Development Assistant Organization: OpenSecrets Department: Development Reports to: Director of Philanthropy Employment Type: Full-time Salary Range: 45,000–55,000 annually, depending on experience Location: Remote About OpenSecrets OpenSecrets is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that makes information about money, influence, and government accessible to the public. For more than 40 years, we have tracked political spending, lobbying, and the role of money in American politics, helping journalists, researchers, policymakers, and the public better understand how money influences our democracy. Position Summary OpenSecrets is seeking an organized, proactive, and highly detail-oriented Development Assistant to support fundraising, donor engagement, and outreach efforts. This position reports directly to the Director of Philanthropy and will maintain accurate donor and funder records, research prospective foundation and individual donors, conduct outreach by phone and email, coordinate meetings, track fundraising activities, and provide general administrative support to the development team. The Development Assistant will play an important role in strengthening OpenSecrets’ fundraising operations and expanding our network of supporters. This includes conducting direct outreach on behalf of the organization, following up with prospective donors and funders, researching and identifying new funding opportunities, and ensuring that communications and next steps are tracked and completed. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator who is comfortable initiating conversations, managing multiple priorities, and representing OpenSecrets professionally to potential supporters. This role is well suited to someone with previous administrative and nonprofit experience who is interested in fundraising, philanthropy, and civic engagement. The successful candidate will be highly organized, resourceful, and comfortable working independently while collaborating closely with the development team.

Key Responsibilities

Outreach and Donor Engagement Conduct regular outreach by phone and email to prospective foundation funders, individual donors, and other potential supporters on behalf of OpenSecrets. Draft and send personalized outreach emails, follow-up messages, meeting requests, and other fundraising communications. Make introductory and follow-up calls to prospective supporters to establish connections and facilitate conversations with the development team. Research prospective contacts before outreach to understand their interests, giving priorities, historic giving, and potential connection to OpenSecrets’ mission. Track outreach activity, responses, and next steps to ensure consistent follow-up and relationship management. Help identify opportunities for introductions and relationship building through existing donor, board, and organizational networks. Maintain professional and positive relationships with prospective and current supporters. CRM and Donor Database Management Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor, funder, prospect, and contact records in OpenSecrets’ CRM system. Enter donations, contact information, meeting notes, correspondence, and outreach activity into the database. Track donor engagement, prospect pipelines, fundraising progress, and follow-up tasks. Assist with donor list management, data cleanup, reporting, and improving database organization. Help ensure that gift acknowledgments and other donor communications are completed promptly. Funder and Donor Research Research prospective foundation funders, individual donors, and other potential sources of support. Identify funders whose priorities align with OpenSecrets’ mission and programs. Gather information about funding priorities, giving history, key contacts, application processes, and deadlines. Prepare prospect profiles, briefing materials, and background research to support outreach and meetings. Maintain organized prospect lists and help identify new fundraising opportunities. Scheduling and Fundraising Administration Coordinate calendars and schedule calls and meetings with prospective and current donors and foundation representatives. Prepare meeting materials, agendas, and background research as needed. Track grant deadlines, proposal submissions, reporting requirements, and donor follow-ups. Assist with preparing donor acknowledgments and other fundraising materials. Support individual giving campaigns, including donor communications, gift processing coordination, and campaign tracking. Help compile fundraising data and prepare internal reports on donor activity, prospects, and revenue. General Administrative Support Provide day-to-day administrative support to the development team. Organize fundraising documents, maintain shared files, and ensure materials are easy to locate. Assist with meeting preparation, project coordination, calendar management, and other tasks that support the team’s work. Help improve administrative processes and systems to keep fundraising activities organized and efficient. Take on additional administrative and fundraising responsibilities as needed.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines, and priorities. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Comfortable conducting proactive outreach by phone and email, including initiating conversations with prospective donors, funders, and other contacts on behalf of OpenSecrets. Strong research skills and the ability to gather, organize, and summarize information from multiple sources. Familiarity with spreadsheets, databases, and googledrive. Ability to work independently, take initiative, and follow through on assignments. Professionalism and discretion when handling donor information and confidential records. Interest in nonprofit fundraising, philanthropy, journalism, government, or civic engagement.

Preferred Qualifications

Previous administrative, office coordination, or nonprofit experience. Experience with donor databases, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, or contact management tools. Direct experience with EveryAction is a plus. Experience with prospect research, fundraising, grant administration, donor communications, or outreach. Familiarity with nonprofit organizations, foundations, and charitable giving. Experience drafting professional emails, coordinating meetings, and tracking follow-up activities. We recognize that candidates bring different combinations of professional, educational, and volunteer experience. Applicants are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet every preferred qualification.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is 45,000–55,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. OpenSecrets offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan with a 2% employer match, paid vacation and sick leave, and paid holidays. The organization is closed for all federal holidays and employees’ birthday. This is a fully remote position. How to apply To apply, send your résumé and cover letter to jobs+development+assistant@opensecrets.org. Include how you learned of this position in your cover letter. People of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. OpenSecrets is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organizational culture. We welcome all candidates and employees.