Development & Special Projects Associate

Location: New York

Development & Special Projects Associate

Location:

Brooklyn, New York Status:
Full-Time

Reports to:

Executive Director Salary: 68K-78K About El Puente Founded in 1982, El Puente is a youth-centered organization that uses the arts and education to advance social and environmental justice. Our mission is to inspire and nurture leadership for peace and justice. Working as a human rights institution in New York City and Puerto Rico, El Puente builds community-led movements for self-determination through youth leadership, education, arts and culture, environmental justice, and community organizing.

El Puente is a youth-centered organization rooted in the belief that young people are leaders, artists, organizers, and agents of change. Its work integrates leadership development, education, the arts, wellness, civic engagement, and community building to support young people and families in creating more just and equitable communities.

Position Overview El Puente is seeking a highly organized, thoughtful, and motivated Development & Special Projects Associate to support the organization’s fundraising, strategic initiatives, and emerging programmatic opportunities.

This is a unique early-career position for someone who is an excellent writer and communicator, enjoys managing multiple projects and details, and wants to learn how a community-based social justice organization builds programs, raises resources, develops partnerships, and turns ideas into action.

This position will provide an early-career professional with significant exposure to nonprofit leadership, fundraising, program development, organizational strategy, and community-based social justice work working directly with the Executive Director and the senior leadership team. The person in this role will have opportunities to participate in important organizational conversations, develop relationships with philanthropic and community partners, and take increasing ownership of projects over time.

The Associate will have two interconnected areas of responsibility. They will support El Puente’s development efforts through grant writing, reporting, prospect research, funder communications, and grants management. They will also work closely with the Executive Director on special projects involving new program development, organizational strategy, funder and partner relationships, research, planning, and coordination.

The ideal candidate is intellectually curious, resourceful, able to move comfortably between big-picture thinking and detailed execution, and deeply committed to community organizing and social justice.

Core Responsibilities Development & Fundraising Support El Puente’s institutional fundraising efforts, including:

Research prospective foundations, government opportunities, corporate partners, and other potential funding sources aligned with El Puente’s mission and priorities.

Assist with drafting, editing, and submitting grant proposals and other funding requests.

Support with budget development for funding submissions, including grant applications and public contracts.

Coordinate the process for completion of funding proposals and reports.

Develop and maintain a detailed tracking system for all funding sources, including timelines, award amounts, invoicing calendars, work scopes and deliverables.

Prepare briefing materials, talking points, presentations, and follow-up correspondence for funder meetings.

Help maintain strong communication and relationships with existing and prospective funding partners.

Support the development of compelling narratives, data, and stories that communicate El Puente’s impact.

Assist with special fundraising initiatives, campaigns, events, and donor engagement activities as needed.

Special Projects & Executive…