Careers With Us: An Opportunity for Right Livelihood

Do you want to work in an organization that transforms lives and makes a difference in the world? Do you want to use your practice of mindfulness to create a more compassionate, peaceful, and mindful society? This is a call to serve, a chance to bring meaning into the world.

Open positions:

Development Associate

Application deadline: April 18, 2024

Overview

The Associate will work within an international team and will be responsible for fundraising support activities including gift processing and acknowledgement, database maintenance, donor customer service, support for direct mail/online giving campaigns, generating reports, and assistance at practice center retreats. The work of the Development Associate will be managed by the Foundation’s Global Giving Manager. The six-person fundraising team is led by the Global Giving Director.

Key Responsibilities

Gift Processing, Fundraising Appeals, and Donor Stewardship

• Process all types of donations and ensure accurate, consistent recording and acknowledgement of gifts within a set timeline and standards

• Respond to donor questions and issues via phone and email; practice mindful communication and deep listening in response to phone calls and emails to the Foundation offices

• Generate reports, mailing lists, and queries to support fundraising campaigns, financial management, and other projects

• Maintain hardcopy records of all donations as applicable

• Periodically support fundraising activities at practice center retreats

• Generate and send end-of-year tax letters

• Liaise with monastics on gift details

Database Maintenance

• Maintain data entry standards and perform cleanup on an on-going basis

• Maintain consistency of donor information and accuracy of database information

• Assist with database cleanup projects as needed

• Assist with other projects and activities as needed

Minimum Qualifications and Skills

• An active practitioner in the Thich Nhat Hanh Plum Village tradition, including having received or will receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings.

• Minimum four years nonprofit fundraising experience or for-profit database experience

• Proficient in fundraising customer relationship management (CRM) applications, with a strong preference for Salesforce experience

• Fully proficient with Microsoft Office, G/Google Suite, and comfortable regularly learning new applications

• Rigorous attention to detail

• Comfortable and proficient in analyzing data and creating reports, including using data visualization tools

• Good written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to meet deadlines; strong task and time management skills

• Must demonstrate the ability to be culturally competent in all respects; able to work in multi-lingual, international environment

• Must live in the U.S.

• Fluency in English is required. Vietnamese language proficiency is a plus.

Locations

The position is primarily remote. The ability to travel to the Foundation’s office at Deer Park Monastery in Escondido California twice per week is a plus.

Working Conditions

• Flexibility in available working hours is required: 1) Must be available to work with colleagues across time zones: France, both US coasts, Australia, and 2) may need to call donors in evenings or weekends

• Able to occasionally work evenings or weekends at mindfulness retreats at Plum Village monasteries

Compensation and Hours

Pay: Regular full-time salaried employee. Salary range: $45,000-$64,480 based on location and experience.

Benefits Package: Health, dental, vision care insurance, retirement plan, paid vacation and sick leave as outlined in our Personnel Policies.

We are an equal opportunity employer and actively work to ensure fair and equal treatment of our employees and constituents regardless of differences based on culture, socioeconomic status, race, marital or family situation, gender, age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, physical ability, or sexual orientation.

Target Start Date: Available immediately

Application Process

Please send the following materials electronically to Bobbi Perez at work@tnhf.org by April 18, 2024:

• Cover letter explaining your interest in this position and our organization, and how your experiences and skills, both professionally and spiritually, match this position.

• Résumé and cover letter required

CULTURE

The Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation family is a diverse team, deeply engaged in the Thich Nhat Hanh tradition and practice of mindfulness and compassion in our own lives, knowing this action will help improve the lives of others and our society. “Peace in oneself, peace in the world,” is a teaching from Thich Nhat Hanh we try to diligently practice. We are fortunate to be guided by monks and nuns on our volunteer working board, lay dharma teachers, and long-time mindfulness practitioners, making for a supportive, collaborative, inclusive, and mindful atmosphere. We see siblinghood as our most important asset and love and healing as our most valued profit.

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

The Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation (the “Foundation”) is the fundraising arm and a communications hub of the International Plum Village Community. The Foundation was established in 2011 by Thich Nhat Hanh, Sister Chan Khong, and other senior monastics to raise funds for the continuation of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings. The Foundation, the three US monasteries, and Parallax Press, comprise one 501c3 charitable nonprofit in the US: the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism (PVCEB). 

Headquartered in the US, the Foundation is led by an Executive Director, has a small international team of professional lay staff, and a volunteer advisory board of monastic and lay practitioners. The Foundation raises approximately $5 million annually and has a monthly donor program, annual, major, and legacy donors. It is also responsible for communications and Dharma sharing to the community. The Foundation also works with local lay committees to support the capital campaigns of monasteries in the Plum Village tradition.