This role is responsible for the development of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy focused on increasing the number of annual donors to Grand Valley State University, as well as engaging and activating alumni and donors. They will grow the digital fundraising program through digital advertising, administering the crowdfunding platform, developing a robust social media ambassador program, website promotions, giving days, and developing the strategy for a new texting platform. This role requires strong research and writing skills with exceptional organizational, analytical, and project management skills.

Primary Duties: 

• Support GVSU’s annual digital fundraising program to grow online giving revenue, and overall donor counts, while achieving goals in audience conversion, engagement, and retention.
• Serve as project manager for two large-scale giving days for the University: Giving Tuesday in the fall, and GVSU’s Day of Giving, in the spring, along with smaller micro-campaigns throughout the year. Manage the campaign’s crowdfunding page, write copy, work with Communications to create marketing collateral, and create and deploy web assets and marketing toolkits to campus partners for various campaigns.
• Design and implement a comprehensive social media strategy for engagement/giving, including actively identifying and managing a core group of social media ambassadors/volunteers focused on the goal of encouraging peer-to-peer engagement and solicitation through the Laker Social Media Ambassador Program.
• Strategically solve advanced marketing challenges through segmentation strategy and implement A/B testing protocol and procedures.
• Develop and maintain 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 GVSU and Alumni Relations social media teams to weave strong fundraising language throughout our channels.
• Establish key performance indicators for each campaign for ongoing measurements toward future advertising activities.
• Develop and execute a year-round, integrated text messaging strategy.
• Identify opportunities for growth in annual giving metrics through intensive data analysis.
• Develop and manage Young Alumni Programming focused on acquiring and retaining alumni donors.
• Work in collaboration with Senior Director to manage budget expenses for giving days and digital marketing efforts.
• Collaborate on annual giving appeals via crowdfunding, phone, mail, email, and social
• Performs other duties as required/assigned by manager.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, liberal arts, business, or a related subject.
• 3-5 years of professional experience in annual giving, marketing, communications or a related field.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• Candidates must be committed to GVSU’s vision of inclusion and equity.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Preferred: 

• Master’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Non-Profit Management, Public Administration Education, or Business Administration or equivalent experience.
• Previous success in supporting/leading “day of giving” or crowdfunding activities.
• Experience with paid social advertising on social media platforms, including Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn.
• Experience writing for development, particularly solicitations.
• Experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience working in a CRM or other relational database (ex. Blackbaud, Salesforce, Ellucian Advance)
• Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative metrics for making data-driven decisions.
• Experience with broad-based appeals and knowledge of effective strategies for audience identification, story development, and data segmentation and analysis.
• Experience with digital or annual giving fundraising.
• Proficient in Adobe creative suite applications, and basic proficiency in video editing.
• Experience in higher education.
• Experience integrating/applying changing technologies to deliver effective messaging.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively to meet individual and team goals.
• Self-starter who is detail oriented and able to handle multiple tasks successfully.
• Highly motivated and committed to the goals of higher education.

Working Conditions: 

The University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution, consistent with its obligations as a federal contractor. It encourages diversity and provides equal opportunity in education, employment, all of its programs, and the use of its facilities. It is committed to protecting the constitutional and statutory civil rights of persons connected with the University. Members of the University community, including students, employees, faculty, staff, administrators, Board members, consultants, vendors, others engaged to do business with the University, candidates for employment or admissions, and visitors or guests have the right to be free from acts of harassment and discrimination, including sexual misconduct, as defined by this policy. In accordance with applicable federal and state law and this policy, acts of discrimination or harassment by members of the campus community are prohibited if they discriminate or harass on the basis of age, color, disability, familial status, height, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex/gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, veteran or active duty military status or weight. This includes inappropriate limitation of, access to, or participation in educational, employment, athletic, social, cultural, or other university programs and activities. The University will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Limitations are lawful if they are: directly related to a legitimate university purpose, required by law, or lawfully required by a grant or contract between the university and the state or federal government.