Writer, Donor Development Services and Capital Gifts

This position is responsible for preparing letters on behalf of the President and CEO, drafting acknowledgements for our most generous donors, crafting customized proposals and reports for capital projects and special initiatives, and writing various project descriptions and funding menus. This position will also develop other written communications as needed to cultivate, solicit, and steward high-capacity donors and foundations.
Donor Development Services (DDS) and Capital Gifts & Special Initiatives (CGSI) are integral parts of UJA-Federation of New York’s fundraising efforts, specifically focused on high-end donor engagement, customized relationship-building, and impactful philanthropy.
Major Responsibilities

• Write accurate, customized acknowledgement letter This will involve consultation with fundraising and programmatic staff to ensure accuracy of content
• Liaise with Chief of Staff for organization and execution of CEO acknowledgement communications
• Supervise DDS colleagues in writing chair and honoree letters, and obituaries
• Implement organizational practices around letter preparation, review, and comprehensive review of database and donor files
• Prepare reports for donors, as part of gift stewardship
• Prepare compelling, detailed proposals tailored to donors’ interests and capacity
• Prepare general project descriptions and “sampler menus”
• Collaborate with UJA-Federation planning professionals and network agency staff to gather information about capital projects and special initiatives
• Draft talking points for various events such as dedications/ribbon cuttings and committee meetings
• Create paid death notices for major donors
• Draft letters or boilerplate paragraphs to fit new situations
• Learn about other departmental functions and willingness to assist as needed
• Work three days a week for DDS and two days a week for CGSI

• Bachelor’s Degree required and at least two years of related experience preferred
• Excellent writing skills
• Well organized and detail oriented
• Flexibility to work with a wide variety of people representing different parts of the organization
• Strong proficiency with MS Office Suite and ability to learn a complex database system
• Enthusiastic with excellent interpersonal skills and ability to deal with organizational professionals
• Ability to organize and write both formal proposals and informal communications
• Ability to review and analyze a program budget
• Ability to work well under pressure, and flexibility to shift gears and juggle assignments as needed
• Familiarity with the non-profit field and organizational life
• Familiarity with Jewish life and Israel is a plus
• Ability to use Adobe Design Suite a plus
• Curiosity and sense of humor a plus