The Director of Annual Giving is responsible for all aspects of the LSU Foundation’s centrally led annual giving efforts, which are focused on funding LSU’s academic fundraising priorities. Reporting to the head of Communications and Marketing, this position is responsible for providing strategic leadership and execution of annual giving efforts for donors giving $1-$499 annually and for continued and expanded support of mid-level giving officers, major gift officers, and campus colleagues as they acquire and retain gifts at an annual giving leadership level.

Essential Responsibilities

• (35%) Design and manage an integrated multi-channel marketing strategy of outbound programs (direct mail, video, texting, email, social media) and inbound programs (websites, giving forms, crowdfunding) that engage donors through one-to-many marketing channels and ultimately move them into personal, relationship-based development efforts. Manage related vendor partnerships and data segmentation strategies.
• (25%) Supervise and work collaboratively with the Annual Giving Specialist.
• (20%) Request and manage data to support annual giving efforts; analyze data to gain and act upon insights and assess performance of the program.
• (10%) Work with campus partners to ensure personal and consistent annual giving messaging and positive donor experiences. Collaborate with Foundation colleagues to ensure that annual giving efforts align with the Foundation’s brand and overall communications and marketing and prospect engagement strategies.
• (10%) Perform other duties as assigned.

Non-essential/marginal position responsibilities

• Plan for, request, and manage budget related to annual giving efforts.
• Complete projects/reports as requested
• Continuously benchmark efforts against industry best practices and engage in professional development to stay in line with industry trends and emerging opportunities.

Required level/type of experience

• Proficient Level in Office 365 suite, particularly Excel.
• Proven skill in data management and analysis for marketing and/or other performance-related purposes.
• Educational background or work experience in the communications and marketing and/or fundraising industries.
• Demonstrated ability to research, develop, implement, and evaluate a strategic plan for fundraising, marketing, or sales purposes.

Preferred level/type of experience

• Supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of client-services models, including marketing operations and project management.
• Comprehensive knowledge of best practices in annual giving for educational institutions and/or nonprofits.
• Experience working within a CRM, crowdfunding platform, and/or Blackbaud products.

Preferred abilities

• Excellent interpersonal, administrative, and organizational skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience in data analysis, especially as related to audience segmentation and reporting on performance.

Required education

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field of study from an accredited college or university

Preferred education

• Master’s degree in a related field of study from an accredited college or university

Desired Competencies

• Adaptability: Responds to changing circumstances by being innovative and altering behavior to better fit different situations; successfully works with new colleagues; willing to be flexible; remains calm in stressful situations.
• Critical Thinking: Practices objective rather than subjective modes of reasoning and action. Maintains perspective when assessing qualitative and quantitative information. Appropriately challenges and questions common beliefs.
• Tenacity: Achieves a desired outcome in the face of setbacks, obstacles, or challenging circumstances.
• Attention to Detail/Accuracy: Focuses on paying attention to all details and aspects of a job or process to avoid substandard outputs.

Work Environment Requirements

• May be required to work extended workdays to meet deadlines.

Managerial/Supervisory Requirements

• This position has supervisory responsibilities and is responsible for staff performance management.