American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey
JOB OPENING
Development Assistant
April 2008

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a national public interest organization, is the leading defender of the rights and liberties guaranteed under our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The ACLU of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) is a private, independent, non-profit organization, and is one of 53 affiliates of the national ACLU. We are the state’s guardian of freedom and work to promote and defend civil liberties throughout New Jersey. To achieve our mission, we manage legal, legislative and public education programs on a broad range of constitutional issues including discrimination, free speech, religious freedom, reproductive rights, GLBT rights, and privacy. Founded in 1960, the ACLU-NJ is headquartered in Newark with 14,000 members statewide and an annual budget of $1.5 million. Our staff includes 15 full-time employees plus a number of regular in-office volunteers and interns. To learn more about the work of the ACLU and the civil liberties principles we uphold, please visit www.aclu-nj.org and www.aclu.org.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals to apply.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The ACLU-NJ’s Development Assistant will assist the Development Director and the Development Department in creating a robust program to fully realize the giving capacity of New Jerseyans and increase the annual financial support for the ACLU-NJ’s programs and operations. The successful candidate will enjoy the satisfaction of working with the most influential organization working to preserve our democracy.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist Development Director. Provide general administrative assistance, schedule meetings and assist with travel arrangements for the Development Director. Assist with prospect and other research.
• Gift Processing and Data Management. Process all incoming contributions and fundraising correspondence. Enter all gift data into our donor database. Maintain confidential fundraising information in database with accuracy and integrity. Maintain accurate and retrievable files electronically and in hard copy.
• Donor Correspondence and Mailings. Prepare acknowledgement letters, pledge reminders, and other development correspondence. Work with appropriate staff to coordinate the production of development mailings. Respond to certain inquiries from ACLU donors. Provide general information about the ACLU and its programs.
• Fundraising and Cultivation Events. Work with other office staff to assist with events including planning, mailings, onsite coordination, volunteer management, and donor follow up.
• Membership Recruitment. Coordinate mailings to recruit or recapture lapsed members. Produce and update recruitment letters and welcome packets. Manage recruitment records and prepare progress reports. Supervise membership volunteers, serve as liaison to the national office on membership records, and produce membership labels for other ACLU needs, as authorized.
• Volunteer and Intern Management. Serve as the department coordinator and point-person for managing development interns and volunteers. Provide oversight and guidance, insure that their time and abilities are put to the best use, and insure that confidentiality and work quality requirements are met. Coordinate
• Help with the production and publication of development materials, and other special projects.
• Develop an understanding of ACLU’s organizational structure and programs.
• Help maintain a positive, respectful, welcoming, professional, and smooth-functioning work environment. Develop a solid understanding of office protocols, procedures and machinery.
• Serve as a backup for Development Associate in assuring completion of Department activities
• Assist the Development Director in other activities as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Development experience with non-profit, advocacy or other community-based groups is preferred
• Ability to manage and follow through on assignments
• Superior talent in attention to detail
• Advanced organization and time management skills. Successful experience in juggling multiple priorities and many-faceted projects at various stages of completion. Capacity to understand the development role of timing and immediacy and, establish realistic daily and weekly objectives. Good problem solving skills
• Ability to communicate effectively and respectfully on the phone and in person with donors, board members, volunteers, staff, and the general public
• Demonstrated ability to write clearly and precisely. Strength in proofreading and visual review
• Strong skills in use of computers for database management, word processing, spreadsheets as well as familiarity with basic office equipment
• Experience making database queries and exporting from a database into a word or excel document (mail merges). Experience with fundraising software a plus
• Flexibility and a willingness to take on new tasks as the responsibilities of the position evolve
• Ability to work occasional evenings, weekends or irregular hours
• Confident, business-like and professional presentation.
• Commitment to the confidentiality of donor records and ethical fundraising practices
• Commitment to diversity; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance
• Interest in and enthusiasm for civil liberties and civil rights

COMPENSATION AND TERMS:
The ACLU-NJ offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within parameters of the ACLU-NJ compensation scale.

TO APPLY:
Send a letter of interest and résumé to:

Human Resources
Job ID 9733
ACLU-NJ
P.O. Box 32159
Newark, NJ 07102

Faxed or e-mailed application materials will not be accepted. Résumé reviewed upon receipt. Position will remain open until the right person is found.