The Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Digital Strategy (ADDS) is responsible for the development of the overall digital marketing strategy focused on increasing the number of annual donors and members to Colorado State University, and engaging and activating alumni and donors. The ADDS will grow the digital fundraising program through deploying effective strategies and techniques in digital advertising, administering the crowdfunding platform, developing a robust social media ambassador program, website promotions, giving days, and managing the texting platform. The Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Digital Strategy is responsible for increasing donors and dollars through online efforts to accomplish the mission of the Annual Giving unit and University Advancement. The ADDS will use strong research and writing skills with exceptional organizational, analytical and project management skills to fulfill scope of work. This person will infuse diversity, and inclusion into all aspects of their role to contribute to inclusive excellence and to ensure colleagues and donors of all backgrounds feel represented and included.

Essential Duties: 

Develop Robust Online Giving Strategies – 30%

• Manage Colorado State University’s annual digital marketing fundraising program to grow online giving and membership revenue, and overall donor and member counts, while achieving goals in audience conversion, engagement, and retention.
• Work alongside the Assistant Director of Communications and Outreach to develop the annual solicitation strategy, planning and implementing all digital tactics targeting diverse audiences of alumni, donors, members, parents, and faculty and staff by deploying cohesive content effectively utilizing data driven decisions to determine maximum impact; conduct audits to assess effectiveness of tactics.
• Consider how content can be inclusive to best represent alumni and donors of all backgrounds, ensuring all constituents feel welcomed, valued, and included.
• Project manage two large-scale giving days for the University: Giving Tuesday, and CSU’s Day of Giving in the spring, along with managing several digital donor sprints, and texting campaigns. Will write copy, work with designers to create marketing collateral, and create and deploy web assets and marketing toolkits to campus partners for various campaigns.
• Create engaging content through donor stories, and messages of philanthropic impact to deploy on giving pages, in video projects, and other digital campaigns. Deploy content effectively, utilizing data driven decisions to determine maximum impact; create reports to assess effectiveness of tactics.
• Strategically solve advanced marketing challenges through segmentation strategy and implement A/B testing protocol and procedures.
• In partnership with the UA Engagement team, and UA’s Innovation Technology, Education and Analytics team, research new fundraising and marketing products, emerging technologies, and platforms and be the team expert making all digital recommendations.
• Responsible for managing both central and college/unit based electronic appeals.
• Serve as the key communication contact with campus partners in developing electronic solicitations and other advancement communications.
• Establish goals, and manage and create reporting for senior management regarding online activity and progress toward online giving objectives.
• Develop and own digital calendar
• Develop strategies to manage and continuously improve the donor experience.

Social Media Management – 30%

• Proactively reimagine the CSU Social Media ambassador program by increasing member recruitment, developing content and managing relationships with University partners. The ADDS will research and implement a new social media ambassador platform to focus on peer-to-peer fundraising and utilize social channels to identify influencers and prospects, and provide meaningful content to share through a marketing toolkit.
• Develop a strategy for paid social advertising such as Facebook and Google ads, and sponsored posts, and develop and own a social calendar working alongside the Content and Creative Strategy team and CSU’s team social to weave strong fundraising language throughout our channels.
• Establish key performance indicators for each campaign for ongoing measurements (click through rates, and costs per click) toward future advertising activities.
• Strategically work with multimedia tools to manage the University Advancement Social Media programs.
• Participate as an active member of the CSU Social Media committee.
• Infuse diversity and inclusion into marketing, ensuring content is inclusive.

Crowdfunding Management – 30%

• Cultivate and coordinate multiple crowdfunding projects annually, developing an annual crowdfunding calendar. Identify ways to strengthen the relationship between university and donor interests through guidance on best practices in solicitation content creation, creating and deploying marketing toolkits, assisting in audience identification, and copy writing.
• Manage the CSU Crowdfunding platform, including administration of crowdfunding projects, enforcement of crowdfunding policies, and working with the administrator to enhance the platform.
• Solve issues that arise quickly and effectively, following through on project commitments assuring that critical timelines are met.
• Prepare for potential problems and look for fundraising opportunities in advance of launching a Crowdfunding project ensuring donors are being reached appropriately and the message content represents CSU in a favorable way.
• Responsible for procurement decisions and management of financial documents as it relates to the Crowdfunding project budget in association with the UA Finance office.
• Ensure that crowdfunding projects are inclusive of all audiences and consider how projects can highlight funds that help address inequities.

Develop Strategy for Annual Giving Growth – 10%

• Contribute to the mission of the unit to increase dollars and donors through the efforts of digital fundraising, crowdfunding, online giving, and social media. Consider how we increase representation across donors of various backgrounds.
• Identify opportunities for growth in annual giving metrics through data analysis.
• Become an expert on Colorado State University and familiar with campus leadership to better respond to the needs of donors and staff.
• Actively participate as a staff member in the Division of University Advancement, attend Division-wide meetings and trainings, support Division-wide priorities and initiatives and serve on committees as time permits.
• Actively participate as a staff member in alumni relations working events, programs, and volunteering time.
• Commit to excellence and personal growth around the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, positively contribute to an inclusive culture.

Required Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts, Communication, Business, Engineering, or the Sciences
• Minimum of 2 years full-time professional experience, student experience considered, in fundraising, communications, marketing or a related field (alumni relations, or membership programs, social media)
• Ability to work non-standard hours, including occasional early mornings, evenings and weekends
• Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date.

Preferred Job Qualifications: 

• Experience with social media strategy and peer-to-peer social media ambassador programs.
• Experience with crowdfunding in a University setting.
• Experience with paid social advertising on social media platforms, including Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn.
• Ability to run web and email campaign analysis through analytics tools, such as Google Analytics.
• Proficient in Adobe creative suite applications.
• Experience in fundraising, alumni relations, or membership program role in higher education or other non-profit settings
• Demonstrated project management experience
• Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative metrics for making data-driven decisions
• Ability to problem solve and adapt to rapidly changing situations and successfully manage multiple complex projects from start to finish
• Ability to work cross-functionally with academic and administrative leaders in a collaborative environment to conceive and implement innovative ideas
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience working in a CRM or other relational databases such as Advance or Raiser’s Edge

Interested applicants must submit a cover letter that addresses how professional experiences align with identified required and preferred qualifications of the position, a current resume, and the names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of three (3) professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates.

Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action.