Overview of the Organization: Since its inception in 2003, Groundswell Fund has put intersectional grassroots organizing led by women, transgender, and gender-expansive people of color at the center of our giving. It is a channel into which individual donors and foundations pour resources to reach vital work at the grassroots, serving as an irrigation system for growing reproductive, racial, and social justice movements. Our staff are from the very movements we fund, and we deeply understand grassroots impact with long-term investment. 

We do this work with our sibling organization, Groundswell Action Fund, founded in response to the first Trump Administration. Groundswell Action Fund was founded on a simple but revolutionary premise: those most excluded from our democracy should be at the center of transforming it. Both organizations work to revolutionize philanthropy through grantmaking, capacity building, and organizing within philanthropy itself to inspire more giving to the types of organizations we support – whether or not those resources come through our doors. 

While we fund nearly every major social justice movement in the United States, we are a long-term funder of the U.S. Reproductive Justice (RJ) Movement. Since the start of our grantmaking, we have moved more than $180 million (across both our c3 and c4) to the field in grants and capacity-building support, increased the giving of dozens of national and local foundations, and helped bring thousands of new individual donors into the RJ Movement. Our grantees have been instrumental in the passage of hundreds of pro-RJ policies at the state and local level and in blocking many regressive policies, and they have built a growing grassroots base of support for RJ across the U.S. 

Groundswell is a fully remote, highly collaborative, pro-worker, pro-union organization working across the four continental U.S. time zones. We believe that the best ideas emerge when diverse perspectives come together and are committed to creating an inclusive and flexible work environment where employees can thrive. We’ve embraced remote work as a core aspect of our culture since 2017 and will celebrate our first union contract with Groundswell Workers United this year.  

 

Fundraising and Organizational Vision

Groundswell is committed to cultivating a vibrant and engaged, multiracial and multigenerational community of donors and funders who connect their values to their resources. We believe generosity and intention go hand in hand with the success of the RJ movement and intersectional grassroots organizing and that giving at every level empowers individuals, families, and entire communities to create a better world. Groundswell’s values around authentic and respectful partnerships undergird our relationships with grantees, donors, and funders. Our mission to support grantee organizations as they build their grassroots power mirrors our fundraising mission, supporting the power of our donors through learning about the issues our grantees face and collaborating for greater collective impact and liberation for all people.      

  

Groundswell is embarking on an ambitious donor and funder organizing plan to accomplish our Blueprint goal of moving over $100 million to the field from 2020-2025. By 2025, we  aim to increase our donor base to 1,000 people and our annual budget to $25 million. We will increase outreach to new funders and donors and ask current funders to increase their giving levels  to support momentum in this important moment. We aim to ensure the ongoing stability of our annual revenue and grantmaking capacity despite likely shifts in the larger economic and philanthropic landscapes. To remain on target with our Blueprint goals and our key function in the field, Groundswell must continue cultivating, stewarding, and retaining existing and new sources of income and revenue.

  

Position Summary

The Donor Database Manager role is a new position at Groundswell. This person works closely with the Communications Director, Donor Relations Director, and Foundation Relations Director to maintain data integrity across the Advancement Department using Neon CRM as the primary system. This role will be responsible for data management, reporting, analysis, quality control, and enabling Advancement staff to use the system to work more strategically and effectively. The Donor Database Manager will oversee the tracking of fundraising data relevant to the organization’s fundraising goals as outlined in Groundswell’s 2020-2025 Blueprint, our strategic plan to advance women of color-led power-building across the U.S. This position will also play a key role in supporting staff responsible for grant seeking, foundation relations, major giving, and donor communications, as well as working collaboratively with all members of the team to bolster Groundswell’s growth and long-term sustainability. 


The ideal candidate for this role is a strategic, analytical thinker with strong interpersonal skills, a flexible mindset, and a passion for project management. Because this is a new position at the organization, someone who enjoys assessing needs, creating new systems and processes, and then working with staff to implement them would be an especially good fit. The person who will thrive as Donor Database Manager is comfortable working collaboratively in a diverse, fast-paced remote environment; is self-motivated and highly organized, with exceptional attention to accuracy; is a proactive problem solver who can manage multiple deadlines simultaneously; and understands the importance of discretion and confidentiality when handling sensitive funder/donor information. 

 

Responsibilities

 

Database Management (60%)

  • Manage all functions and general operations of the organization’s database (Neon CRM) and support optimal CRM system functionality and data integration across departments

  • Develop and maintain standard queries and reports, importing/exporting protocols, and related processes

  • Maintain documented policies and procedures to ensure the quality and integrity of the data and overall system; monitor database use and amend policies and procedures for greater effectiveness as needed

  • Identify opportunities for system improvements and enhanced integration to streamline data entry, increase collaboration, and improve reporting

  • Create tools and systems for manipulating data where the database’s functionality is insufficient

  • Troubleshoot problems with the database and stay current with updates to the system

  • Provide training and support to appropriate staff on key database functions to ensure access to the information required to fulfill their core responsibilities

 

Fundraising and Development Support (40%)

  • Create and manage department dashboards for analysis, tracking metrics, and fundraising/financial reporting, including evaluating donor engagement, understanding donor behavior, identifying prospects for increased giving

  • Maintain current data on all donors and funders in collaboration with our Foundation Relations Associate and Donor Relations Assistant; review and clean records regularly to ensure accuracy and consistency of data 

  • Collaborate with the team to track and report on fundraising progress, campaign outcomes, giving trends, and other metrics

  • Prepare revenue reports for department directors and senior leadership as requested

  • Generate and review reports for regular reconciliation with finance and support the annual audit

  • Support key events, fundraising efforts, development activities, and other duties as needed

 

Qualifications

Essential:

  • At least 5 years of experience working with CRMs/databases, preferably within nonprofit or philanthropic organizations

  • Mastery of Microsoft Excel and strong proficiency with other Microsoft Office products

  • Expertise with data imports/exports, queries, building lists, and designing reports from a relational system

  • Ability to prepare easy-to-understand reports from complex data

  • Demonstrated success in building and maintaining dashboards and other tracking tools

  • Well-organized with exceptional accuracy and attention to detail

  • Ability to use data analytically for both reporting and forecasting

  • Impeccable judgment and discretion in dealing with sensitive, confidential information

  • Demonstrated success in project management 

  • Outstanding time management skills and ability to be accountable for delivering consistent, high-quality work amidst competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment

  • Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical database users, including the ability to communicate effectively via phone, video, and email

  • Demonstrated personal/professional commitment to Groundswell’s mission, vision, and values

 

Strongly Preferred:

  • Experience working with Neon CRM, preferably as an administrator  

  • Experience establishing and institutionalizing database best practices

  • Experience working in partnership with IT and finance departments

  • Familiarity with nonprofit fundraising and philanthropy

  • Fluency in spoken English and written English

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team with members across several time zones

  • Experience working across cultures and differences, including comfort working with people of color and transgender and gender-expansive people. 

Virtual Organization: Groundswell is a completely virtual organization and has been for many years before the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to building a strong identity and thriving culture that is exemplary in the nonprofit world and in the greater landscape of fully remote organizations.  Our work is virtual but we will also have the opportunity to travel and see each other in person for retreats, conferences, and events. To succeed as remote workers, applicants should have a dedicated workspace, a commitment to clear and frequent communication, and comfort in utilizing technology to increase collaboration and connection. Those with previous remote work experience are preferred, but we also welcome those who are new to remote work and understand the requirements of working in a thriving virtual organizational culture. 

Work Schedule: Groundswell is currently operating on a 4-day, 32-hour work week, Monday - Thursday. We are a completely virtual organization, allowing for flexibility in work schedules for our staff across differing U.S. time zones. Groundswell is a completely virtual organization, allowing for flexibility in work schedules for our staff across differing U.S. time zones. While work can usually be completed during standard business hours of the applicant's time zone, there may be times when early morning, evening, and weekend work may be needed to ensure organization-wide collaboration, to staff or attend events, and/or to meet organization workload needs during busy times of the year. Staff whose jobs require travel can expect longer hours, as travel may happen outside of business hours and on weekends.   

 

Computer Skills:  To perform this job successfully, the candidate should be have a high level of proficiency with the Google suite, CRMs (Neon preferred), and the ability to work with basic web platforms, database software, web browsers, and conferencing software (Zoom).. Experience with Slack, Asana, and other project management tools is also desired. 

Travel: Candidate must be available to travel at least 6 times a year for overnight events/meetings across the U.S. Travel needs will be evaluated and determined on an ongoing basis with an eye toward staff safety as we continue navigating COVID-19.

Compensation/Benefits: Annual salary is $99,000 - $107,800 , commensurate with experience. Very generous benefits include fully paid-for employee and family health, dental, vision, and matching 401K plan, as well as additional employer-provided reimbursements for fertility expenses, gender-affirming care costs, and midwifery/doula expenses that are not covered by insurance. Three weeks of vacation upon hire and a generous holiday schedule including a week during the summer and the last two weeks of December, as well as a flexible 4-day, 32-hour work schedule

To Apply: Please include a resume, three professional references, and a cover letter that includes your salary expectations and describes why you feel you are a strong candidate for this position. Accepting applications on a rolling basis, with applications received by April 30 given priority, until the position has been filled. If you have questions, please email hr@groundswellfund.org (please do not reach out to individuals). Due to the high volume of applications, only those selected for further discussion will be contacted. Please, no phone calls.  


Equal Employment Opportunity: The Groundswell Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. We are committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, and rewarding and that enables each of us to realize our potential. Our work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of races, ethnicities, national origins, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, beliefs, religions, faiths and ideologies, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds and levels of physical ability.

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