Job Description:

Reporting to the Executive Director of Donor Engagement and Communications (DEC), the Associate Director focuses on project management of the direct marketing program, anniversary and recurring gift campaigns, and targeted solicitation programs. This position plays a key role in helping build the donor pipeline by finding innovative ways to increase retention, reactivation, and acquisition.

Primary Responsibilities:

Direct Marketing Program:

• Lead staff of mail program generating a minimum of $350,000 annually.
• Manages and analyzes all aspects of direct mail solicitation efforts for all annual giving constituent groups, including alumni, parents, friends of the university, and faculty/staff.
• Designs, plans, and implements strategies to increase retention and donor acquisition rates, coordinating strategies with the Executive Director.
• Primary contact with vendor to execute annual production calendar and communicates necessary deadlines to appropriate parties. Assists the Executive Director with vendor contract renewals.
• Proactively creates partnerships across the university to acquire new direct marketing fundraising projects.
• Primarily responsible for creating email components that compliment direct mail pieces by working with the Advancement Communications creative team.
• Reports results monthly to DEC leadership.

Anniversary, Recurring, and Consecutive Giving:

• Lead staff for anniversary solicitations, the recurring gift program, and solicitations for the consecutive giving society called True Blue Society (TBS).
• Manages all anniversary appeals including digital (i.e., ThankView, texting, email) and direct mail.
• Coordinates messaging and themes for recurring gifts program and TBS with other direct marketing projects.
• Collaborates with DEC team members on various projects to ensure the recurring gift ask and consecutive giving ask are being made. Works with the web development team to enhance the recurring donor online experience.
• Benchmarks with peer institutions to determine efficacy and success of the program.
• Reports results monthly to DEC leadership.

Targeted Solicitation Programs:

• Lead staff for the parents program. Develops and implements the plan to solicit and steward current parents. Works with appropriate DEC team members and campus partners to educate, engage, and cultivate individual donors from this group. Works with DEC leadership to establish benchmarks and goals for this constituent group and regularly reports results and progress to supervisor.
• Lead staff for faculty/staff giving program. Develops and implements the plan to solicit and steward faculty and staff donors. Makes personal visits to faculty and staff donors in order to move the relationship forward. Analyzes and reports results on success of program to the Executive Director.
• Lead staff for matching gift program. Develops and implements the plan, including targeted marketing materials and solicitations of specific companies, to solicit donors based on corporate matching gift opportunities. Finds new and innovate ways to increase revenue and participation, including securing external vendors and internal partners. Analyzes and reports results on success of the program to DEC leadership. Partners with Alumni Association related to corporate relationships.
• Strategizes with DEC leadership and university partners to incorporate analysis and feedback for strategies for the faculty/staff giving program, parent giving program, and the matching gift program.

Collaboration:

• Serves as a liaison to 3-4 college/units on behalf of the DEC department. Meets and communicates regularly with development officers to discuss specific college/unit strategies, analyze and report results, and add strategic fundraising opportunities as needed.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and two years of experience, or a combination of education and related experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preference will be given to candidates with direct marketing and/or project management experience.
• Knowledge of the Blackbaud application software Raiser’s Edge/NXT or Salesforce.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Excel and basic formula functions such as V-lookup.

Special Instructions:

Cover letter must be submitted to be considered for the position.