Campaigns.

• Provide…