Development Senior Associate

About Run for Something 

Run for Something recruits and supports young, diverse progressives running for down-ballot races to build sustainable power nationwide. Since 2017, RFS has engaged over 250,000 potential candidates, endorsed over 3,000, and celebrated 1,600+ election victories. RFS alumni drive impactful changes in housing, abortion access, and education, shaping the Democratic Party's future.

RFS fosters a culture emphasizing work-life balance, sustainability, and a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. With strategic, year-round initiatives, RFS is dedicated to long-term democracy-building.

Learn more about our work and values on our Careers page.

Position Name: Development Senior Associate

Reporting Structure: This role reports to the Vice President of Development

Location: Remote (U.S.)
Job Classification: Full Time, Exempt 

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the RFS United union.

Position Summary: 

Run for Something is currently hiring a Development Senior Associate. In this role, you will report to the Vice President (VP) of Development and support the Development Team by providing administrative support, leading the solicitation and stewardship of mid-level donors, and assisting with the solicitation and stewardship of major donors. 

The Development Senior Associate also supports organizational priorities, maintains alignment with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals, and upholds core values while contributing to a collaborative and inclusive culture.

Key Responsibilities

Under the supervision and guidance of the VP of Development, the Development Senior Associate will help RFS accomplish our strategic imperatives by:

• Administrative and Operations Support for Development team [60%]

  • Assist VP of Development and Major Gifts Manager with moving donors along the pipeline, from identification to closing donations to stewardship, as well as tracking reporting deadlines

  • Assist with internal tasks, including expense tracking, travel planning, scheduling donor meetings, and supporting event planning and follow-up.

  • Help coordinate fundraising trips by managing data, assisting with prospect research, and preparing travel briefs and materials for meetings with donors.

  • Lead on donor management and direct the Development Department's database administration using our NGP database.

    •  Maintain quality control by ensuring accurate entry of donor information, donations, and meeting notes, and by creating lists for invitations, stewardship, and solicitation.

  • Manage internal tracking and data management for the development team, including revenue and commit tracking across all entities, team meeting agendas, meeting/event report outs and executive team to-dos and follow-ups.

• Prospect Research & Cultivation [20%]

  • In consultation with the Development and Major Gifts Manager, develop a system for prospecting our own donor database for upgrading existing donors as well as finding new top prospects for outreach

  • Conduct research on prospects and donors, prepare materials for cultivation and solicitation visits, and contribute to brief writing under the guidance of the VP of Development.

• Stewardship [20%]

  • Lead on mid-level donor stewardship, including gift acknowledgment and contribution upgrades.

  • In collaboration with the Communications Department, manage grassroots donor stewardship.

  • Manage the donor acknowledgment process, ensuring timely correspondence and compliance documentation.

  • Support coordination of calls, webinars, and other stewardship events for donors and advisors.

  • Assist with drafting and editing appeals, acknowledgments, donor updates, reports, and proposals in collaboration with the VP, Development.

Your role and responsibilities may evolve to ensure they align with organizational priorities and that you continuously contribute to our mission of recruiting and supporting young progressives running for down-ballot offices.

Key Competencies and Qualifications

• 3-4 years of relevant experience (campaign or fundraising team) demonstrating a customer service mindset and attention to detail.

• At least one cycle of political experience 

• Proven ability to manage sensitive situations and high-level relationships with professionalism and good judgment.

• Demonstrated interest in fundraising, with strong writing skills and a focus on operational excellence.

• Self-starter with strong time-management skills; able to proactively anticipate needs, prioritize tasks, and adapt to changing situations quickly.

• Expertise in G-Suite, Excel/Google Sheets, NGP Database Software, and a willingness to learn new software tools.

• Proven ability to work independently in a remote setting, collaborate across teams, and maintain transparency in workflows.

• Commitment to Run for Something’s mission and values, including contributing to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment.

Plus Qualifications

• Experience in progressive nonprofits, political campaigns, or fundraising for 501c3, 501c4, 527 PACs.

• Familiarity with the progressive fundraising landscape.

• Experience with event coordination.

Work Environment 

• Run for Something operates as a fully remote organization, with team members collaborating from across the U.S. You will work from home or a location of your choosing.

• This role involves attending approximately two all-staff or team events per year, which may include overnight travel. Reasonable accommodations are available for employees unable to travel or participate in gatherings.

• The position requires working core hours from Monday to Thursday, with occasional night and weekend work.

Run for Something is committed to building diverse teams and fostering equitable, inclusive environments that maximize the skills, potential, and unique perspectives of our employees. We strongly encourage individuals from marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and those with disabilities, to apply—especially those historically underrepresented in elected office. Learn more about our commitment here.

Learn more about what it’s like to work at Run for Something on our Careers page.

Compensation & Benefits 

Salary for this position is set at $80,200. In order to counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, salaries are non-negotiable for new and current employees. Run for Something salary bands for a given staff level are benchmarked to the 75th percentile for our sector, and all new employees are paid at the entry point of those bands. Employees then have the opportunity to progress through current salary bands through annual cost of living increases and performance-based pay increases and into new salary bands through promotions. 

Learn more about our compensation policy here. 

Benefits at Run for Something include: 

• Four-Day Work Week (learn more here)

• Unlimited Paid Time Off policy 

• Platinum Medical Insurance (100% of premium covered for employees; 50% of premium covered for dependents) 

• Dental and Vision Insurance (100% of premium covered for both employees and dependents) 

• Professional Development Stipend

• Treat Yourself Stipend ($500 a year to do something that brings you joy)

• Equipment Stipend

• 401k with matching

• Work from Home Stipend

• Cell Phone/Internet Stipend  

• 12 weeks paid family leave

• Paid Sabbatical (after 3 years of service to RFS)

• Employee Assistance Program

• ~ Four weeks in organization-wide holiday closures, including a two-week winter break

• Flexible, remote work environment

Work Authorization

Due to campaign finance restrictions, candidates must have valid work authorization and cannot be foreign nationals. We are legally restricted to hiring only U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (green card holders) for this position.

To Apply

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early submissions.

For details on our interview process, please visit here.

Please do not contact us via phone, email, or social media for application inquiries. We cannot respond individually due to the high volume of applications. To ensure equity, we do not offer informational interviews for specific applicants. While applying can be challenging, we strive to keep all candidates informed about their status, though responses may occur after the application deadline.