Development Operations Specialist

Description

Development Operations Specialist
 

Summary

                Reports to:  Director of Development Communications and Operations

                Status:  Full-Time, Exempt

The Development Operations Specialist plays a key role in supporting the fundraising and donor engagement efforts of the Nashville Symphony. This position ensures the smooth operation of the development team by managing gift processing, maintaining accurate donor and prospect records, and conducting research to identify new funding opportunities.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Gift Processing and Acknowledgment

• Process and record all donations, pledges, and in-kind gifts in the donor database with accuracy and timeliness; this includes but is not limited to annual fund, endowment campaign, event fundraising, telefunding, corporate matching and recurring credit card billing.
• Ensure accuracy in process by assigning appropriate source codes, donor credit, notes, etc. to each contribution.
• Collaborate with other Development Operations colleagues on generating and distributing tax receipts and other acknowledgements as needed.
• Produce and distribute routine reports for Finance, C-Suite and Dev teams including batch and posting reports, daily activity, campaign division and reconciliation reports.
• Reconcile gift records with the finance team monthly to ensure alignment of development and accounting data.
• Coordinate the pledge reminder process.

Database Management and Data Entry

• Maintain and update donor records in the organization’s database (Tessitura).
• Ensure data accuracy, including contact information, gift history, and communication preferences.
• Perform online research to update records as needed following returned mail, updates from telefunding or other data changes.
• Assist with maintenance of donor contact information including resolving duplicate records and tracking patron obituaries

Prospect Research

• Conduct research on prospective individual, corporate, and foundation donors using available tools and resources.
• Prepare detailed donor profiles, including giving history, capacity, and philanthropic interests, to support cultivation strategies.

• Identify new donor prospects and funding opportunities that align with the organization’s mission and programs.
•  Support grant proposal submissions by ensuring accurate and complete data is available for reporting.
• Respond to donor inquiries promptly and with a high level of professionalism.

• Evaluate and implement best practices in gift processing, donor data management, and research methodologies.
• Collaborate with the development team to streamline workflows and enhance operational efficiency.
• Train staff in database use and reporting as needed, in collaboration with DevOps team members.

The duties listed above are not all inclusive.  The person in this position is expected to perform other work-related duties as assigned even though they may not be considered primary duties.

Qualifications

Work Requirements and Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree
• Experience in financial or data entry environment; non-profit fundraising experience preferred
• Proficiency in CRM systems and donor research tools required; experience in Tessitura strongly preferred
• Knowledge of basic accounting principles related to gift recording and reconciliation.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive donor information with confidentiality and discretion.
• Knowledge of fundraising procedures preferred