Associate, Donor Care and Volunteer Services

POSITION OVERVIEW:

 

Implement the daily execution of Donor Care and Volunteer Services operations within Direct Response Fundraising and Audience Services. Perform coordination across the donor lifecycle, including acknowledgements, correspondence, tax receipts, and database entry. Assist in the administration of WETA’s volunteer program and member events. Serve as a reliable point of contact for donors and volunteers, contributing to a meaningful member experience under the direction of the Senior Manager.  

 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

• Execute day-to-day donor care processes across the membership donor lifecycle for WETA and PBS News, managing multichannel outreach and communications including thank-you calls, acknowledgements, tax documentation, and tribute recognition, under the direction of the Senior Manager. Conduct outreach to donors to confirm intent on gifts and pledges. Perform data file checks and support creative needs as directed. 

 

• Execute stewardship outreach for new and upgrading donors; supports ongoing initiatives to enhance donor retention and personalized member engagement. Responds to donor correspondence in a timely, professional manner and records all interactions accurately in the Development database. Assist in identifying and flagging complex or escalated donor situations to the Senior Manager; supports resolution efforts and follow-up communications as directed.  

 

• Support the sustainer recapture program in coordination with the Senior Manager and Direct Response Fundraising team. 

 

• Support outreach to former Leadership Circle donors as part of broader cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies. 

 

• Assist in donor listening and feedback initiatives; documents positive member feedback and personal donor stories for use in organizational fundraising efforts.  

 

• Supports event logistics for the Membership department, including invitation coordination, RSVP tracking, database entry, briefing materials, and on-site support as needed. Some events may require weekend or weeknight availability. Assist with PBS News event logistics. 

 

• Support WETA+ customer service needs such as contributing to webinars, help content, videos, and public-facing support initiatives as directed.  

 

• Assist in the administration of WETA’s volunteer program, serving as day-to-day point of contact, and supports recruitment, screening, placement, and onboarding of volunteers, plus reporting on volunteer metrics for program evaluation. Supports event logistics requiring volunteers, including on-site coordination as needed. Track and record volunteer work hours accurately; creates and maintains written program documentation as needed. 

 

• Assist Senior Manager with collaboration on WETA Tours with Foundations, Major Gifts, and Communications.  

 

• Supports WETA+ customer service initiatives, process documentation, and operational tasks across Membership and PBS NewsHour as assigned; brings ideas and a proactive approach to ongoing program improvement. 

 

• Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.  

 

 

ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

 

• College degree in communications, nonprofit management, business administration, marketing, or liberal arts field preferred.  
• Two to three years of experience in customer service, donor care, nonprofit fundraising, volunteer coordination, or a related field.  
• Proficiency with relational database, donor CRM, or similar constituent management systems; willingness to learn new platforms quickly.  
• Intermediate proficiency in Office 365 applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint).  
• Familiarity with nonprofit fundraising or constituent-based software, including eCRM platforms such as Engaging Networks, preferred.  
• Experience with and willingness to utilize new technologies including AI in an ethically responsible manner. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to engage donors and volunteers with professionalism and warmth.  
• Strong attention to detail and data accuracy; ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks and meet deadlines.  
• Collaborative, team-oriented work style with the ability to take direction and work independently on assigned tasks.  
• Experience with volunteer programs or member events a plus.  
• Approach problem-solving with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.  

 

EDUCATION:

 

• College degree in communications, nonprofit management, business administration, marketing, or liberal arts field preferred.

 

LOCATION:

 

WETA and NewsHour Productions are Washington, DC established media and news organizations. We are a largely local workforce based out of the Campbell Place office in Arlington, VA. WETA and NewsHour Productions value employee flexibility when possible. Most positions based in our Arlington, VA office will be onsite or hybrid, depending upon the role.

 

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

 

WETA, the flagship public media station in the nation’s capital, produces and distributes content that informs, inspires, and enriches lives.

 

As the second-largest producing station for the public media system, WETA creates programming to explore history, arts, and culture, partnering with acclaimed filmmakers such as Ken Burns and Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. National WETA productions include The American Revolution and Finding Your Roots, among many others. WETA is also home to PBS News, the primary daily, breaking, and special news producer for PBS. Its broadcast productions include PBS News Hour, Washington Week with The Atlantic, Horizons from PBS News, and Compass Points from PBS News, as well as specials, documentaries, and a robust footprint across digital platforms.

 

Locally, WETA serves audiences across Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, through television, radio, and digital platforms. Audiences access WETA on broadcast channels WETA PBS, WETA UK, WETA Metro, WETA World, and WETA PBS Kids, and digitally through the free streaming platform WETA+. Listeners tune into WETA Classical, the exclusive home for classical music in the Greater Washington area, via radio, online, and the WETA Classical app. Benefits | WETA

 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

 

WETA and NewsHour Productions are equal opportunity employers committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

 

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and internships. WETA and NewsHour Productions make hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.