Description:
The Development Strategy & Analyst Intern supports the Associate Director of Advancement Services to help identify, research, and analyze information on prospective donors. The analyst intern provides discovery support to the fundraising team to identify prospects for Major Gifts, Corporations, Foundations and Planned Giving. The student intern also proactively identifies prospective major gift donors who have given at lower levels. They will also work collaboratively with individual Development Directors (DOD) managing projects and activities in the qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors.
This position is to begin in the Fall Semester 2026.
Responsibilities:
- Conduct proactive analysis to identify new potential major and principal gift donors using data mining, screening and other methods.
- Support prospect screening and data mining projects. Help to independently verify screening results.
- Update information in the RENXT database following established data standards.
- Using a variety of resources, develop and synthesize information on prospects (including individuals, corporations, and foundations) to produce clear profiles/biographies of their background, career, financial capacity, philanthropic interests and nature of relationship to SUU.
- Develop proficiency in using the Candid foundation database and analyzing past giving and board member affiliations accessed on IRS 990 forms.
- Set measurable goals, plans, and execute the identification and qualification of new major gift prospects.
- Develop supportive and productive relationships with Advancement staff.
- Track prospecting activity for internal performance metrics and reporting.
- Safeguard the confidentiality of constituent information at all times by adhering to ethical and confidentiality guidelines of SUU and the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA).
- Collaborate with DODs to develop donor and prospect cultivation materials. Draft and sometimes design content for various forms of development communication, including proposals, white papers, one-pagers, and prospect briefings.
- Assist with scheduling emails and other digital and print outreach for SUU’s planned giving marketing tools in Crescendo.
- Draft Gift Agreements, Scholarship Agreements, Addendums, and Pledge documents for new and existing constituents.
- Assist DoDs with New Gift form entry.
- May assist in coordinating donor meetings including summarizing regional alumni lists from Prospect Management. May assist with mass outreach to alumni in regions under DoD oversight. May assist in planning travel arrangements and on campus donor visits.
- Assist DODs with entering contact reports in NXT. In coordination with Prospect Management, compile and compose accurate and often confidential information on prospects and donors to prepare DODs and campus leaders for donor meetings and events.
- Perform additional duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency in Google Workspace and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Willingness to learn about fundraising, donor relations, and advancement practices
- Reliable and punctual with good time management skills
- Demonstrated ability to retrieve, manipulate, analyze and synthesize information gathered from a variety of sources (electronic, print and personal accounts).
- Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships, including the ability to communicate effectively. Strong commitment to customer service required.
- High attention to detail and follow-up, and excellent organizational skills required, including the ability to prioritize and multi-task several projects simultaneously.
- An aptitude for critical thinking and problem solving.
- Ability to manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
- Strong work ethic.
- Flexible and adaptable to new programs in an emerging and changing environment.