Development Associate

About Weeksville Heritage Center

Weeksville Heritage Center (WHC) is a historic site and cultural center in Central Brooklyn that uses education, arts, and a social justice lens to preserve, document and inspire engagement with the history of Weeksville, one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America, and the Historic Hunterfly Road Houses. Founded in 1838, Weeksville was the second largest of approximately 100 independent African-American communities established before the Civil War.

When a group of community activists rediscovered three remaining original homes 1968, they purchased, rehabilitated, and restored the Hunterfly Road Houses, re-opening their doors as the Weeksville Heritage Center in 1973. In 2014, WHC opened its new Cultural Arts and Education Center and campus, including a visual arts gallery, performance space, resource center, and administrative offices. WHC is now poised for a bright new era, with the resources and vision in place to fully activate our history and expand our education, preservation, and public programming.

Recently announced as New York City’s newest Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) member, the first since 1998, WHC is one of New York City’s cultural treasures, dedicated to preserving and celebrating the story of the 19th century African-American community of Weeksville, a nationally significant, exceptionally well-documented and rare extant example of an independent African-American community organized by Black entrepreneurs and land investors to promote economic, social, and political rights.

Position Overview

The Development Associate provides essential administrative, operational, and logistical support to the Development Department at Weeksville Heritage Center. Reporting to the Director of Development, the Associate supports donor communications, individual giving activities, fundraising campaigns, grant coordination, Board engagement, and event support. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented and proactive professional interested in learning all aspects of nonprofit fundraising within a dynamic cultural organization.

Primary Responsibilities

Fundraising & Donor Support

  • Draft and prepare donor correspondence, including acknowledgment letters, renewal notices, and stewardship communications for individual, corporate, and foundation donors.
  • Support the preparation and coordination of individual giving campaigns, including annual appeals, membership drives, and digital fundraising initiatives.
  • Prepare donor lists, giving histories, and reports to inform cultivation and stewardship strategies.
  • Conduct basic research on potential donors, funders, and sponsors as requested.
  • Maintain accurate donor information and gift entries in the customer relationship management (CRM) system, ensuring all donations are recorded and reconciled with the Finance Department.

Data & Administrative Support

  • Maintain accurate and organized records in the CRM system and shared databases. 
  • Ensure all CRM data is accurate, complete, segmented correctly, and audit-ready. 
  • Develop and maintain internal trackers and systems, including grant trackers, Board trackers, development calendars, and event databases. 
  • Maintain organized digital files across Google Drive, ensuring accessibility and consistency across the department. 
  • Provide general administrative support to the Development Department as needed.

Grants & Institutional Support 

  • Maintain grant calendars, deadline trackers, and internal workflows to align Development, Finance, Programs, Education, and Operations. 
  • Collect invoices, vendor quotes, project documentation, and compliance materials required for city and state capital funding. 
  • Upload required program, financial, and organizational documents to government portals including PASSPort (Mayor’s Office of Contract Services), HHS Accelerator, and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Grants Management System (GMS). 
  • Assist with preparing materials for proposals and reports, including budgets, program descriptions, and supporting documentation. 

Board of Trustees & Committee Support

  • Coordinate and manage all logistics for quarterly Board of Trustees meetings and all Board Committee meetings, including scheduling, materials preparation, and day-of support. 
  • Prepare meeting materials, presentations, and onboarding packets for new trustees. 
  • Draft Board and Committee minutes and track action items to ensure follow-through across departments. 
  • Coordinate annual Board document collection, including pledges, Non-Disclosure Agreements (, and Conflict of Interest Forms. 
  • Maintain organized Board files, attendance logs, and pledge-tracking systems. 

Events & Campaigns

  • Manage invitation lists, RSVP tracking, guest communication, and post-event stewardship processes. 
  • Coordinate with event consultants, designers, and internal teams to prepare materials, run-of-show documents, and donor briefings. 
  • Assist in managing sponsorship tracking, benefits fulfillment, and ticketing reports for fundraising events. 
  • Provide onsite staffing and support during fundraising and cultivation events, including the Annual Spring Benefit and all cultivation events. 

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Qualifications 

  • Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • One to three years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, or administrative support (including internships and part-time roles).
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
  • Familiarity with donor databases or CRM systems and government grant systems such as PASSPort and the New York City Human Services Accelerator.
  • Working knowledge of the fundraising landscape in New York City and New York State, including awareness of major funders and philanthropic trends in the cultural sector.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
  • Enthusiasm for Weeksville’s mission and a commitment to the preservation and celebration of Black history and culture on skills

Salary and Benefits 

This is a full-time exempt position with a salary range of $55,000 – $60,000 annually. Weeksville Heritage Center offers a benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; a retirement plan that employees can contribute to after the eligibility period, and paid vacation, paid sick leave, and personal days with the option for a hybrid work schedule.

How to Apply 

Submit a resume and cover letter to: inquiries@weeksvillesociety.org. Please include Development Associate in the subject line and include where you found this job posting in the body of your email. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Thank you for your interest in the position. 

Weeksville Heritage Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All candidates for employment are considered without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, natioWeeksville Heritage Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All candidates for employment are considered without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical disability, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law. nal origin, physical disability, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.