Development Specialist

Founded in 1791, the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) is an invaluable resource for American history, life, and culture. Its extraordinary collections tell the story of America through millions of rare and unique documents, artifacts, and irreplaceable national treasures. Their mission is to promote understanding of the history of Massachusetts and the nation by collecting and communicating materials and resources that foster historical knowledge. The MHS envisions a world where historical understanding is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy.

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Philanthropic Services, the Development Specialist (DS) is an integral member of a Development Department consisting of five full time staff. As DS, you will be responsible for the logistical and tactical operations needed to implement membership fulfillment, stewardship and fundraising events, database integrity, and administrative support. You will be successful in this role if you’re a detail-oriented generalist looking to join a nimble and motivated team at an established and growing cultural institution. The DS will have three main areas of focus, all of which are essential functions:

1. Database Integrity, where you will execute database clean-up queries and deduplication functions, as well update constituent and membership data
2. Membership Stewardship, where you will oversee fulfillment and ensure members receive their benefits, work with the Manager of Individual Giving on executing quarterly renewals, and apply personalization recommendations to acknowledgments
3. Donor Events, where you will support the Event Specialist on events such as the Making History Gala and Member Week, and assist with logistics, guest lists, and tactical support

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Massachusetts Historical Society’s Development Department as they embark on several exciting projects to expand the scope and impact of the Society’s work. The MHS Development Department is committed to mentorship and professional development for team members including access to skill development courses and opportunities to attend local conferences.

This is a hybrid position working a salaried 35-hour work week, normally during regular Mon.-Fri. business hours. The DS will work on-site at least three days per week, and sometimes more, with occasional early morning, evening, and weekend work. Flexibility for evenings and weekends or for longer hours around department events is required.

The DS may assist with supervising volunteers and interns on related activities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the accuracy of constituent data in the Altru database, including:
• Entering and updating contact data based on notifications of address and/or contact changes
• Updating membership status
• Maintain data integrity in the Altru database, including:
• Running clean-up queries on an established schedule
• Running deduplication, global record changes, and other functionalities
• Review gift acknowledgements
• Facilitate quarterly Membership renewal outreach
• Fulfill membership benefits including:
• Sending fulfillment communications to new and renewed members
• Collating responses and executing fulfillment
• Provide logistical and tactical support for stewardship and fundraising events including:
• Tracking registration and pulling registration lists
• Invoice processing and data tracking
• Ordering supplies
• Assisting with event set-up, check-in, and other duties during the event
• Provide occasional administrative support for other Development activities including mailing projects, prospect research and geo-plotting, and other administrative tasks
• Attend occasional evening and weekend events related to the position

Qualifications

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. This said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below.

• 2-5 years of Development or Administrative experience
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and Zoom
• Experience with events
• Driven and motivated with a high level of attention to detail
• Strong organization and project management skills
• Collaborative workstyle both within the organization and with external constituencies
• Good judgement and discretion, especially when working with confidential information
• Genuine interest in the Society’s mission

Of Added Value:

• Competency with Blackbaud Altru or a comparable database, specifically with maintaining constituent records
• Experience with Adobe Acrobat, DonorSearch, Constant Contact, Survey Monkey, Issuu
• A good sense of humor and collegial attitude
• Innovative and open to change, with creative instinct
• Good judgement and discretion, especially when working with confidential information
• Genuine interest in the Society’s mission

Of Added Value:

• Competency with Blackbaud Altru or a comparable database, specifically with maintaining constituent records
• Experience with Adobe Acrobat, DonorSearch, Constant Contact, Survey Monkey, Issuu
• A good sense of humor and collegial attitude
• Innovative and open to change, with creative instinct

Compensation and Benefits

The firm salary range for this role is $50,000.00-$55,000.00/year, with additional skills and experience taken into consideration. The Massachusetts Historical Society offers a generous benefits package including:

• Medical, dental, and life insurance from the first day or work
• Medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Vacation starting at three weeks plus 12-14 holidays per year
• Retirement benefits with an employer match of up to 4%
• Pre-tax commuter benefits and a monthly public transportation incentive
• Reciprocal entrance to many local education and cultural institutions