Development Associate
Full-time (40 hours/week)
Non-Exempt
Wages: $38,000-$44,000 a year, with health, vision, and dental insurance covered in full immediately.
Job Location: Primarily on-site, with less than 1% travel (mostly local)
Direct supervisor: Development Director
About the Carnegie Center: Since 1992, the non-profit Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning has been meeting the educational and artistic needs of Lexington, Kentucky. Located in a former Carnegie Library building, the center seeks “to empower people to explore and express their voices” through writing, reading, and the arts. The Center serves thousands of Kentuckians annually with classes for lifelong learners; unique tutoring and mentoring programs; accessible community space, and other imaginative learning opportunities.
About the position: The Development Associate is part of a three-person team working to strengthen individual, corporate, and institutional giving to support the Carnegie Center. The full-time Development Associate supports the Carnegie Center’s overall fundraising goals through grantwriting, online giving campaign management, contributions including corporate sponsorship outreach, and program evaluation through qualitative and quantitative data collection. This position reports directly to the Development Director.
Primary Duties:
Grantwriting:
· Assist the Development Director with preparing grant proposals and final reports by drafting initial proposal narratives, budgets, and reports as assigned.
· Track grant deadlines and maintain grants timeline and calendar.
· Identify, through research, new grant and funding opportunities aligned with Carnegie Center programs and strategic priorities.
Corporate & Community Support:
· Draft community-facing messages for print, Carnegie’s website, social media, and eNewsletters.
· Serve as staff lead for planning and implementing online giving campaigns (minimum of three annually), including “Giving Tuesday.” Work closely with Board and community members to empower them to participate in online giving campaigns.
· With support from the Development Director, lead communications and strategies to retain and grow monthly donors and assist Finance Associate with pledge renewals.
· Identify and research local business and corporate sponsor prospects and take a proactive role in cultivating and soliciting corporate sponsorships.
Data Collection & Administrative Support:
· Routinely conduct donor prospect research, using data from database (PatronManager, built on Salesforce) and other external resources.
· Generate mailing lists for mailed and emailed campaigns to donors, with attention to data integrity.
· Serve as staff lead for collecting evaluation data from program and class attendance, patron surveys, and testimonials to be utilized for grant reports and donor-facing communications.
· Provide meeting preparation support to the Development Director both for Fundraising Committee and full Board meetings.
· Other duties as assigned by Development Director.
Position Requirements
● Bachelor’s degree required.
● Strong writing and communication skills.
● Experience and understanding of non-profit fundraising and grant writing.
● Comfortability with MS Office Suite including Word and Excel, Google Suite, and Zoom.
● Experience managing database or CRM system management preferred.
● Ability to stand for multiple hours and lift up to 25lbs, and other physical demands as required.
To be considered, send a cover letter, any writing sample up to 5 pages, and resume/CV to mharris@carnegiecenterlex.org. Use “Development Associate” in the subject line. The deadline for applications is Friday, April 24, 2026. No telephone calls please. NOTE: If you do not properly follow the directions on how to apply, your application will not be considered.
The Carnegie Center’s mission is to empower people to explore and express their voices through imaginative learning and the literary arts. The Carnegie Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To learn more, visit www.carnegiecenterlex.org