Customer Relations Associate Jobs in Berkeley, CA

Alumni Relations and Philanthropy Associate

Berkeley, CA

About this Position

This is an excellent opportunity for an organized, detail-oriented person interested in building a career in alumni relations, fundraising, or nonprofit philanthropy while making a meaningful contribution to an organization with a global impact. Working closely with the Director of Alumni Relations and Philanthropy, the Associate will gain experience across many aspects of alumni relations and philanthropy, including donor stewardship, alumni engagement, volunteer management, event planning, fundraising operations, prospect research, and development communications.

Key Responsibilities

The Alumni Relations and Philanthropy Associate is a member of the I-House Alumni Relations and Philanthropy team. The Associate supports alumni engagement, donor stewardship, fundraising, and special events that strengthen connections to the I-House community and advance the organization's philanthropic goals. The Associate will be expected to work special events that may include evenings or weekend hours.

Alumni and Donor Stewardship:

• Coordinate donor acknowledgment processes and other outreach activities, including drafting and customizing donor acknowledgment letters, creating thank-you packets for first-time contributors, and tracking engagement in the organization's fundraising CRM.
• Create and send scholarship reports to donors and coordinate meetings between donors and scholarship recipients.
• Provide tours of International House for alumni, donors, and prospective supporters.

Program Planning and Coordination:

• Support and help grow the I-House Berkeley Alumni Ambassador Program, which empowers regional representatives to organize alumni gatherings and develop I-House alumni groups in cities around the world.
• Coordinate the Bridges to the Bay Program, which connects current I-House residents with local alumni and friends for intercultural exchange and friendship.

Fundraising Administration:

• Coordinate logistics (e.g., volunteer coordination, event registration, seating assignments, name badge preparation, meal orders, and attendee communications) for alumni engagement and donor cultivation events.

• Conduct prospect research using internal and external resources to support fundraising, donor engagement, and stewardship
• Support the development of fundraising appeals and other targeted email outreach to I-House alumni and donors.

• Respond to general phone and email inquiries by managing the alumni telephone mailbox and email inbox.
• Maintain and update donor and alumni records.
• Provide general administrative and operational support to the Alumni Relations and Philanthropy team as needed.

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with careful attention to detail.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and mail merge functions.
• Experience with Canva or similar graphic design software.
• Experience using an event registration or ticketing platform.
• Strong research and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with database systems and the ability to learn new software quickly.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while working independently with moderate supervision.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience planning and managing events, projects, or volunteer programs.
• Customer service or other relevant experience working with the general public.
• Experience working with databases or demonstrated ability to learn database systems quickly. The I-House Alumni Relations and Philanthropy team used a variety of  technology platforms, including Raiser's Edge NXT (fundraising CRM), GiveButter (event registration and ticketing), iWave (prospect research), Mailchimp (email marketing), and Canva (graphic design).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience coordinating projects, events, or volunteer activities.
• Comfortable working directly with alumni, donors, volunteers, and other constituents.
• Organized with exceptional attention to detail.
• Comfortable learning and using databases and technology systems.
• Customer service mindset with a professional and welcoming presence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a nonprofit environment.
• Experience working with a fundraising CRM, preferably Raiser's Edge NXT.
• Interest in fundraising, philanthropy, alumni relations, or nonprofit management.
• Experience in a nonprofit or higher education environment.
• Experience with fundraising or CRM databases.
• Interest in philanthropy, fundraising, or alumni relations.

We provide a variety of benefits, including:

• Health and welfare benefits for employees (Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement and more!).
• Employee discounts.
• Leaders invested in your training, career growth & development.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick, and holiday pay.
• Compensation: This role is paid hourly, roughly at the equivalent of $75,000-$82,000 annualized, depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full-time, non-exempt position regularly scheduled to work 40 hours per week.

International House is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, parental status, ancestry, disability, gender identity, veteran status, genetic information, other distinguishing characteristics of diversity and inclusion, or any other protected status.