Associate Director of Annual Philanthropy

University of Oregon•Eugene, OR

98d•$65,000 - $75,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of Development, as part of University Advancement, aims to maximize philanthropic impact at the University of Oregon by identifying, connecting, and engaging alumni and friends globally with their passions to advance the university's vision and priorities. The Annual Philanthropy Program (APP) is dedicated to fostering robust philanthropic activity early in the donor pipeline. This program helps the UO identify future philanthropic leaders by attracting new donors and ensuring existing donors have a positive experience, motivating consistent giving and progression to higher levels. This innovative team leads the UO's efforts in implementing best practices for identifying, acquiring, retaining, and reactivating over 30,000 donors annually, securing gifts under $25,000 through various traditional and emerging methods. As a centralized fundraising program, Annual Philanthropy collaborates closely with campus colleagues to offer expertise and strategic planning that supports a healthy donor pipeline and effectively represents fundraising priorities to the broader UO community. The Associate Director of Annual Philanthropy is a key member of the Annual Philanthropy team, focusing on retaining and upgrading donors at the annual giving level. This role involves developing and executing Annual Philanthropy solicitation strategies, primarily through direct mail and email marketing, and managing digital marketing platforms for the AP team. Reporting to the Director of Annual Philanthropy, the position requires strategic and creative thinking about how the UO can connect with donors, alumni, and friends through mass communication. Success also depends on excellent project management skills and the ability to use and analyze data to identify effective audiences, communication strategies, and messaging. This position is an excellent opportunity for individuals with strong communications or marketing skills interested in fundraising, or for those with a solid understanding of annual giving practices and principles who wish to be more involved in mass solicitations. The Associate Director represents Annual Philanthropy to a wide audience of alumni, donors, UOAA members, university partners, and campus administration. Additionally, the Associate Director coordinates strategy with other teams in University Advancement and Athletics Development, educates department staff about Annual Philanthropy programs through reports and tools, and ensures messaging consistency and alignment with the department's mission and goals. The Associate Director also supervises student employees and leads mass communication fundraising efforts within the team.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of skills and experience.
Two years of experience in annual giving, communications, marketing, grant-writing, or similar experience that requires creating messaging for specific audiences.
Project management skills, including the ability plan, develop, and execute multi-channel mass solicitations.
Ability to analyze data and create reports showing solicitation results and overall progress towards goals.
Understanding of and ability to use donor segmentation and multi-channel solicitation.
Ability to strategize, prioritize, and multi-task to meet goals and deadlines.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to proof and edit materials.
Ability to write compelling stories about the university to use in solicitations.
Ability to work collaboratively with professional peers, faculty, staff, and external vendors.
Ability to interact, communicate, and work effectively with individuals, recognizing and respecting the many and varied identities of each person.
Commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Strong knowledge of annual philanthropy industry-wide best practices and established national professional networking connections.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing integrated multi-channel marketing campaigns to achieve specific goals and objectives.
Experience working with large vendors and representatives from multiple companies.
Experience in using data and analytics to develop future fundraising strategies.
Experience using Salesforce Marketing Cloud or similar digital marketing platform.
One year of supervisory experience or two years of student supervision.
Experience working in higher education.

Responsibilities

Build and execute Annual Philanthropy solicitation strategies primarily in the areas of direct mail and email marketing.
Manage digital marketing platforms for the AP team.
Think strategically and creatively about how the UO can connect with donors, alumni, and friends of the university through mass communication.
Use and analyze data to identify effective audiences, communications strategies, and messaging.
Represent Annual Philanthropy to a broad audience of alumni, donors, UOAA members, university partners, and campus administration.
Coordinate strategy with other teams in University Advancement and Athletics Development.
Educate department staff about Annual Philanthropy programs through reports and other tools.
Ensure that messaging is consistent and aligned with the department’s mission and goals.
Supervise student employees.
Play a lead role in mass communication fundraising efforts within the team.