Advancement Coordinator

Advancement Coordinator

Founded by Detroit philanthropists George and Ellen Booth in 1904, Cranbrook Educational Community is one of the world’s leading centers of education, science, and art. Comprised of a graduate Academy of Art, contemporary Art Museum, Center for Collections and Research, House and Gardens, Institute of Science, and more than 1,600 students attending our Pre-K through 12 independent college preparatory Schools, Cranbrook welcomes thousands of visitors and students to its campus each year. Critics have called Cranbrook “the most enchanted and enchanting setting in America” and in 1989 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The campus is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, about 20 miles north of downtown Detroit. For more, please visit our website: www.cranbrook.edu.

Reporting to the Donor Experience Manager, the Advancement Coordinator provides full-time administrative and operational support for the Central Advancement team at Cranbrook Educational Community (CEC), to ensure smooth Advancement operations, strengthen donor stewardship, and support key fundraising initiatives across the Cranbrook community.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

Operational Support

• Pull donor data from RE NXT to create fundraising reports, graphs, and other donor-related documents.
• Assist with scheduling, meeting coordination, and donor correspondence.
• Coordinate the administration of meetings and communications related to board-level Advancement/Development Committee meetings, including scheduling meetings, taking, transcribing, and disseminating meeting notes.
• Make logistical, technical, and catering arrangements for onsite and offsite meetings.

Communications

• Support the creation and distribution of fundraising appeals and donor stewardship communications.
• Regularly review and suggest updates to Advancement/Development webpages and online giving forms.
• As requested, manage social media accounts for the Advancement team and/or specific Program Areas.
• As requested, manage donor and fundraising communications, ensuring consistent messaging across platforms.

Event Coordination

• Support the planning and execution of fundraising and stewardship events.
• Manage event communications, including event websites and giving forms.
• Coordinate invitation lists, track RSVPs, and manage event-related donor interactions in RE NXT.
• Oversee logistics such as catering, security, and vendor arrangements in partnership with Cranbrook Events staff.
• Support onsite registration and guest services during events, including occasional evening and weekend commitments.
• Train and manage volunteers as needed for Advancement events.

Donor Acknowledgment Processing

• Assist with the timely and accurate production of donor acknowledgment letters for all Program Areas (excluding Cranbrook Schools).
• Track and report acknowledgment metrics to ensure donor engagement is effectively maintained.

Gift Processing and Deposits Coordination

• Serve as the primary liaison between CEC Program Areas and the Gift Processing team to support accurate and timely gift handling.
• Review and sort all incoming gifts, ensuring proper documentation and accurate fund coding.
• Point person for assisting Gift Processing and Accounting in order for both departments to achieve reconciliation and deposit accuracy.

General

•  Attend regular meetings with the All Advancement, Donor Experience, Annual Giving and Membership, and Advancement Services teams. Attend Program Area development meetings as requested.
• Implement special projects in support of all areas of donor relations and stewardship. 

Requirements:

• High School Diploma or GED required; an associate degree or technical certification in Microsoft Excel and Power Point preferred.
• Minimum of five years of administration background, which demonstrates increasing levels of responsibility. Experience in nonprofit development with basic knowledge of fundraising concepts preferred.
• Requires excellent written and verbal communication skills to work effectively with diverse user groups.
• High proficiency in Word, Excel and database management required to create mail merges, create complex spreadsheets and graphs, and maintain and run development reports required.
• Experience and fluency with CRM and database management, preferably with Blackbaud: Raiser’s Edge and RE NXT.
• Demonstrated ability to work with confidential information.
• Ability to effectively handle multiple tasks with deadlines with proven proficiency at effective prioritization and multitasking.
• Creativity as well as analytical ability to maximize program outcomes and track for strategic and process improvements.
•  Strong writing skills, including the ability to proofread and edit content.
• Collaborative team player with the ability to work effectively in a complex organization.
• Requires a valid Michigan driver’s license with satisfactory driving record.

Cranbrook offers competitive compensation and benefits that include medical, dental, life insurance, long-term and short-term disability, and retirement programs with employer contribution. We also offer generous paid time off, 11 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays, employee discounts, and a unique environment in an educational setting that values collaboration.

For consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter.