Overview

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) seeks a Development & Operations Associate to support the day-to-day administrative, financial, and operational functions that sustain the Institute’s fundraising and outreach work. This role helps ensure that donor communications are timely and accurate, financial and vendor information is well maintained, and event registration and back-office processes are handled efficiently and professionally.

Founded in 1953, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute is a nonprofit organization that educates for liberty, equipping future leaders to embrace and defend the principles that make America free and prosperous.

The ideal candidate shares ISI’s mission and will play an important role in supporting the administrative infrastructure behind fundraising, financial operations, and events. This role could be a great opportunity for a recent graduate or junior professional interested in learning more about nonprofit operations, or an excellent fit for an experienced administrative professional, especially one with knowledge of bookkeeping and basic financial functions.

Reporting to the Donor Relations Manager, this is a full-time, salaried position with benefits based at ISI’s Kirby Campus headquarters on a historic 20-acre preserve in Wilmington, Delaware’s Brandywine Valley.

The salary range for this role is $50,000 – $65,000, commensurate with experience.

Principal Responsibilities

  • Assist with the donor acknowledgment process, ensuring gift acknowledgment letters and receipts are personalized based on previous giving history and printed, signed, and sent in a timely manner 
  • Open and process mail, tracking all donations and other transactions in Salesforce 
  • Work with the Donor Relations Manager and outside consultants on tasks related to direct mail, digital fundraising, and the database, such as fulfilling mailing list exchange requests and running basic database reports 
  • Support the major gifts team and overall department by conducting donor research, assembling and mailing donor communications, including new donor welcome packets, donor club letters, and direct mail premiums 
  • Assist with event registration and related data entry 
  • Maintain Bill and Ramp systems, including accounts payable, expense processing, and vendor management for professors, students, and other vendors 
  • Improve accuracy in financial and vendor records by helping verify information at both the front end and back end of accounts payable and vendor setup processes, including maintaining vendor records in Bill.com 
  • Support reporting and analysis of financial information 
  • Assist in the creation of budgets and budget-to-actual analysis 
  • Help staff with coding and other administrative accounting-related work 
  • Answer the ISI general phone and forward calls as needed when the Office Manager is unavailable 
  • Develop expertise with ISI’s database and administrative systems and help train or support interns and other staff as needed 

Qualifications

3+ years of relevant professional experience required. Candidates should be amiable, detail-oriented, organized, and comfortable supporting fundraising, finance, and nonprofit operations through strong administrative execution. The ideal candidate will bring sound judgment, follow-through, and a high degree of accuracy in handling records, transactions, and communications. 

Enthusiasm for ISI’s mission to educate for liberty and pass on the principles of Western civilization is a must. Strong written communication skills, time management, and the ability to interact professionally with donors, vendors, staff, professors, and students are required. 

Strong Microsoft Office (especially Excel and Word) skills are necessary. Familiarity with QuickBooks, Salesforce, Bill.com, Ramp, or other CRM/accounting and expense management systems is a plus. 

To Apply

Please use the form to submit the following application materials as one PDF document:

  • Résumé
  • A list of three references
  • Brief cover letter detailing your interest in the position/the mission of the organization

All submissions will be kept confidential.

Applications are considered as received. No phone calls, please. If you have questions, please email employment@isi.org.  

ISI is an equal-opportunity employer.