Job Openings Philanthropy Associate

About the job Philanthropy Associate

At a Glance

Time Commitment: Full-time

Experience Level: Entry-level to Intermediate

Team: Philanthropy and Communications; reports to Director of Philanthropy

Compensation: $51,000-$56,000/year + benefits

Location: Asheville, NC

Anticipated Start Date: November 2026

The Opportunity

Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO) has delivered affordable housing solutions for income-limited homeowners and renters in and around Buncombe County since 1988. In 2025, MHO's Board of Directors adopted a 4-year Strategic Plan that sets ambitious goals to expand affordable rental and homeownership opportunities, strengthen our home repair and down payment assistance programs, advance service-enriched housing, and deepen our impact in the communities we serve. As Western North Carolina continues long-term recovery from Tropical Storm Helene, our ability to share our story, grow our community of supporters, and inspire transformational investment is more important than ever. To support this critical work, MHO is seeking a Philanthropy Associate to assist in sustaining and strengthening fund development, stewardship, and storytelling efforts. The ideal candidate will be a highly organized, mission-aligned professional who is attuned to detail, adept at balancing multiple priorities, motivated by opportunity, enthusiastic about data, committed to process improvement, and guided by gratitude.

Please note: This is an in-office position. Once established in the role and based on duties and performance, the position may qualify for episodic telecommuting, in accordance with MHO's telecommuting policy.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Philanthropy Operations: Gift Processing, Record Management, Data Integrity, Research, and Stewardship (50%)

  • Serves as staff lead for gift and donor recordkeeping in MHO's fundraising CRM, Bloomerang, including all giving-related data entry, gift processing, and timely production of acknowledgement letters. Applies gift allocation and accounting codes according to standards set jointly with MHO Finance, and keeps entries current so the database is current and aligned to the Finance Department's reconciliation schedule, supporting accurate and on-time monthly, quarterly, and annual close.
  • Ensures timely entry and tracking of event-related registrations and revenues with necessary receipting, acknowledgements, and revenue reconciliation.
  • Organizes and maintains physical and digital funder and prospect-related files.
  • Builds, analyzes, and distributes reports related to fundraising activity, identifying new or increased gifts, lapsed donors, and other key constituent data.
  • Tracks and maintains other fundraising-related digital platforms and tools related to philanthropic giving and donor acknowledgement on a gift-by-gift basis.
  • Documents, evaluates, and maintains systems, policies, and procedures, including standardized coding, processing, and reporting practices, to ensure the integrity of all constituent and financial data in the fundraising database, in partnership with the Director of Philanthropy.
  • Partners with Director of Philanthropy and other staff as necessary to investigate and document information regarding prospective funders' financial capacity, philanthropic interests, propensity to give, and relationship to MHO; prepares and distributes this information ahead of prospect outreach in order to guide strategy and approach.
  • Stewards donations, data, and preferences of current and prospective supporters with accuracy and respect.

Fundraising Communications, Campaign Production, and Project Management (30%)

  • Writes and produces fundraising-related communications, including digital and print solicitations, gift acknowledgements, event-specific content, and stewardship updates.
  • Leads production of 2 to 3 seasonal fundraising solicitations, including print and digital, including pulling and refining contact lists, setting goals, and tracking progress.
  • Leads participation in community or regional giving campaigns, such as the Mountain XPress Give!Local campaign.
  • Supports creation and production of other philanthropic-related publications, such as annual and impact reports, sponsorship or other giving guides.
  • Collaborates directly with contracted creative agency to design and produce communications and other collateral; project manages department-wide design production in collaboration with colleagues and contracted brand partner.

Team and Organizational Support (20%)

  • Provides administrative and clerical support for Philanthropy and Communications Department, including but not limited to filing, note-taking, assisting with funding application and reporting needs, preparing and managing logistics for meetings and special events, and other tasks as assigned; serves as administrative lead for MHO Philanthropy and Communications Committee, a committee of MHO's Board that supports resource development and engagement activity.
  • Participates as an integral member of Philanthropy and Communications Department and MHO staff, attending meetings, supporting events, and executing other departmental or organizational tasks as necessary.
  • Deployed interdepartmentally as needed to support time- or project-based work.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: There are no supervisory responsibilities for this position.

Qualifications

  • Strong affinity for MHO's mission and service population; shared commitment to MHO Values (required).
  • Associate's degree in related field or equivalent career experience (required); bachelor's degree preferred.
  • 1-2 years progressive professional experience in data entry, administrative, or clerical work, including experience using CRM/database applications (donor management software such as Bloomerang preferred); able to produce bulk communications (such as letters or emails) to multiple recipients using mail/data merge processes
  • Strong writing and proofreading skills; able to produce clear, accurate fundraising-related communications (gift acknowledgements, solicitations, stewardship updates, etc.), following brand guidelines and established templates and tone.
  • High proficiency in business software applications, including Google Workspace and/or Microsoft Office (required); and comfortable with utilizing an array of office hardware, including printers, scanners, phones, filing systems, etc.
  • Experience working and/or volunteering in a non-profit organization setting preferred, with an emphasis on fund development and/or customer service.

Competencies

  • Organized, with relentless attention to detail.
  • Self-directed; completes work on-time and with a high degree of accuracy.
  • Able to discover challenges, identify and implement resolutions, and adjust approach as needed.
  • Manages shifting priorities and complex workflows in a dynamic work environment.
  • Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across teams and with donors, supporters, and other external stakeholders.
  • Clear and confident communicator.
  • Navigates interactions with a broad range of MHO staff, volunteers, clients, residents, supporters, and partners with kindness and respect.
  • Curious, investigative, and motivated by continuous learning.
  • Actively seeks out and participates in ongoing learning and skill-building opportunities related to responsibilities, organizational priorities, industry, and sector.
  • Builds trust through accountability, demonstrates compassion, practices patience, cultivates optimism; demonstrates a high level of professionalism in dealing with confidential and sensitive issues.

Compensation: This position will receive a competitive total compensation package. The salary range is $51,000-56,000 annually. MHO benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, short and long-term disability insurance coverage options; 3% retirement contribution upon completion of 1-year of service; 12 paid holidays; and 20 days PTO in year 1, increasing one day per year of service up to 25 days.

Working Conditions

Cognitive: Able to accurately read written information, communicate via phone and via email, and verbally/in-person in the English language; able to understand and relate to concepts behind specific ideas and remember multiple tasks/assignments given over a period of days; able to attend to tasks/functions for more than 60 minutes at a time; able to concentrate on detail in both office and field with moderate interruption.

Physical: Must be able to work on a computer for extended periods; able to push/pull/carry objects less than 20 pounds; sit, stand, bend, kneel, walk, climb stairs; may need to enter/exit buildings that are under construction, occasionally, without normal ingress/egress available; able to travel offsite, as needed, via necessary transportation, to MHO sites, clients, and events, or to attend regional and/or statewide meetings, trainings, or events. It is the policy of MHO to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship.

Environmental: Subject to low to moderate noise typical of office work environments (computers, printers, staff interactions); occasionally exposed to construction site noise and hazards for short periods of time; must wear personal protective equipment, such as safety glasses, earplugs, and safe footwear when warranted; may be subjected to various weather conditions including hot or cold temperatures and precipitation.

Time-Oriented: Must be able to work 37.5 hours during the regular workweek (Monday-Friday), with work required during occasional weekend and evening hours.

Equal Opportunity Employer: MHO provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age (over 40), disability, genetic information, marital status, status as a covered veteran, or any other protected class or characteristic under applicable federal, state or local laws. MHO complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination of employment in every location in which MHO has employees.

About Us: Founded in 1988 by volunteers, Mountain Housing Opportunities is the regional nonprofit leader in developing and preserving safe, stable, and affordable housing in Buncombe County and beyond. MHO serves more than 2,000 households each year in western North Carolina through affordable rental homes, essential home repair, the construction and sale of new affordable homes, and down payment assistance. MHO's mission is to build and improve homes, neighborhoods, communities, and lives, and build hope and dignity in the people we serve. MHO is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and operates as a Community Development Housing Organization (CHDO) and a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Visit https://mtnhousing.org/ to learn more.