Employment

The Forward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, citizenship status, color, race, national origin, disability, disability status, gender, pregnancy status or lactation accommodations, gender identity, sexual orientation, domestic violence victim status, marital, partnership or familial status, religion, creed, prior arrest or conviction record according to applicable law, veteran or military status, or genetic characteristics.

The Forward has a commitment to diversity both in the workplace and in its reporting and is looking for employees and perspectives from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

Donor Engagement Coordinator
Internship Opportunity: Digital Reporting and Writing
Freelance pitches
About the Forward

Donor Engagement Coordinator

The Forward is seeking a motivated, resourceful, and detail-oriented Donor Engagement Coordinator to join our dynamic team. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Development, this role is crucial in supporting our fundraising and donor communication efforts. Key responsibilities include donor research, drafting grant proposals, event coordination, and expanding our reach through prospect identification and partnerships. The ideal candidate will have nonprofit development experience, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently and simultaneously.

The Forward has experienced enormous transitions and growth over the past several years and the development team is focused on escalating our work to the next level. With a new team, new systems and a sharper focus, the team will continue the trajectory which has grown our contributed revenue by 80% in the last 4 years.

This individual will join a legacy organization with a strong brand and deep loyalties that has undergone an incredible transformation to an all-digital media outlet serving the Jewish community in a variety of ways. Founded in 1897, the Forward is the leading voice in American Jewish journalism and a platform for civil discourse on issues that divide us. We are an independent, reader-supported nonprofit 501(c)(3) that sees journalism as a public service and pillar of our democracy. While we began as a socialist Yiddish newspaper, our only ideology now is that of inquiry, and we aim to serve the full Jewish community.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Donor Communications

Draft and manage donor communications, including outreach emails, newsletters, annual reports and event invitations, ensuring alignment with fundraising goals.
Assist with writing grant proposals and reports for major donors and institutional funders.
Collaborate with internal teams to create compelling donor communications and reach donors on multiple platforms.

Major Donor Prospecting, Cultivation, and Stewardship

Assist in identifying, cultivating, and stewarding major donors, including foundations, corporations, and individuals.
Contribute to the development of strategies to enhance donor contributions through targeted and personalized outreach.
Conduct in-depth research using tools like DonorSearch and Salesforce to build detailed donor profiles, identify giving patterns, and assess capacity for future support.

Event Management

Support the planning and execution of fundraising and friendraising events in key locations and virtual settings.
Coordinate event logistics, including managing invitation and rsvp lists, prospect research, lookbooks, and post event follow-up communications.

Administrative and Data Support

Ensure donor and foundation data is accurate and up-to-date in the Salesforce system.
Generate and analyze donor and prospect lists and reports to identify trends, opportunities, and potential major donors for targeted outreach.
Assist with organizing and coordinating the annual campaign and development calendar.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Minimum 2 years of nonprofit fundraising experience.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
Strong project management skills, with the ability to shift between tasks as needed.
Proficient in computer systems, including donor databases (preferably Salesforce) and wealth screening software (preferably DonorSearch).
Experience managing multiple time-sensitive projects independently and collaboratively.
Passion for The Forward’s mission of independent Jewish journalism and community connection.
Willingness to work occasional nights and weekends for events.
Collaborative team player with strong listening and idea-generation skills.
Strong interpersonal skills for relationship building and maintenance.
Effective time management to meet deadlines.

Compensation:
Salary for this position, represented by the News Guild, is $52,000-$65,000 depending on experience. All employees are offered a full benefits package including health, dental, vision and life insurance; paid time off, including Jewish holidays; 401k with a matching after one year of service; Pre-tax commuter benefits, flexible spending account, short and long-term disability and life insurance.

Location:
This position is preferred NY-based (with 2-3 in-office days/per week), with occasional travel for key fundraising events.

To Apply:
Please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your interest in this position and relevant experience to [email protected], with the subject line: Donor Engagement Coordinator.

The Forward is an independent, reader-supported nonprofit committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in our coverage, staffing and culture. The Forward is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information or any other status protected by law.

Internship Opportunity: Digital Reporting and Writing

The Forward is seeking one or more beginning journalists passionate about digital and audience — and the Jewish world — for paid internships reporting and writing news items. The interns will work up to 29 hours a week for $15 an hour. The initial term is 10 weeks but the internship may be extended for up to a year. We accept rolling applications for this position, but are currently seeking a candidate to start immediately.

This is a fast-paced, reader-facing job in which interns will report, write and publish frequently on a broad range of subjects. We need people with experience at campus or other publications who know how to navigate the Internet and social media; have great story instincts and editorial judgment; move quickly and write clearly, with solid grasp of style and grammar rules; can juggle (projects, not projectiles); and work well in groups.

The intern will:

Report and write stories across sections, including breaking news on politics, culture and more
Scour the Jewish internet for news, conversation, opportunities and ideas
Support colleagues reporting and writing stories
Quickly source appropriate photos or other art
Use social-media and other platforms to develop a robust readership for items
Use audience tools and analyze traffic patterns to help optimize story selection and framing to meet reader needs

The ideal candidates will be equally interested in news from Israel and Hollywood; about politics and antisemitism. They will have a keen eye for what makes a story resonate for Jewish readers and know how to apply a sophisticated — or sometimes sassy — Jewish lens to the world. The interns should have sufficient Jewish background to be able to give stories proper context, but curiosity and commitment can go a long way to fill any gaps. They must work well under pressure and in collaboration with colleagues, and be eager to grow and be responsive to editors’ feedback. The goals are to file consistently clean copy; to be creative and flexible about format, medium and approach; to channel the Forward’s brand while developing individual voice; and to use audience tools like SEO to maximize impact of each piece.

Successful interns frequently graduate into yearlong fellowships and staff positions; we seek people who are pro-active, committed equally to our mission and to their own development.

To apply, please send a resume, five clips, a one-pager explaining why you want the gig, plus contact information for at least two references to [email protected]. Subject line: Digital reporting and writing internship.

Freelance Pitches

About The Forward:

The Forward is American Jewry’s essential, independent news organization, delivering incisive coverage of the issues, ideas and institutions that matter to American Jews with rigorous, unbiased reporting and balanced, thoughtful commentary on news, politics, arts and culture that are acclaimed in the news industry. The Forward produces enlightening and entertaining multimedia content in English and Yiddish through a variety of newspapers, websites, blogs, videos, podcasts, e-books and apps.

Founded in 1897, the Forward has the entrepreneurial spirit of a startup. It occupies a unique position of independence as a nonprofit news organization, beholden to no institution, denomination or political faction.

Seeking Freelance Pitches:

We will consider trend stories, series, multimedia and video projects. Feel free to pitch profiles if the subject has agreed to give you excellent access. Do look in the news section of our website to see what we’re interested in, but don’t be limited by that. We’re eager to see proposals from communities of color as well as from Sephardi, Mizrahi, Russian and Bukharin communities.

We are looking for news and news features; not analysis, background, interpretation or explainers. We will consider historical pieces only if the story is brand-new and really compelling.

Compensation:

Compensation will be highly competitive for the right pitch. The Forward is an equal opportunity employer. All individuals are entitled to equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, genetic information, medical condition, veteran status, or any other class protected under federal, state, or local laws.

To apply:

To apply, please send detailed proposals including a list of sources to be interviewed, length range, proposed fee and deadline to [email protected].

The Forward Association, Inc., is an equal opportunity employer.

About the Forward

The Forward delivers incisive coverage of the issues, ideas and institutions that matter to American Jews. Its rigorous reporting and balanced commentary on politics, arts and culture have won numerous awards year after year, including repeated recognition by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily, the Forward soon became the most widely read Jewish newspaper anywhere, with a larger circulation in the 1920s than the New York Times. It chronicled the events that affected a population of immigrants eager to take their place in American life, and published regional editions around the country before any other newspaper.

The English Forward was launched as a weekly in 1990. Its perspective on world and national news, and its unparalleled coverage of Jewish arts and culture, have made it the most influential nationwide Jewish media outlet today. Millions of readers visit forward.com each month for award-winning news, thoughtful commentary, and captivating videos. And close to 100,000 Facebook friends and subscribers receive e-newsletters that highlight the latest stories in news and culture, food and feminism, as well as the best in Jewish opinion.

The Forward has always been a not-for-profit association and is supported by the contributions of its readers.