The Montana Historical Society seeks a Development & Grants Coordinator to support the successful execution of its fundraising program. Working closely with the Public Relations and Development Manager, the Coordinator brings a strong working knowledge of fundraising principles: campaign management, donor research, and donor stewardship, together with hands-on ownership of the customer relationship database. This role requires high attention to detail and sound judgment in managing accurate, well-organized donor data and translating it into reports that inform fundraising strategy. The Coordinator also maintains consistent, professional communication with donors, members, agency programs, industry partners, and the public.
Database & Records Management
- Serve as the primary steward of the donor database: enter, update, and maintain accurate constituent records, gift data, and interaction notes.
- Process charitable gifts, ensuring accurate entry, designation, and recognition.
- Set up and track pledges, send reminders, and run pledge reports.
- Manage database administration for campaigns, funds, and appeals, including ongoing maintenance to improve data integrity and performance.
- Track donors through the full donor lifecycle, including next steps, proposals, and gift outcomes.
- Build and run queries to extract donor and giving data, producing analysis that informs planning, goal-setting, and communication strategy.
- Coordinate with the Fiscal Office to reconcile the donor database against the state accounting system and uphold accounting best practices.
- Stay current on the database platform's best practices and identify opportunities for greater efficiency.
Donor Relations & Fundraising Support
- Serve as a point of contact for current and prospective donors, ensuring correspondence is tracked accurately.
- Support donor cultivation and stewardship through calls, emails, and cards.
- Compose and send gift acknowledgements and thank-you letters.
- Conduct donor and foundation research, compiling findings into donor profiles.
- Track donor naming preferences and maintain accurate lists for public recognition.
- Organize and maintain donor files.
- Support the Director, Public Relations & Development Manager and Program Managers in donor portfolio management, flagging next actions and providing portfolio analysis as needed.
- Assist in shaping fundraising opportunities, individualized donor strategies, and campaign timelines.
- Assist with annual appeals and other mailings, including coordinating with the printing vendor to ensure mailing-list accuracy and met deadlines.
- Support fundraising projects and events.
- Assist with grant research, writing, and report fulfillment as needed.
Knowledge of:
- Strong working knowledge of fundraising principles, including planned giving and endowments, and of philanthropic best practices and ethical standards.
- Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel.
- Experience with a CRM or donor database, preferably in a fundraising context.
Skills in:
- High attention to detail, particularly in data entry and records management.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to:
- work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven team environment and manage multiple priorities with flexibility.
- work evenings and weekends for events as needed.
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in business, communications, or a related field.
Experience:
- Two years of experience in fundraising, development, or a related field.
- Social media experience a plus.
Hours of Operations:
The Montana Heritage Center operates seven days a week and is open all holidays except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
As an employee of the Montana Historical Society your work hours may fall outside the regular Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. schedule.
This position is scheduled to work 30 to 35 hours per week.
Montana Historical Society is participating in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. After accepting a job offer and completing Form I-9, your information will be submitted to the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration for verification. For more information about E-Verify, please visit the E-Verify website found here, https://www.e-verify.gov/.