About Us
Agriculture is the key to unlocking a better future for billions of people. But while rural families sustain the world, they struggle to sustain themselves. At the same time, they face increasingly urgent challenges, from volatile crop prices to extreme weather.
Root Capital is a social impact investor that provides financing and training to agricultural enterprises so that they can transform rural communities. We work with enterprises in the “missing middle” of agricultural finance: those whose credit needs are too big for microfinance and too small or risky for commercial banks.
Since 1999, we have loaned over $2B to more than 800 businesses and we have trained more than 1,800—improving the lives of 10 million people. As these agricultural businesses succeed and scale, they become engines of impact for their local communities, raising incomes, creating jobs, uplifting women and young people, preserving vulnerable ecosystems, and building rural prosperity.
Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Root Capital has more than 180 employees operating in more than a dozen countries in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, and has associated offices in Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, and Kenya.
Position Overview
The Account Associate, Institutional Philanthropy & Partnerships (IPP) will play a pivotal role in fostering and maintaining strong relationships with Root Capital’s corporate and foundation donors and prospects. This position requires a strategic and proactive approach to communication, relationship management, and data management. The Account Associate will play a key support role for the three IPP Primary Relationship Managers (PRMs) enabling their engagement with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring seamless communication and fostering alignment throughout the fundraising process.
Key responsibilities include providing essential support for the PRMs, maintaining open and consistent communication with donors and prospects, coordinating internal information flow, managing data entry and analysis in Salesforce, collaborating on fundraising strategies and internal approval processes, and producing relevant materials to support effective relationship management.
The Account Associate will also be responsible for key support functions for the IPP team, such as serving as an internal liaison with Development Operations, Finance, and other relevant departments, taking meeting notes and tracking follow-up items as needed. Additionally, they will partner with the team’s Account Manager to manage the IPP team’s internal communications needs, event opportunities, and other administrative tasks as needed.
The Account Associate reports to the Senior Manager, Foundation Relations. This role offers a dynamic opportunity for an individual seeking to support a dynamic team, and develop and advance their career in front-line fundraising.
Purpose (30%)
- Collaborate with IPP PRMs to execute strategies for institutional donors and prospects within the team’s portfolio.
- Monitor expectations and objectives for each institutional funding partner within the portfolio, including budget, evaluation, and reporting.
- Support the PRMs in managing the data integrity and quality of information in the database of their portfolio, including entering data and tracking activity across the portfolio.
- Research, monitor and analyze trends in resource mobilization, including philanthropy, impact investing, and blended capital approaches to identify and capitalize on market opportunities.
Engagement (30%)
- Support the PRMs and other Root Capital staff (e.g., senior leadership and CEO), in building and maintaining relationships with high-level funders, including participation in meetings and providing necessary materials.
- Track internal information flows between IPP PRM, prospects/donors and program staff, ensuring accurate tracking and data integrity.
- Ensure delivery of high-quality funder acknowledgement and stewardship letters, and ensure accurate recognition of funders in Root Capital materials.
- Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with colleagues in the Partnership team, and program and support staff globally to enhance communication, coordination, and efficiency.
Delivery (40%)
- Prepare materials, agendas, background research, and briefings for external prospect and donor meetings, as well as internal strategy meetings. Follow-up on noted tasks and drive toward execution.
- Support work with the PRM and Development Writing Team to develop communications, including concept notes, proposals, outreach emails, presentations and reports, to support the PRM’s interactions with donors and prospects.
- Support the internal drafting and approval processes necessary for proposals, reports, and budgets, ensuring timely delivery and quality control.
- Support PRMs in completing funder follow-up tasks, as needed.
- Provide strategic administrative support for the IPP team, including initial fielding of inquiries as needed.
- Collaborate with the Account Manager to provide administrative support for key team functions as needed – scheduling meetings, setting agendas, recording notes and next steps, collecting team-wide information and updates, and highlighting needs for process improvements.
- Undertake special assignments and projects as directed.
- Perform other relevant duties as assigned.
Required Skills and Experience
- Minimum 3 years of account, project management experience or administrative support in a development/ fundraising office, nonprofit program context, or within a client-service focused for-profit company.
- Knowledge of multi-/cross-sector partnerships with an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities presented by these collaborations.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with meticulous attention to detail and a high standard of excellence for all work products. Proven ability to manage projects independently, strategically prioritize conflicting demands, and consistently meet tight deadlines. Understanding of the role of written communications in building and maintaining complex individual and institutional relationships.
- Proficiency in using CRM databases (Salesforce preferred), including data entry, usage, reporting, and analysis functionality.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to work with quantitative and qualitative data, interpret findings and construct compelling narratives.
- Self-starter and motivated; ability to problem-solve, identify and create processes necessary to support effective partnerships.
- Flexibility and adaptability to respond quickly to changes in short-term work priorities.
- Ability to analyze and interpret financial data.
- Experience working and communicating in a remote environment.
- Experience in a fast-paced and high-volume development office/fundraising environment (preferred).
- Root Capital is a bi-lingual organization. While Spanish proficiency (written and spoken) is a plus, it is not a prerequisite for this role. Advanced English proficiency is required for this position.
- Deep belief in and dedication to the mission of Root Capital, with a passion for promoting inclusive and sustainable economic development and rural resilience in low- and middle-income countries.
- Enthusiasm for thriving in diverse, multicultural settings, with a strong preference for experience in global and multi-location work environments.
- Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the ability to build a respectful and inclusive work environment.
- Proactive approach to problem-solving with demonstrated decision-making capabilities.
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to a dynamic environment.
- Skilled in effectively working and communicating within remote teams.
- Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
- Must be authorized to work in any of the countries where Root Capital operates. Preference for availability during Eastern Standard Time (EST) hours.
- Travel flexibility is required for local and regional assignments. This role’s scope includes the potential for future travel to client sites in rural areas.
Applications
More information about Root Capital is available at www.rootcapital.org Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply using the form below as soon as possible, making sure to include a resume and cover letter that describes your interest, qualifications, language abilities, salary requirements, and how you learned of the position. Finalist candidates will be required to provide at least three work-related references.
Root Capital provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, active military or veteran status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and breastfeeding and expressing breast milk), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Root Capital is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that upholds our leadership principles of: empowerment, equity, integrity, service, and transparency.
