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Job Title:

Director of Donor Experience and Digital Philanthropy

Department:

University Advancement

College/Division:

General University

Primary Job Posting Location:

Macon, GA 31207

Additional Job Posting Locations:

(Other locations that this position could be based)

Job Details:

The Office of University Advancement is seeking a committed and enthusiastic individual to develop, implement and supervise a comprehensive donor engagement and stewardship program to build donor loyalty.

Responsibilities:

The Director of Donor Experience and Digital Philanthropy will be responsible for the creation of strategies, programs and plans for the on-campus Phonathon program and crowdfunding platform. Goals for this position will focus not only on fundraising, but also on increasing alumni giving percentage by creating diverse avenues of contribution, actively seeking new opportunities for donor outreach, and educating young alumni and current students on the importance of charitable support.

This candidate will be responsible for recruiting, training, and retaining a team of student representatives who will engage donors through phone calls and digital engagement (video, email, SMS). The candidate will manage departmental and University wide crowdfunding campaigns and develop a plan to educate the campus community on crowdfunding opportunities. Additionally, the candidate will collaborate with department colleagues to develop and manage stewardship plans for annual, major, planned, and principal gifts. In coordination with the Director of Advancement Communications, the candidate will collaborate on communication and stewardship strategies involving email, direct mail, phone/mail, with a focus on shaping a sustainable tradition of annual support.

Duties include:

Plan and execute annual fundraising program centered on student representatives who engage with donors. Recruit, hire, train, supervise and evaluate student employees; develop a schedule of engagement for phone calls, text messages, emails, and messages. Generate and maintain segmented lists of donors for student representatives to contact for solicitations and engagement, proactively reviewing data and updating information. Work internally with IT and/or software providers to ensure software is working correctly and meeting the needs of the calling program. Create and manage master schedule of student representatives for calling and donor engagement. Create weekly and monthly progress reports to reflect student efforts. The director works under indirect supervision and is responsible for hiring and termination decisions of student employees.
Manage crowdfunding platform, including reviewing crowdfunding campaign requests to ensure viability and manage goal amount expectations. Oversee crowdfunding online initiatives/efforts by developing campaign pages within the crowdfunding platform, including any relevant materials necessary for solicitation. Coordinate contracts for crowdfunding platform to ensure the best use of the University’s resources. Develop plan to communicate crowdfunding opportunities to campus community (i.e. meet regularly with development officers, attend faculty/staff meetings for specific colleges/schools to present crowdfunding platform, meet with student organizations to inform of crowdfunding platform). Oversee and organize annual Week of Giving campaign and work with director of advancement communications to plan all necessary collateral for campaign.
Develop and oversee stewardship efforts (donor loyalty program, faculty/staff giving, student giving program). Work with advancement communications to create design for appeals and corresponding appeal emails/text messages. The candidate will implement new ideas to enhance the donor experience, with the goal of increasing alumni participation and annual support from alumni and friends.
Research best practices for donor engagement, student calling programs, stewardship, and crowdfunding platforms by participating in webinars, networking with advancement professionals at peer institutions, and reviewing related content through the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Prepare reports on engagement/stewardship efforts (number of calls made/texts sent/videos recorded/direct contact with donors).

Qualifications:

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university and two years of marketing and fundraising or other directly relevant experience are required. Candidates with prior experience using Talisma, Blackbaud Guided Fundraising, Adobe Creative Suite, and/or GiveCampus are highly desirable.

Additionally, candidates must have a valid driver's license and be insurable by the university's carrier.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Excellent communication skills, including written, phone, and face-to-face interactions
Ability to work a schedule that includes evenings and weekends as needed (student worker schedules include evening shifts on weeknights)
Demonstrated ability to relate to a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders
Able to network, foster relationships, and collaborate with others
Able to handle multiple tasks or projects at one time, meeting assigned deadlines
Familiar with inputting/extracting data and reports from database and manipulating data in Excel
Excellent interpersonal, teamwork, problem solving, independent judgment, organization, communication (verbal and written), time management, project management and presentation skills
Demonstrates creativity, strong attention to detail, is self-motivated, and can work independently
Strong customer service skills and phone and email etiquette
Ability to generate creative solutions for stewarding donors in order to advance the University’s efforts to maintain and strengthen high-quality individual relationships with donors; this requires the ability to think strategically about donor engagement.
Excellent social skills, with large groups as well as with individuals, are required
Ability to forge strong working relationships with others and a capacity for engaging confidence and trust among donors and friends.

Background Check Contingencies:

Criminal History Check
Credit History Check
Approved Driver's Check

Required Attached Documents

Resume
Cover Letter
List of References with contact information

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

Job Family:

Staff Administrative Operations Exempt

EEO Statement:

AA/EEO/Veteran/Disability

Mercer University recognizes the power of a diverse community and encourages applications from individuals with varied experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds.

Mercer University

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Director of Donor Experience and Digital Philanthropy