Associate Director, Advancement Services

Blue Star Families is the largest nonprofit dedicated to making military life better for families. Each year, we support over 1.5 million military- and veteran-connected family members through a national network of 300,000+ members and local chapters in communities across the country. Our mission is to make military life awesome for families by listening, sharing, partnering, and acting to deliver evidence-based, data-driven solutions that work for real people.

About the role

The Associate Director, Advancement Services is an experienced fundraising professional with a strong understanding of nonprofit fundraising best practices and the systems that support them. This role leads the organization’s advancement services function—overseeing data management, reporting, analysis, and prospect research to drive fundraising strategy and decision-making. Serving as the Development team’s expert on Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, the Associate Director ensures the accuracy, consistency, and strategic use of fundraising data. Acting as a key resource and thought partner to frontline fundraisers, including members of the executive team, this individual plays a vital role in optimizing fundraising operations.

As a fully remote organization, we rely on scheduled in-person gatherings to foster alignment, collaboration, and organizational culture. This role requires the ability to travel out of town overnight several times per year for staff offsites, planning retreats, and company-wide events. Participation is required as a core part of the role.

Responsibilities

• Salesforce and Data Management
  • Serve as the Development team’s lead expert on Salesforce accounts, data fields, reports, and dashboards.
  • Provide insights and training to team members and other departments as needed (e.g., report building, 1:1 support, BSF trainings).
  • Act as the primary liaison between the Development and Tech teams, ensuring clear communication of priorities, troubleshooting CRM issues, and aligning on fundraising data needs.
• CRM and Technology Integration
  • Serve as the end-user liaison for Salesforce Agentforce, with an emphasis on supporting opportunity management, account creation, and interaction tracking.
  • Collaborate with the Tech Team to develop agentic solutions that enhance user experience and operational efficiency.
• Prospect Research and Reporting
  • Lead the organization’s prospect research function, serving as the iWave expert.
  • Produce in-depth, hyperlinked donor profiles and screening reports.
  • Gather and input key prospect and donor data from reliable sources (iWave, property records, Google, etc.) into Salesforce.
  • Develop and maintain standardized fundraising reports and dashboards, establishing a single “source of truth” for key metrics.
• Data Integrity and Analysis
  • Design and implement ongoing data hygiene protocols to ensure accuracy and consistency.
  • Monitor and audit all revenue data in Salesforce, including opportunities, pledges, and transactions.
• Team Leadership and Collaboration
  • In collaboration with the Tech Team, regularly review and refine Salesforce standard operating procedures (SOPs).
  • Support strategic fundraising initiatives with data-driven insights and recommendations.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• 5-7 years of related fundraising experience.
• Bachelor's degree in a discipline such as marketing, social work, English, communications, management, public relations, or commensurate experience.
• Demonstrated experience in managing administrative tasks effectively, including record management, note-taking, and scheduling.
• Proficiency in Google Suite, Canva, Salesforce, and Hive or a proven ability to quickly learn and master these software tools.
• Strong research skills, ideally in contexts relevant to fundraising, business, or similar fields.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to work and communicate with people from different backgrounds, fostering collegial teamwork.
• Limited out-of-town, overnight travel may be required.
• May be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays as necessary to carry out key job functions.
• Ability to lift and carry supplies and equipment up to 30 lbs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with the military community.
• Familiarity with membership-driven organizations.

Pay

Anticipated pay range at commencement of employment: $79,000 - $109,000

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match.
• Flexible Spending Accounts, life insurance, and disability insurance.
• Communications allowance.
• Professional development and career growth opportunities.
• PCS leave for Active Duty military spouses.