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Development and Membership Assistant

Seed packets and manila envelopes for development and membership

Please email a cover letter, resumé, and the contact information for three references as a single PDF to [email protected] – include the name of the position in the subject line of your email. Applications may also be mailed to: Seed Savers Exchange | Attn: Peggy Miller | 3094 North Winn Rd. | Decorah, IA 52101.

Development and Membership Assistant

Position Status: Regular, Full-time
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Reports to: Development Director
Supervisor role: No
Compensation: $16.50/hour

Seed Savers Exchange is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Decorah, Iowa, with a mission to conserve and promote America’s culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for current and future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.

Our Development & Membership team engages and stewards members, donors, funders, sponsors and partners to ensure that we have the resources necessary to carry out our vital work.

Primary Role

The Development & Membership Assistant is a 40 hour-per-week position. The primary role of this position is to work closely with the Development and Membership team to ensure accurate and timely processing and acknowledgement of gifts and memberships, administer membership benefits, as well as a range of administrative operations including implementing coordinating and monitoring of annual giving.

They will also assist with donor and sponsor prospecting work and wealth screening, keeping data clean and accurate, developing processes and workflows with the Raiser’s Edge database and NXT web interface, and overall work collaboratively to support the annual and longer-term initiatives of the Development & Membership team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Provide accurate and timely processing and acknowledgement of gifts
  • Fulfill gift and membership benefits for donors and members
  • Continually update and ensure accuracy of database protocol, gift and contact information
  • Work closely with the Development Director, Gift Officer and Membership Coordinator to develop, implement and annually review Standard Operating Procedures around data management, data entry and gift processing
  • Manage preparation of membership benefits, including working with Preservation team to identify seeds for Member Growing Club
  • Coordinate department projects to be completed by volunteers and identify opportunities for volunteers to assist with preparing membership benefits
  • Work with the Development Director, Gift Officer and Membership Coordinator to develop, implement and annually review appeals, campaigns, and acknowledgement pieces
  • Format and send member, donor, and prospect email communications via Raiser’s Edge NXT
  • Assist with managing external communications calendar, including assigning content creation and deadlines
  • Assist with department collaborative editing as needed for individuals and organizations
  • Perform other duties as required (including potential job sharing with other departments)

Cross-Department Responsibilities: 

  • Order fulfillment or customer service duties December – April

Skills and Qualifications:

  • Commitment to accuracy, excellence and high standards
  • Acute attention to detail
  • Strong organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills
  • Ability to work independently and as a member of teams and committees
  • Commitment to donor privacy
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office, NetSuite, Google apps, and record keeping a plus
  • High School diploma or equivalent

Physical Requirements

  • Ability to sit or stand at a computer screen for extended periods.
  • Ability to handle seed packing, mailing assembly, etc.

Benefits

  • Paid holidays
  • Paid PTO 
  • Paid Long Term Disability
  • Paid Life Insurance
  • Employee merchandise discounts 
  • Health care, retirement, and lifestyle benefits

Seed Savers Exchange is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from a wide variety of  backgrounds and experiences to apply. Seed Savers Exchange does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, mental or physical disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other basis prohibited by law.