Manager, Membership + Development Operations

JOB OVERVIEW

The Manager of Membership + Development Operations is responsible for growing and stewarding Prospect Park Alliance’s membership and annual giving programs, with a particular focus on commemorative giving, monthly giving (Sustainers), and community fundraising initiatives with local organizations, schools, and businesses. Working closely with the Director of Individual Giving, this position develops and executes strategies that deepen donor engagement, increase revenue, and strengthen systems that support membership and grassroots philanthropy.

This position is expected to become a fluent, hands-on user of the Alliance’s fundraising and data systems (including Raiser’s Edge, GoFundMe Charity/GoFundMe Pro, email and event platforms) and to provide reliable redundancy for core reporting, list pulls, and basic gift/data functions in partnership with external vendors and internal colleagues. The Manager is a member of the core team overseeing the Department’s operations and business rules, and reporting directly to the Director, Individual Giving.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS / KEY JOB OUTCOMES

Membership & Sustainer Program Strategy

• Under the leadership and direction of the Director of Individual Giving, manage strategy and annual workplan for the Alliance’s membership and monthly giving (Sustainer) programs, including acquisition, renewal, upgrades, and retention across mail, email, digital, and on-site channels and in collaboration with the Alliance’s direct response consultants.
• Act as a core member of the Development team in developing segmented campaigns and benefits that encourage members and Sustainers to deepen their commitment and lifetime value, using data to define segments, track results, and recommend adjustments.
• Participate in strategy calls with external vendors/consultants to execute campaigns and collaborate with colleagues to ensure timely, accurate fulfillment and stewardship, including providing clean lists, coding instructions, and post-campaign performance reports.

Commemorative & Tribute Giving

• Serve as the internal lead for commemorative giving (tribute benches, trees, dedicated plantings, and other naming/tribute opportunities), managing the full lifecycle from inquiry and cultivation through gift closing, installation coordination, and long-term stewardship.
• Collaborate with Park Operations, Design, and Finance teams to maintain clear processes, pricing, inventory, and accurate tracking in Raiser’s Edge and related systems for commemorative opportunities.
• Work with Communications and Marketing to promote commemorative and tribute giving as a key way to support the park.

Community Fundraising & Crowdfunding

• Lead, design and manage community fundraising and crowdfunding initiatives with local organizations, schools, small businesses, and community groups, including peer-to-peer and event-based efforts, primarily using GoFundMe Charity/GoFundMe Pro and related tools.
• Lead the development of toolkits, messaging, and simple onboarding processes that make it easy for community partners to host fundraisers on behalf of the Alliance, and ensure accurate recording of results in the database.
• Coordinate with the Manager of Special Events and Communications teams to align community fundraising with broader campaigns and visibility opportunities.

Program Operations, Analytics & Collaboration

• In partnership with the Director of Individual Giving and with the support of the Development Coordinator, monitor revenue and participation goals for membership, Sustainers, commemorative giving, and community fundraising; contribute to the reliable maintenance of regular dashboards and basic reports for the Chief Advancement Officer and PPA leadership.
• Use quantitative data (e.g., renewal/upgrade rates, average gift, response rates) and qualitative feedback to test, refine, and optimize campaigns and stewardship approaches.
• Support effective coordination with the Major Gifts Officer, Director and Manager of Institutional Giving, and Manager of Special Events so that membership and grassroots pipelines lead to higher-level donor engagement, including sharing accurate, timely lists and activity reports.

Collaboration with Development Operations & Coordinator

• Where necessary, provide guidance and partnership to external vendors on gift entry, acknowledgements, membership fulfillment, and donor services, and be able to perform these tasks directly in Raiser’s Edge when backup coverage is needed.
• Together with all members of the Development team, follow clear SOPs and quality standards for database maintenance, acknowledgements, and financial reconciliation. Provide additional assistance when needed to the Director of Individual Giving and Finance as part of the monthly reconciliation process, including running standard reports and reviewing exception lists.
• Serve as a confident, regular internal user of Raiser’s Edge, GoFundMe Charity/GoFundMe Pro, Mailchimp, and related platforms, escalating complex data issues and vendor relationships to the Director of Individual Giving as needed while keeping most bulk data entry and processing with the Development Coordinator and external data processing vendors.

General Development Support

• Collaborate with Communications & External Relations to align messaging, calendars, and campaigns that impact members, Sustainers, and community fundraisers.
• Provide strategic support for fundraising and cultivation events that involve members, Sustainers, or community partners, in partnership with the Manager of Special Events, including guest list pulls, RSVP tracking, and post-event coding in Raiser’s Edge as needed.

                                                                Performs other job-related duties and functions as assigned

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• 3 - 5 years of experience providing general operational, administrative, and infrastructure support in Development/Fundraising, Marketing, or Event/Conference Planning environments
• Associate’s and/or Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field preferred, but not required 
• Experience with Raisers’ Edge required
• A valid NYS Driver’s License

COMPETENCIES (Knowledge, Skills & Personal Attributes)

• Passion for the Alliance Mission & Core Values: A passion for public parks and environmental conservation combined with a commitment to treating others with respect, appreciating individual differences, and embracing the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.   
• Ethics & Integrity: Earns the trust and respect of others through a consistent commitment to integrity, honesty, and professionalism in all interactions.
• Job Knowledge (Administrative + Operational): In-depth understanding of logistics coordination, project management, scheduling and customer relations in a development/fundraising or marketing environment. 
• Technology: Experience with automated technologies that support responsibilities, including Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge, Classy, Omatic, and Mailchimp as well as other automated project management tools, G-Suite, and Microsoft Office Suite. 
• Communication Skills: Superior written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and the ability to convey concepts and make presentations in a clear, culturally competent, and understandable manner. Demonstrates effective listening skills and openness to other people’s ideas and suggestions. 
• Planning, Organizing & Problem-Solving: Able to manage multiple projects effectively. Defines tasks and milestones to achieve objectives and ensures optimal resource use to solve problems and accomplish work. Alerts others to potential problems promptly, knows when to seek support and guidance to resolve them, and offers potential solutions. Acts on solutions selected and decisions made. 
• Relationship Building: A natural relationship builder, highly interpersonal with the capacity to think strategically and build constructive and positive working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders characterized by a high level of acceptance, cooperation and mutual respect. 
• Results & Impact Focus: Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and highly motivated to consistently produce high-quality work and achieve desired outcomes and results.
• Organization & Accountability: Meticulously well-organized with diligent attention to detail, a sense of urgency, ability to set priorities, meet deadlines and takes pride in consistently producing accurate, timely and quality work products with minimal supervision. 
• Decision Making & Problem Solving: Demonstrates broad knowledge of information sources that can be used to assess problems and make decisions. Effectively leverages hard data as inputs to making decisions. Thoroughly analyzes the impact of potential solutions and decisions and shares likely outcomes based on experience. Able to garner insight from abstract data and make appropriate decisions. Begins to think several steps ahead in deciding the best course of action, anticipating likely outcomes or implications.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Committed to working in collaboration with others, promoting cooperation and commitment to others and being a positive team contributor.
• Customer Service: Exhibits a strong commitment to delivering excellent and responsive service to internal stakeholders, patrons, donors and customers. 

WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Work is normally performed in an interior office setting which does not subject the employee to any hazardous or unusual elements. 
• Requires use of a desktop, laptop, or video display terminal.
• Requires routine physical movements with limited physical exertion required.
• Ability to communicate, receive and understand information through oral and written communication and proofread and check documents for accuracy.
• Requires communicating information with co-workers, stakeholders and/or the public; reading correspondence, instructions and/or technical documents; writing correspondence and/or reports and filling in forms.
• Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends for events

TOTAL REWARDS (Compensation + Benefits)

• Job Grade: 5 (Front-Line Managerial and Technical)  
• Annual Salary: $66,300 - 70,000 (annual gross earnings) 
• FLSA Status: Exempt
• 20 Vacation Days
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Comprehensive Health Benefits offered, including: 
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• Supplemental: Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care FSA, Commuter Benefits, AFLAC & Pet Insurance
• 403b Contributions + 2% Employer Contribution

Diversity Makes Us Stronger Together: Prospect Park Alliance serves park users of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and strives to reflect this diversity throughout our operations and in our leadership, staff, stakeholders, and supporters. We know that by creating an equitable and inclusive workplace built on mutual respect and the appreciation of difference, our employees will feel safe to express themselves, voice their opinions, and work together to find common ground and solutions. Integral to this vision is our longstanding commitment to provide equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment