Associate, North America Major Gifts

FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY
Associate, North America Major Gifts
Development and Outreach Department
New York Office
Application Deadline: April 3, 2026

The Development and Outreach Department of Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking an Associate to provide administrative and clerical assistance to its North American major gifts fundraising team. The Associate will support the organization’s major and leadership gifts program and strategic development initiatives across the United States, in locations where we don’t have a Development office. The Associate will provide detail-oriented administrative support to the Development and Outreach team, with a focus on managing and organizing the Salesforce database while also collaborating on all communications, administration, and travel coordination. The Associate will participate in team meetings and will have opportunities to attend trainings and events related to human rights, as well as network with colleagues around the world.

This full-time position will be based in the New York office, and will report to the Associate Director, Major Gifts based on the East Coast. The Associate will work in close collaboration with the Director based in Seattle, an Associate Director in California, and other fundraisers as needed.

The successful candidate must be based within commuting distance of the New York Office. The Associate will be expected to work from the New York office about 2-3 days a week.

Responsibilities: 

1. Support donor relationship management for major and leadership gifts fundraising team through the coordination of donor communications including sending impact updates and newsletters, inviting donors to calls/events, and drafting messages;

2. Liaise with the Fundraising Systems and Data Analysis team on financial reporting for the team;

3. Liaise between Major Gifts team and Direct Marketing team;

4. Coordinate all year-end and fiscal year end solicitations for team;

5. Draft and edit pledge, gift, and meeting acknowledgement letters and other correspondence;

6. Update Salesforce database records with pledges, call reports, research profiles, and other data;

7. Monitor and coordinate internal organization-wide communication on relevant donors and prospects;

8. Schedule internal and external meetings, arrange travel, prepare expense reports, file, print, and prepare donor mailings for team an NA managing directors;

9. Conduct web-based prospect research;

10. In coordination with others on the Major Gifts team, retrieve and respond to internal and external requests for information on major, leadership and planned gifts;

11. Coordinate the recruiting, hiring, and training of interns as necessary; and

12. Carry out other duties as required.

Qualifications: 

Education: A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent work experience, in international relations, journalism, social sciences, or related studies is required.

Experience: A minimum of one (1) year of relevant work experience is required.

Related Skills and Knowledge:  

1. Experience building and managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders is required.

2. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required.

3. Prospect research or other research experience is required.

4. Familiarity with Salesforce and donor databases is highly desirable. Experience using Salesforce Marketing Cloud or other email marketing systems is a plus.

5. Experience using project management software such as Asana is a plus.

6. Knowledge of HTML is a plus.

7. Prior office/administration experience and strong organizational skills are required.

7. Meticulous attention to detail is required.

9. Ability to work well under pressure while juggling multiple tasks simultaneously is required.

10. Ability to prioritize with minimal supervision and work independently as well as function as a member of a team is required.

11. Strong interest in international human rights is required.

12. Proficiency in computer packages including MS Office applications is required.

Other: Applicants for this position must possess valid US work authorization. 

Salary and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional candidates and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance. The salary range for this position is US $60,001 - $64,328.

How to Apply: Please apply immediately or by April 3, 2026 by visiting our online job portal at https://careers.hrw.org and attaching a letter of interest and a CV or resume. No calls or email inquiries, please. Only complete applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission, or if you require accommodations during the application process, please email recruitment@hrw.org. Due to the large response, application submissions via email will not be accepted and inquiries regarding the status of applications will go unanswered.

Human Rights Watch is strong because it is diverse.We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Human Rights Watch does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide span of socio-economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world. Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer.

Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.