Development & Special Projects Associate

Job Details: Job Location: EPBLC

• Brooklyn, NY, Position Type: Full Time, Salary Range: $68000.00 - $78000.00Salary/year, Development & Special Projects Associate Location: Brooklyn, New York Status: Full-Time Reports to: Executive Director Salary: 68K-78K About El Puente Founded in 1982, El Puente is a youth-centered organization that uses the arts and education to advance social and environmental justice. Our mission is to inspire and nurture leadership for peace and justice. Working as a human rights institution in New York City and Puerto Rico, El Puente builds community-led movements for self-determination through youth leadership, education, arts and culture, environmental justice, and community organizing. El Puente is a youth-centered organization rooted in the belief that young people are leaders, artists, organizers, and agents of change. Its work integrates leadership development, education, the arts, wellness, civic engagement, and community building to support young people and families in creating more just and equitable communities.

Position Overview

El Puente is seeking a highly organized, thoughtful, and motivated Development & Special Projects Associate to support the organization’s fundraising, strategic initiatives, and emerging programmatic opportunities. This is a unique early-career position for someone who is an excellent writer and communicator, enjoys managing multiple projects and details, and wants to learn how a community-based social justice organization builds programs, raises resources, develops partnerships, and turns ideas into action.

This position will provide an early-career professional with significant exposure to nonprofit leadership, fundraising, program development, organizational strategy, and community-based social justice work working directly with the Executive Director and the senior leadership team. The person in this role will have opportunities to participate in important organizational conversations, develop relationships with philanthropic and community partners, and take increasing ownership of projects over time.

The Associate will have two interconnected areas of responsibility. They will support El Puente’s development efforts through grant writing, reporting, prospect research, funder communications, and grants management. They will also work closely with the Executive Director on special projects involving new program development, organizational strategy, funder and partner relationships, research, planning, and coordination.

The ideal candidate is intellectually curious, resourceful, able to move comfortably between big-picture thinking and detailed execution, and deeply committed to community organizing and social justice. Core Responsibilities Development & Fundraising Support El Puente’s institutional fundraising efforts, including: Research prospective foundations, government opportunities, corporate partners, and other potential funding sources aligned with El Puente’s mission and priorities.

Assist with drafting, editing, and submitting grant proposals and other funding requests. Support with budget development for funding submissions, including grant applications and public contracts. Coordinate the process for completion of funding proposals and reports. Develop and maintain a detailed tracking system for all funding sources, including timelines, award amounts, invoicing calendars, work scopes and deliverables.

Prepare briefing materials, talking points, presentations, and follow-up correspondence for funder meetings. Help maintain strong communication and relationships with existing and prospective funding partners. Support the development of compelling narratives, data, and stories that communicate El Puente’s impact. Assist with special fundraising initiatives, campaigns, events, and donor engagement activities as needed.

Special Projects & Executive Director Support Work directly with the Executive Director to advance emerging opportunities and organizational priorities, including: Coordinate special projects that cut across programs, departments, or organizational priorities. Research new program ideas, partnerships, funding opportunities, public initiatives, and issues affecting El Puente's communities.

Support the development of new programs and initiatives from early concept through planning and implementation. Help translate new ideas into clear project plans, timelines, deliverables, budgets, and next steps. Coordinate meetings and working groups related to special initiatives, including preparing agendas, materials, notes, and follow-up actions.

Track commitments, deadlines, and deliverables involving multiple internal and external stakeholders. Prepare research summaries, briefing documents, presentations, talking points, memos, and other materials for the Executive Director. Support preparation for meetings with funders, government officials, community partners, organizational leaders, and other stakeholders.

Conduct follow-up and coordinate next steps resulting from strategic meetings and new opportunities. Assist with organizational planning, research, and strategy projects. Serve as a connector across teams when projects require coordination among program, development, finance, communications, and administrative staff. Take on other time-sensitive or emerging projects that advance El Puente’s mission and strategic priorities.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or demonstrated successful professional, organizing, community, and lived experience alongside formal education. Exceptional organizational and project-management skills and can keep track of multiple deadlines, details, and priorities at the same time. Strong writing skills and ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, concisely, and persuasively.

Strong communicator who can interact effectively with colleagues, community members, funders, partners, and organizational leaders. Excellent researcher who enjoys learning about new issues, identifying useful information, and synthesizing what you learn. Experience preparing presentations or executive briefing materials.

Ability to take initiative, anticipate needs, ask good questions, and follow through on commitments. Comfort receiving feedback and using it to strengthen your work. Ability to work independently while also collaborating effectively as part of a team. Demonstrate good judgment and discretion when handling sensitive or confidential information.

Comfort working in an environment where priorities can evolve and new opportunities sometimes require a quick response. Demonstrated interest in community organizing, youth development, racial and economic justice, environmental justice, education, arts and culture, or related social justice work. Belief that communities should have meaningful power in shaping the policies, programs, and institutions that affect their lives.

Preferred Spanish-language proficiency, particularly given El Puente’s work with Latino communities in New York City and Puerto Rico Our Values/Equal Opportunity El Puente is committed to building an organization that reflects the communities we serve and the values we seek to advance in the world. We encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, particularly individuals with connections to communities historically excluded from positions of institutional leadership and influence.

We seek team members who approach their work with humility, curiosity, accountability, collaboration, creativity, a commitment to justice—and who recognize community members and young people as leaders, partners, and creators of change. A sense of humor is also strongly appreciated.