Assistant Director of Annual Fund and Advancement Communications

Reed College • Portland, OR

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Annual Fund and Advancement Communications drives donor and revenue growth for the Annual Fund by developing stories, materials, and solicitations across direct mail, phone, email, text, and video. The role supports donor retention through personal solicitation, pledge fulfillment programs, monthly recurring gifts, and student stewardship initiatives. It involves extensive copywriting, project management, and direct donor solicitation, and works on campus with staff, students, and faculty. The position reports to the Director of Annual Fund and Advancement Communications, under the Executive Director of Development Leadership and Strategies.

This is a full-time, exempt position with typical hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., including a one-hour unpaid lunch. The starting salary is $53,500–$58,500; offers are contingent upon experience and determined through an internal pay assessment.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of experience working in development, communications, or a related field.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proven ability to write effective and impactful content.
• Strong project management, organization, attention to detail, and ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to review and interpret data to inform work.
• Collaborative and relational approach, with the ability to work with a variety of people.
• Proactive approach to generating ideas and identifying opportunities to improve fundraising and stewardship strategies.
• Comfort receiving feedback on writing.
• Systems-thinking approach and focus on efficient, error-free work.
• Preference for working in a team and willingness to pitch in across projects.

Nice To Haves

• Thorough knowledge of development and fundraising principles and practices, with detailed understanding of annual giving programs such as direct mail, phonathon, and personal solicitation.
• Experience personally soliciting gifts.
• Experience supervising staff, students, or volunteers.
• Proven ability to closely track and interpret data.
• Familiarity with relevant contemporary technologies and their use in solicitation programs and in measuring and managing results.
• Ability to guide a successful broad-based messaging platform using print and digital communications in support of an annual giving program.

Responsibilities

• Create tailored direct-mail, email, and text appeal content for segmented Annual Fund audiences.
• Lead strategy and execution of Evergreen (monthly) Society donor renewal efforts.
• Help oversee Phonathon fundraising activities in support of Annual Fund goals.
• Oversee multi-touch pledge fulfillment efforts throughout the year.
• Prepare recipient data for direct-mail appeals and review performance data to inform future strategy and storytelling.
• Create Annual Fund stewardship content, including the end-of-fiscal-year stewardship piece, leadership acknowledgment letter templates, Evergreen Society print and digital pieces, videos, and web pages.
• Co-lead the student stewardship program, including recruitment, training, script development, and performance evaluation.
• Lead student engagement efforts to generate content and artwork for fundraising and stewardship initiatives.
• Personally solicit 20–25 annual giving prospects per week throughout the year through a variety of channels, based on review of the gift table and suitability for direct solicitation.
• Document information in the database to ensure proper recording and tracking of results.
• Work with the All for Reed program team to align solicitation strategies.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical insurance options for employees and dependents.
• Comprehensive dental insurance options for employees and dependents.
• 403(b) retirement plan with a 10% employer contribution after one year of service.
• Educational assistance for employees and their children.
• 22 days of paid vacation.
• Paid holidays.
• Half-day Fridays in the summer.
• Campus amenities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed