Development Operations Manager

The Development Operations Manager is responsible for managing the systems, processes, and operational functions that support fundraising and donor engagement efforts at the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts (WFMA). This role oversees Salesforce administration, donor stewardship systems, gift processing, event operations support, reporting, and development operations to ensure an exceptional donor experience and efficient internal workflows.

The Development Operations Manager works closely with the development team to strengthen fundraising infrastructure, improve data integrity, and support organizational growth in service of WFMA’s mission to empower women and girls across Massachusetts.

Salesforce & Database Management (30%)

• Serve as the primary administrator for Salesforce and related fundraising platforms.
• Manage donor records, gift tracking, campaign data, dashboards, reporting, and donor segmentation to support fundraising strategy and decision-making.
• Maintain data integrity through audits, imports, deduplication, system maintenance, and quality control.
• Build and maintain integrations between Salesforce and third-party fundraising, email marketing, and event platforms.
• Train and support staff on Salesforce best practices, reporting tools, and development operations processes.

Development Operations and Gift Management (25%)

• Oversee fundraising operations, including gift processing, acknowledgments, tax receipts, donor recognition, stewardship tracking, and donor data management.
• Manage donor stewardship systems, operational workflows, and relationship management processes to support accurate, timely, and donor-centered fundraising operations.
• Develop and improve operational documentation, systems, workflows, and standard operating procedures to support organizational efficiency, scalability, and consistency.
• Optimize fundraising operations through automation, AI tools, systems integration, and process improvement initiatives.
• Prepare fundraising dashboards, reports, analytics, and donor tracking insights for leadership, board members, committees, and organizational planning.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with staff, consultants, vendors, and external partners to support fundraising operations and organizational initiatives.

Prospect Research (20%)

• Conduct prospect research, donor pipeline analysis, wealth screening, and portfolio tracking to support individual, corporate, and institutional fundraising strategies.
• Develop and maintain prospect management systems, donor profiles, segmentation strategies, research materials, and pipeline reporting.
• Identify prospective donors, sponsors, corporate partners, and institutional funding opportunities aligned with WFMA’s mission and fundraising priorities.
• Prepare donor briefings, prospect profiles, and research summaries to support cultivation, stewardship, moves management, and fundraising outreach.
• Partner with the Vice President of Development to strengthen donor engagement strategies and fundraising pipeline development.

Event Operations (15%)

• WFMA’s signature fundraising event, Make Her Mark, brings together supporters, partners, and community leaders to celebrate and invest in the power and potential of women and girls.
• Manage event-related fundraising operations, including donor and sponsorship tracking, registration systems, guest data management, and event reporting within Salesforce and related platforms.
• Support event operations through sponsorship fulfillment tracking, donor engagement reporting, attendee dashboards, fundraising analytics, stewardship tracking, and post-event analysis to support donor cultivation and fundraising strategy.
• Support integration and optimization of event management, registration, and donation platforms to improve operational efficiency and donor experience.

Financial & Reporting Support (10%)

• Reconcile gifts and fundraising records with the Bookkeeper on a monthly basis.
• Support annual audits and financial reporting related to fundraising activities, including donor listings for the Annual Report.
• Track fundraising performance against goals and prepare quarterly reports and analytical insights for leadership.
• Support institutional fundraising operations through grant calendar management, submission tracking, reporting coordination, and funder record management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 3–5+ years of experience in development operations, fundraising systems, or nonprofit administration.
• Strong Salesforce experience required; Salesforce Administrator certification preferred.
• Strong proficiency in financial spreadsheets, including Excel and Google Sheets, as well as G Suite tools and AI platforms such as ChatGPT.
• Experience with donor stewardship, gift processing, and fundraising reporting.
• Experience supporting fundraising or donor events preferred.
• Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to the mission of empowering women and girls across Massachusetts.
• Ability to work collaboratively and contribute positively to a mission-driven team environment.
• Massachusetts residency required. 

Preferred but not required Qualifications

• Experience working in a nonprofit or philanthropic organization.
• Familiarity with fundraising platforms, email marketing systems, and event management tools, such as OneCause, GiveSmart, Classy, etc.
• Knowledge of fundraising best practices and donor lifecycle management.
• Experience creating operational efficiencies and improving workflows.
• Basic knowledge of audit accounting and nonprofit financial reporting.