Development and Communications Assistant

Responsibilities:

Development

• Fundraising Strategy Support: Assist in developing and implementing strategies to achieve fundraising goals, including donor cultivation, annual giving campaigns, and special events.
• Grant Writing and Reporting: Research and draft grant proposals and reports for foundation, government, and corporate funding, coordinate with grant writers.
• Donor Relations: Assist with donor communications, including special event invites, thank-you notes, annual reports, board reports, presentation decks, and impact statements.
• Database Management: Support the tracking of donors, grants, sales, and reporting in our Salesforce, Shopify, and our ticketing system.
• Event Coordination: Support the planning and execution of fundraising events (two benefits per year), exhibition openings and closings, performance events, and cultivation events (dinners, private tours, cocktail parties).

‍

Communications

• Content Creation: Develop compelling content for newsletters and social media to highlight the Wassaic Project’s public programs, artist residencies, and exhibitions. Coordinate with photographers to document exhibitions, events, merch, and other content.
• Social Media Management: Draft content for the Wassaic Project's social media platforms to engage with followers, promote events, and expand the organization’s reach. Manage social media calendar in balance with the full communications calendar. 
• Public Relations: Collaborate on media outreach strategies, including developing press kits and cultivating relationships with local, regional, and national media outlets.
• Work with the Development and Communications Manager to focus content on revenue generation including driving sales of art, merch, and programming tickets.

‍

Front Desk

• Welcome visitors to the Wassaic Project at the front gallery desk on Saturdays — following front desk protocols, communicating with visitors, processing sales, etc. — three quarters per year.  
• Support appearance and customer experience of our gallery store, both on-site and online. This includes weekly re-organization, supporting inventory management, evaluations of sales, as well as working with the Development and Communications Manager to create and implement strategies around earned revenue at the store.

Expectation is that this position will evolve over time with growing responsibilities. We are a collaborative team and a small staff who work together to solve challenges and staff events.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 1–2 years of experience in development, communications, or a related role

Skills:

• Easy to work with, a good attitude, and a team player.
• Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills.
• Proficiency with social media platforms, website management, and email marketing tools (such as Mailchimp).
• Familiarity with donor management systems (Salesforce) and grant writing a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with an ability to manage multiple priorities. 
• Passion for the arts and community engagement.
• Experience in visual arts or cultural programming is a plus.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Comfortable using G Suite and Microsoft Office.

‍

Start date:

December 1, 2024, full time in Wassaic 40hrs/week, Tuesday through Saturday

‍

Compensation and Benefits:

The estimated salary range for this position is $45,000 to $50,000, depending on experience or $33,000 plus housing (private room in a shared house with additional staffers).

We offer a comprehensive benefits package for employees* including:

• Fully paid short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance
• Retirement savings program with employer contributions
• Paid vacation, personal days, sick days, and holidays
• Discounts on art and store purchases
• Access to workshops and shared facilities for personal use**

*Eligibility for certain benefits is based on a variety of factors including the employee’s regular schedule and tenure

**Certain projects and use require prior approval

‍

‍Application Requirements:

• Contact information.
• Resume/CV (2 pages max).
• 2 professional references and contact info.
• If you are a creator/maker, we encourage you to include up to 4 examples of your work.
• Please answer the following questions:
  • Why do you want to be the Development and Communications Assistant and work at the Wassaic Project? What makes you an ideal candidate? What do you hope to get out of this experience? Please address: relevant experience; your interest in the position and the Wassaic Project; collaborative approach. 500 words max.
  • If you were going to advertise in one place for the Wassaic Project, where would it be and why? 100 words max.

‍

Application Deadline:

October 31, midnight EST. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the deadline.

‍

Notifications:

Notifications will be sent out on or before December 1.

The advertised pay scale reflects the good faith minimum and maximum salary range for this role. The advertised pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, special licensing or qualifications, and other factors.

EEO Statement: The Wassaic Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Project does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, or any other factor prohibited by law.