Assistant Director of Advancement

Mackinac Center for Public Policy seeks an Assistant Director of Advancement. The Assistant Director of Advancement will play a critical role in enhancing the effectiveness of our high-performing advancement team. This high-energy individual will oversee the intern team, manage tasks and projects, assist with connecting generous philanthropists to the Mackinac Center’s mission and help steward existing relationships. The role requires a unique combination of leadership, analytical ability, and project management skills to begin engaging prospective new supporters through qualification, research, visit requests and stewardship. This role will report to the Director of Advancement. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Leadership and Team Management - Oversee the intern team providing guidance, support, and supervision. Manage task assignments and project timelines ensuring alignment with overall organizational goals.

• Project Management - Serve as a project manager for various advancement initiatives, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget.

• Donor Identification and Cultivation - Assist with identifying and cultivating potential donors through research and qualification. Participate in the development and implementation of strategic engagement plans for prospective donors.

• Stewardship - Assist in developing and executing stewardship strategies to maintain and strengthen relationships with existing donors.

• Engagement and Outreach - Begin the engagement process with prospective new supporters through a combination of qualification, research and visit requests.

• Analytical and Strategic Planning - Analyze data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement in donor engagement and fundraising efforts.

The position requires a unique combination of mentorship skills, leadership and project management. The ideal candidate will have the following characteristics:

• Commitment to the principles of limited government, free enterprise and personal responsibility
• Demonstrated ability to drive projects, develop plans and execute those plans effectively
• Skill in communicating tasks in order to achieve long-term strategic goals
• Notable relationship-building skills. Experience in supervising and leading others preferred.
• Attention to detail while maintaining a big picture focus
• Experience interacting with nonprofit donors preferred, but not required
• Preference for familiarity with relational databases (Raiser’s Edge preferred) and basic Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

The Mackinac Center is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to improving the quality of life of all Michigan residents by promoting sound solutions to state, local and national policy questions. We advance liberty and opportunity for all people by developing free-market policies, challenging government overreach and influencing public opinion so that it encourages policymakers to act in the broad public interest rather than narrow private or government interests. The Mackinac Center is a nonprofit organization with 40 full-time employees, a 50-member Board of Scholars and an annual operating budget of $10.0 million.

Application Process

The Mackinac Center offers competitive salary and benefits, including but not limited to health/dental/life/disability insurance and 30 days of paid time off. This position is located in Midland, MI. To apply, please send cover letter and resume to:

Patricia Benner
Vice President for Operations
Email: careers@mackinac.org
Fax: (989) 631-0964

While we thank all applicants for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those whom we are considering for an interview. No telephone calls, please.