Organizational Overview

DC Affordable Law Firm (DCALF) is rooted in the conviction that income should never be a barrier to justice. Founded in 2015 to help close access to justice gaps in the District of Columbia, DCALF serves an expansive range of hardworking DC residents unable to afford market-rate legal services, including modest-income residents whose household incomes put them just beyond the limits of traditional legal aid and low-income residents navigating unmet legal needs. Through innovative programming and a commitment to equity, DCALF delivers overwhelmingly free legal services in family law, probate, estate planning, and immigration, bridging the gaps in DC’s civil justice system and delivering transformative legal services that empower DC residents to thrive.

Across the past decade, DCALF has solidified its role as a mainstay DC legal services organization with a staff of 30-plus and a strong network of institutional partners and pro bono volunteers. DCALF serves more than 800 clients annually, reaching hundreds more through community education and outreach across DC. DCALF’s award-winning annual post-graduate legal Fellowship programs play an essential role in expanding access to justice, empowering recent law graduates to become skilled public interest attorneys and lifelong champions for justice to build a more equitable future.

Position Overview

DCALF seeks a Development Associate to help advance the organization’s mission, relationships, and growth, providing high-level administrative, operational, and project support for DCALF's Development operations and communications, both internal and external. This position will report directly to the Development Director and will work closely with the Development Director to support the Executive Director in advancing the organization’s fundraising efforts. This opportunity is ideal for a highly organized, proactive, and relationship-oriented professional who thrives in a dynamic environment, enjoys variety, takes initiative, and is energized by the opportunity to make meaningful contributions and impacts across a growing nonprofit organization.

The Development Associate will serve as a key partner to the Development Director, helping ensure that the organization’s executive, fundraising, communications, and development operations run smoothly and effectively. The role will encompass a broad and engaging portfolio of responsibilities, including gift entry, revenue tracking, and donor acknowledgment; email and social media content development and account management; communications; event planning and execution; internal and external meeting coordination; Board meeting support; and special projects that advance organizational priorities.

The successful candidate will be a thoughtful problem-solver who can anticipate needs, exercise sound independent judgment, communicate with professionalism and warmth, advance projects independently while consistently meeting expectations, and is motivated by the opportunity to contribute to an organization working to expand access to justice for District residents.

Core Responsibilities

Core responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Development Operations Support

Manage gift entry, revenue tracking, and donation acknowledgements, using DCALF’s current and future systems, identifying opportunities for enhanced efficiency and improved workflows as appropriate.
Work with the Development Director to ensure that the Executive Director’s donor, stakeholder, contact, and meeting notes are integrated into fundraising efforts and systems.
Work with the Development Director to prepare research, briefing materials, and background information to ensure the Executive Director is prepared for key meetings and speaking engagements, including arranging and managing travel as needed, and coordinating and tracking follow-up and action items.
Help coordinate and support Executive Director’s participation in fundraising events and campaigns.
Support donor communications by drafting thank you letters, preparing correspondence on behalf of the Development Director and Executive Director, and developing donor reports for review and use.
Assist with compiling reports or presentations for funders, stakeholders, and internal meetings. Liaise with contractors and vendors as needed.

Event Support

Support the Development Director in planning, coordination, and execution of DCALF’s annual Celebration of Accessible Justice, including:
Web, communications, and social media content development and coordination
Sponsorship tracking
Donor and host committee outreach tracking
Event vendor communications
Support planning, logistics, execution, and staffing other outreach, stakeholder engagement, and fundraising events as needed.

Board Support

Assist with scheduling board meetings, preparing board materials as needed, and coordinating delegated action items and follow-up reports.
Maintain accurate board membership records and documentation, including organizational affiliations, committee assignments, and membership terms.
Maintain current board contact information and distribution lists, including the board email group account.

This position description is intended to provide an overview of the primary responsibilities and expectations associated with the role, but it is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, skills, or working conditions. As DC Affordable Law Firm continues to grow and evolve, responsibilities may be refined or expanded to meet organizational needs. Accordingly, employees may be assigned additional or different duties, as determined by their supervisor and the leadership team, in furtherance of the organization's mission and operational priorities.

In addition to the responsibilities outlined in this position description, every member of DC Affordable Law Firm’s team contributes to the organization’s broader mission, operations, and success. Employees may occasionally be asked to undertake responsibilities beyond those specifically identified in their individual role. These responsibilities may include supporting special projects or initiatives, participating in organization-wide events, assisting colleagues during periods of heightened need, or contributing in other ways to advance DCALF’s goals.

Qualifications

Competitive candidates will demonstrate initiative, strong follow-through, exceptional attention to detail, and outstanding project management skills. They will possess the ability to proactively identify key deliverables and next steps, develop and execute action plans, coordinate effectively with relevant stakeholders, and independently drive projects to successful completion with minimal supervision. Excellent interpersonal skills are also key to success in this role. While we understand most candidates will not possess every desired qualification, the following are considered priority areas.

The successful candidate will have an enthusiasm for and interest in nonprofit fundraising and development, plus many of the following skills and experiences:

2+ years’ experience in a fundraising, development operations, or administrative support role; clear written and verbal communication skills; can synthesize and polish messaging with minimal direction.
Strong creative problem-solving skills.
Demonstrated discretion and professionalism when handling confidential and sensitive information.
Ability to work effectively with stakeholders and individuals across all levels of the organization, including legal staff, managers, leadership team, board members, partners, donors, clients, and community members.
Comfort navigating ambiguity and demonstrated adaptability and flexibility in responding to shifting priorities, changing circumstances, and new opportunities within a growing, dynamic organization.
Ability to prioritize competing demands while managing multiple tasks and projects.
High emotional intelligence and strong interpersonal skills with the ability to navigate complex relationships with ease.
Demonstrated ability to effectively manage up, anticipate needs, and ensure timely tracking and completion of priorities, deadlines, and deliverables.
Demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and racial justice, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Experience with any of the following is a plus: donor communications; CRMs (Network For Good, Salesforce, Keela, Raiser’s Edge); website backend (WordPress, Square Space); social media (Instagram, LinkedIn); Canva or other graphic design platforms.
Experience supporting development operations and activities is highly preferred.
Event planning experience preferred, including budgeting, staffing, day of logistics, VIP/partner management, sponsor engagement, vendors, venue sourcing, contract negotiations.
DCALF uses Microsoft 365, including Outlook, SharePoint, and Network for Good. As such, the willingness to adopt and, if necessary, learn these and other core DCALF tech systems are required to be successful in this role.

Work Environment

DCALF is currently working in a hybrid remote/in-person model, and comfort with working in hybrid and remote office environments is necessary to be successful in this role. Due to this position’s responsibilities, the selected candidate will be required to work in-person at DCALF’s office a minimum of two days per week, consistent with DCALF policies and work demands. This position may also require participation in occasional evening and weekend events in the District of Columbia, with advance notice. The selected candidate for this position must maintain full-time residence in the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia to facilitate ease of access to DCALF’s physical office.

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