Mission Advancement Associate

Organization: Heartland Animal Shelter
Location: Wheeling, IL
Job Type: Part-Time
Reports to: Director of Mission Advancement

About Us:
Heartland Animal Shelter (Heartland) is dedicated to helping dogs and cats in need by providing sheltering, placement, and prevention services to reduce animal homelessness and unnecessary euthanasia. As an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Heartland has been helping people and animals in Chicagoland and beyond since 2002. It all started with Dr. Herbert Preiser, DVM and founder of Heartland Animal Shelter. Dr. Preiser wanted to make a difference by saving the lives of unwanted cats and dogs who might not otherwise be given a chance to find a home. From there, Heartland’s reach grew as the organization developed strategic partnerships with local, regional and national organizations. Today, Heartland’s primary focus is saving animals who are most at risk of euthanasia at open-admission shelters. Even while rescuing some of the most vulnerable populations of animals such as these, we have continued to achieve an exceptional average 96% live release rate for more than 1,000+ dogs and cats annually.

This is a unique opportunity to be a part of a dedicated and results-oriented team who values collaboration, open communication and a positive workplace culture. We do our best to leverage each other’s strengths and strive to create opportunities for the work to be fun, rewarding, and to meet our individual and collective organizational goals. We take our mission of providing excellent and life-saving care to the most vulnerable dogs and cats seriously; We envision a humane community where pets and people thrive together in Chicagoland and beyond, and we’re dedicated to making that vision a reality. Are you an energetic and experienced fundraiser with a passion for helping shelter animals and people? Do you thrive in collaboration and get excited by the prospect of working for a cause you love? If your answer is YES, we invite you to apply to be our Mission Advancement Associate!

Position Summary:
Heartland Animal Shelter is seeking a detail-oriented and highly organized Mission Advancement Associate to support the Mission Advancement team by ensuring accurate and timely recording of donor contributions. The ideal candidate will play a critical role in maintaining donor data integrity, processing gifts, and ensuring proper donor acknowledgment. This position will also be responsible for drafting grant proposals, grant submission, reporting and data tracking. This is a vital behind-the-scenes role in helping Heartland Animal Shelter build and sustain positive relationships with its supporters.

Key Responsibilities:

Gift Processing:

• Accurately record all donations (online, mail, in-person, and event-related) in the donor database.
• Ensure proper coding of gifts, including donor designations, campaign allocations, and pledge payments.
• Reconcile daily and monthly gift entries with the finance department to ensure accurate financial reporting.

Data Management:

• Maintain and update donor records, ensuring the accuracy of contact information, giving history, deduping records, and preferences
• Implement and follow data entry protocols to maintain data integrity.
• Assist in generating donor reports, mailing lists, and other data queries as needed by the Development team.

Acknowledgment & Stewardship:

• Prepare timely and personalized acknowledgment letters and receipts for all gifts, ensuring compliance with IRS guidelines.
• Coordinate with Development staff to create and send special acknowledgment letters for major donors and recurring gifts.

Support for Development Campaigns:

• Assist with direct mail and digital fundraising campaigns by ensuring accurate segmentation of donor lists.
• Provide support for special events, including tracking event-related donations and in-kind gifts.
• Track matching gift requests and ensure they are properly recorded and acknowledged.

Database & Systems Management:

• Assist with routine database maintenance, including deduplication of records and database clean-up.
• Work with the Database Manager to develop and document procedures for data entry, reporting, and reconciliation.
• Stay current on database best practices and participate in ongoing training

Grant Research & Strategy:

• Identify and research prospective grant opportunities from foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive grants calendar, including submission deadlines and reporting requirements.
• Collaborate with the Development team and program staff to align grant applications with organizational priorities and program needs.

Proposal Development:

• Write and submit well-researched, high-quality grant proposals, including letters of inquiry, full applications, and supporting documentation.
• Develop clear, persuasive narratives that effectively communicate [Nonprofit Name]’s mission, programs, and impact.
• Customize each proposal to meet the specific interests and guidelines of prospective funders.

Grant Reporting & Stewardship:

• Prepare and submit timely and accurate grant reports, ensuring compliance with funder requirements.
• Maintain clear records of grant activities, deadlines, and funder communications.
• Support funder stewardship by assisting in the preparation of donor updates, thank-you letters, and site visit materials.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in nonprofit administration, data management, or a related field.
• 1-2 years of experience in gift processing, donor database management, or nonprofit operations.
• Experience with gift acknowledgment processes and donor stewardship is a plus.
• 1-2 years of experience in grant writing or development.
• Demonstrated success in securing grants from foundations, corporations, and/or government agencies.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
• Experience in donor database software (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, DonorPerfect, or similar).
• Strong attention to detail with a high level of accuracy in data entry.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Fear Free Certification, or willingness to receive certification within 6 months of employment

Key Competencies:

• Integrity in handling sensitive donor information.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to changing priorities.
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff across departments.
• Commitment to the mission and values of Heartland Animal Shelter.

Mission and Culture:

• Treat people around you with compassion and kindness in all your actions, build trust by demonstrating authenticity and following through on your commitments, encourage self-care and work-life balance through your own example, and work to build strong relationships with fellow team members (staff and volunteers) by creating communication loops to share and receive honest feedback
• Promote, uplift and model Heartland’s Culture Expectations. Stay abreast of external changes in animal welfare and community support systems; work with leadership to support our mission, vision, and values and contributions to organizational objectives.
• Lead by example through direct and impactful personal and organizational contributions towards Heartland’s organizational goals and mission.

Time Commitment/Location

• This is a part-time hybrid position working at our beautiful shelter facility in Wheeling as well as remotely..
• Being available to work occasional evenings and weekends is a requirement of this role.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience
• Health Insurance (for employee only)
• Accrued time off
• Flexible work schedule
• Professional development opportunities
• Employee’s pets are eligible for discounted vaccines and diagnostics and at cost medications and medical supplies
• A positive, mission-driven work environment

Equal Opportunity:
Heartland Animal shelter is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer that does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender or gender preference, handicap, or national origin.

To Apply: To send your one page cover letter and resume to courtney@heartlandanimalshelter.org