Donor Support Specialist

About Us:
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) was founded in 2000 with one clear objective: accelerating meaningful therapeutic advances and, ultimately, a cure for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The Foundation applies extraordinary scientific, business and media assets to this singular focus—thus creating a unique and dynamic organization. Since inception, MJFF has quickly grown into the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s disease research, having funded over $2 billion in research projects in both academic and industry labs worldwide.

Core to our philosophy is how we think of our capital and its risk profile relative to other stakeholders in the drug development pipeline. We work aggressively to de-risk various therapeutic strategies and tools in the hopes of building a robust pipeline of new treatments for patients. In order to achieve our mission of finding a cure for PD it is critical that we engage with, and bring together, members of the PD community including researchers, physicians, health professionals and most important, people with Parkinson's and their families.

We believe that to find a cure for PD as quickly as possible, our capital needs to push research forward today—we therefore deliberately hold no endowment or excessive reserves. We instead seek to deploy funds raised as quickly and wisely as possible. MJFF raises over $100 million annually. Today, the Foundation has approximately 300 full-time employees. We offer a collegial and collaborative environment where optimistic problem-solvers and entrepreneurial, resourceful individuals can thrive and make a tangible difference for millions of people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Position Summary: 
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (“the Foundation”) is seeking top talent for its Donor Support Specialist position.  Reporting to the Director of Planned Giving, this role will serve as the first point of contact for donors, providing exceptional customer services for constituents.  This role will also be responsible for maintaining a high level of data integrity within the Foundation’s Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”) software, capturing relevant data from donor interactions.  This position focuses on creating meaningful experiences for donors, managing communications and supporting the overall fundraising and stewardship process.  They will act as a liaison between donors and internal staff, ensuring seamless communication and follow-up.

This is a hybrid-flex position that will require in-person attendance on a semi-regular basis at the Foundation’s office in New York City.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities: 

Donor Engagement 

• Share high-level information about the Foundation, the business model and the various ways people can get involved, the mission, giving, webinars, Team Fox and other areas
• Listen for cues to determine if someone should be prospected further and/or routed to a specific portfolio within individual giving, including Annual Giving, Major Gifts, Planned Giving etc.
• Provide prompt and professional responses to donor questions, concerns and requests
• Build and maintain positive relationships with donors to foster trust and ongoing support
• Collaborate with internal teams, including Donor Services and relationship managers, to address donor needs and ensure follow-through on commitments
• Build and maintain relationships across the Foundation team for donor related questions
• Work across the Foundation with teams who receive calls from constituents to refine processes for transferring calls to the right team and help define the signals that trigger a hand-off
• Support donors with Tribute Page Setup and follow up  

Monitoring & Reporting 

• Maintain a clean and organized inbox, keeping communication streamlined and responsive
• Capture detailed information from donor and prospect interactions in the CRM.  Make recommendations on when a new record should be created, track next steps and relevant action items
• Using analytics tools like DOMO, track phone and email activity including trends of type of outreach and information requested
• Responsible for record keeping of all donor interactions and providing regular updates to internal staff on donor interactions, trends, and feedback
• Build out processes and services to suggest improvements to donor inquiries alongside our existing systems and Donor Services team
• Work closely with donor services to ensure all donor data flows into salesforce

Qualifications and Skills: 

• Knowledge of fundraising, operational systems and practices
• High level of data integrity  
• Ability to successfully handle multiple projects and meet critical deadlines
• Be a proactive, self-sufficient "doer" who can take initiative and drive results with sound judgement and high attention to detail
• Have excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, and emotional intelligence
• Familiarity with Salesforce CRM software such as Salesforce

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $65,000 to $75,000.  In addition to salary, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• 15+ options for medical insurance (with the Foundation paying 90 percent of the premiums)
• Competitive dental and vision plans
• 401(k) plan with 6 percent employer contribution
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employer paid life and disability insurance
• 18 Vacation Days; 12 Well-Being (Sick) Days; 2 Personal Days; summer Fridays (office closure at 2 p.m.) and a summer holiday week over July 4
• Two ways of working: hybrid-flex, or remote work.  We trust all employees to work closely with their manager and colleagues to determine when, where and how programs and projects get done.  

Employees are also eligible for a discretionary bonus on an annual basis. The Foundation provides staff and leadership cultivation through regular training courses and events.  

How to Apply: 
Interested candidates should submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter describing through examples, their specific qualifications and interest in the position. If you think that your skills are transferable and can add value to this role, please apply. Applicants who best match the position’s needs will be contacted.

MJFF is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from individuals who will contribute to our efforts to build and support a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce. Diversity may refer to characteristics including, but not limited to, race, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic circumstance, geographic background, ability and disability, political ideology and age.