Sempervirens Fund

Would you like to use your attention to detail and problem-solving skills to help protect iconic Coast redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains? Are you interested in work that connects donor service, fundraising data, and financial accuracy? If so, consider joining Sempervirens Fund’s collaborative team. We are passionate about forests and dedicated to making them accessible to all. 

ABOUT THE POSITION 

The Gift Processor and Database Associate is responsible for the accurate and timely processing, acknowledgment, and financial coordination of charitable gifts. The position maintains donor and gift records, oversees day-to-day data quality across the donor database and connected platforms, and leads improvements to established gift processing and database workflows. 

This role is part of the Development team and reports to the Director of Annual Philanthropic Giving. The Associate works closely with Finance, fundraising staff, and vendors; independently manages established gift processing and data workflows; leads assigned system and process improvements; and serves as a primary operational resource for donor and gift data. 

ABOUT SEMPERVIRENS FUND  

The mission of Sempervirens Fund, a nonprofit conservation organization, is to ensure coast redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains thrive for generations to come. We protect redwood forests through land acquisition and conservation easements and own and steward more than 12,000 acres of redwoods and associated habitats. We also promote forest management practices across the Santa Cruz Mountains to help redwood forests and surrounding communities better withstand the impacts of climate change. We work to expand opportunities for inclusive public access so people from all backgrounds can experience and enjoy these forests. Over the organization’s 125-year history, we have protected more than 36,000 acres, helped establish and expand five state parks and other protected areas, and created the beloved 32-mile Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY 

We are committed to an organizational culture that is welcoming and inclusive. We seek a staff that is reflective of the diverse communities with which we work. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply. Sempervirens Fund is an equal-opportunity employer. 

WHAT WE OFFER 

• A collaborative and supportive team environment 

• A culture that emphasizes work-life balance and family-friendly policies 

• Employer-paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance for the employee 

• Thirteen paid holidays with five additional floating holidays each fiscal year 

• Three weeks of vacation in the first year, with additional accrual based on tenure 

• Twelve days of paid sick leave each year 

• An employer retirement plan match of 6% for the first five years and 8% thereafter 

• Flexibility to work from home up to four days a week when in-office work is not required. 

• Cell phone and home internet stipend 

• Professional development opportunities 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Percentages are approximate and may shift based on gift volume, organizational priorities, system implementations, and other operational needs. 

GIFT PROCESSING AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (50%) 

• Processes and enters gifts from all fundraising channels, including checks, lockbox, online and credit card gifts, stock, electronic fund transfers, donor advised funds, individual retirement accounts, workplace giving, matching gifts, pledges, and estate distributions.  

• Reviews gifts for accurate donor attribution, fund, campaign, appeal, channel, gift code, and acknowledgment treatment according to established procedures.  

• Independently researches and resolves incomplete, unusual, unmatched, or discrepant gifts in coordination with the appropriate staff. Escalates issues that require policy, legal, financial, or senior staff to review before committing the batch.  

• Prepares and distributes timely tax acknowledgments and other required gift documentation.  

• Owns, updates, and improves acknowledgment templates and related mail merge processes. 

DATABASE COORDINATION AND DATA INTEGRITY (20%) 

• Creates, updates, and maintains constituent and gift records and applies established data standards consistently across gift and donor data workflows. 

• Manages routine imports, integrations, and automated gift workflows. Investigates and resolves exceptions and coordinates support from staff or vendors when needed. 

• Independently identifies and resolves duplicate, incomplete, or inconsistent donor data that affects acknowledgments, reporting, segmentation, or donor history. 

• Conducts ongoing data quality reviews, corrects issues according to established standards, and identifies recurring or systemic data concerns. 

• Leads assigned data cleanup, testing, migration, and workflow development related to the organization’s transition to and ongoing use of a new database of record. 

FINANCIAL COORDINATION AND REPORTING (15%) 

• Independently reconciles gift batches to source reports, prepares gift posting reports and deposit documentation, and ensures that all batch information required by Finance is accurate and complete. 

• Maintains complete, organized, and accessible batch documentation in designated tracking systems. 

• Works with internal Finance team and external consultants to investigate discrepancies among gift records, source reports, deposits, fees, and financial records. 

• Develops and produces recurring and ad hoc gift reports and data exports for reconciliation, audit support, fundraising, communications, and other organizational needs. 

WORKFLOW COORDINATION AND DOCUMENTATION (10%) 

• Owns the accurate and timely tracking of completed, pending, and unresolved batches in the Asana Gift Processing project. 

• Leads the implementation and ongoing management of improved batch tracking and financial coordination workflows and automations, including Asana reporting, General Ledger documentation, testing, and process documentation. 

• Communicates processing schedules, delays, discrepancies, and unresolved issues to affected staff. 

• Owns and maintains current gift processing and database procedures, including report locations, coding standards, processing steps, exceptions, and coordination with Finance. 

• Leads assigned workflow improvements from assessment through implementation and evaluates their effect on accuracy, efficiency, and consistency. 

• Under the direction of the Director of Annual Philanthropic Giving, develops and provides staff guidance and training on established gift processing and database procedures. 

• Coordinates and oversees volunteers supporting gift processing and related projects, including assigning work, providing training, and reviewing completed work. Regular in-person attendance is expected based on volunteer schedules and operational needs. 

TEAM AND ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPATION (5%) 

• Participates in required staff, Development team, and other relevant meetings and training. 

• Contributes to team planning, shared projects, and organizational activities as appropriate. 

• Performs other job duties as needed. 

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS 

The success of this position depends on accuracy, independent judgement, follow through, systems thinking, and the ability to understand how gift processing and data decisions affect donor service, finance, reporting, and connected systems. 

• Three or more years of experience in gift processing, donor database administration, fundraising operations, or a related field, including demonstrated responsibility for independently managing recurring workflows. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered. 

• Experience with a fundraising CRM or comparable database. Raiser’s Edge, Virtuous, Omatic, or similar systems experience is preferred. 

• Experience processing charitable gifts and maintaining constituent records with a high level of accuracy. 

• Working knowledge of gift acknowledgment requirements and nonprofit gift processing practices. Familiarity with charitable gift compliance and financial reconciliation is preferred. 

• Strong computer proficiency and Microsoft 365 skills, including experience working with spreadsheets, data exports, and mail merges. 

• Demonstrated ability to manage imports, integrations, queries, reports, and automated workflows and to troubleshoot complex exceptions. 

• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage recurring deadlines, changing priorities, and a high volume of detailed work. 

• Clear and timely written and verbal communication skills, including the judgement to raise questions and escalate issues. 

• Ability to independently prioritize and manage operational work, lead defined cross-functional improvements, collaborate across teams, maintain confidentiality, and handle donor information with care. 

• Ability to travel to and attend required in-person meetings at varying locations, primarily within the Bay Area. 

• Commitment to Sempervirens Fund’s mission and fostering a welcoming, inclusive workplace. 

• Ability to remain seated or standing for extended periods while using a computer. 

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.