Director, Annual Giving and Development Communications

ArtCenter College of Design

9d•$90,000 - $95,000•Hybrid

About The Position

ArtCenter College of Design is searching for an experienced Director, Annual Giving and Development Communications to join our team. The salary range for this position is $90,000.00 - $95,000.00, with the final salary based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity. ArtCenter, founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, is a global leader in art and design education with a rigorous, transdisciplinary curriculum, faculty of professionals, strong ties to industry, and a commitment to socially responsible design. It is a private nonprofit fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Every position at ArtCenter plays an important part in carrying out the cultural values, goals, strategic vision, and mission of the College, including upholding and cultivating an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environment. Reporting to the senior vice president, Advancement, the director will lead and execute a comprehensive, multi-channel annual giving program while overseeing Advancement communications project management and volunteer engagement. The incumbent will drive broad-based philanthropic support by engaging alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and community members through integrated, multi-channel campaigns. This role is critical in strengthening the donor pipeline, from acquisition through stewardship and upgrade, while ensuring a cohesive and compelling Advancement narrative across all communications. The incumbent will also serve as the primary Advancement liaison to the College’s Marketing and Communications team and provide leadership for key volunteer groups, including the FullCircle Board.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or any equivalent combination of training and experience
At least 5 years of experience in annual giving, advancement, or nonprofit fundraising
Demonstrated success executing annual giving programs and donor stewardship initiatives
Experience working with volunteer groups or advisory boards
Working knowledge of donor pipelines, including annual, mid-level, major, and planned giving
Excellent written and oral communication and negotiation skills; ability to translate complex academic, artistic, and technical concepts into language understandable by lay audiences
Experience with Raiser’s Edge or other equivalent Customer Relations Management (CRM) systems
Ability to maintain good working relationships with various internal and external stakeholders related to the ongoing operations of the division, including, donors, volunteers, executive leadership, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and alumni
Flexibility and initiative, as well as the ability to work independently, combined with the skills for thriving in a collaborative team environment to achieve institutional goals
Ability to handle confidential information with tact and discretion and recognizes the confidential nature of ArtCenter business
Demonstrated experience in cultivating an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environment into workplace practices within ArtCenter’s diverse communities of faculty, staff, students and visitors
Ability to enforce, follow, and implement policies and procedures
Ability to work occasional weekends and evening hours, and to staff events
Ability and willingness to travel locally between campuses with occasional travel within California and limited travel outside the state may be required to support donor engagement

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education or complex nonprofit environments
Familiarity with membership-based or giving society programs

Responsibilities

Lead a comprehensive, data-informed annual giving program supporting both unrestricted and targeted priorities (e.g., ArtCenter100, FullCircle, tribute giving, faculty/staff campaigns)
Develop and manage a data-informed, year-round calendar of annual giving activities, appeals, and stewardship initiatives aligned with College priorities.
Plan and implement multi-channel solicitations, including partnering with the College’s mail house for hard copy appeals and overseeing digital appeals and email campaigns through RENXT.
Design and implement donor acquisition, retention, and engagement workflows, including identifying and cultivating new donors, retaining and upgrading existing annual donors, and identifying donors with potential to move into mid-level, major, and planned giving portfolios.
Partner with Major Gifts and Planned Giving to strengthen pipeline development and identify upgrade opportunities.
Collaborate with Advancement Services to analyze performance metrics, track ROI, and optimize campaign effectiveness.
Develop and oversee donor stewardship strategies that reflect best practices in donor relations.
Oversee acknowledgment and recognition programs, ensuring timely, personalized, and meaningful donor communications.
Maintain appropriate donor recognition levels and benefits, with attention to tax deductibility and donor experience.
Conceive and support donor engagement and appreciation opportunities in collaboration with Advancement colleagues.
Serve as the primary Advancement point of contact with the College’s Marketing and Communications team, ensuring alignment of messaging and brand voice.
Lead Advancement communications planning and execution across fundraising, alumni, and industry engagement initiatives.
Manage complex, cross-functional communications projects from concept through delivery, including timelines, stakeholder coordination, and outcomes.
Oversee the creation of print, digital, and web-based Advancement communications related to annual giving and stewardship.
Provide strategic and operational leadership for the FullCircle Board.
Oversee meeting planning, communications, and engagement strategies to maximize volunteer impact.
Partner with Advancement leadership to align board activities with fundraising goals and donor pipeline development.
Collaborate with alumni and industry engagement colleagues to strengthen volunteer and donor relationships.
Provide consistent leadership and clear direction to staff: oversee recruitment, hiring, onboarding, learning and professional development, and fair and equitable compensation grid placement of departments staff; oversee performance effectiveness, ensure consistent use of all applicable policies and procedures; counsel, discipline and makes recommendations in terminations.
Provide clarification and guidance with the interpretation of departmental policies as it relates to gift policies.
Follow and enforce all College policies and work with Environmental Health and Safety/Risk Management (EHS) in EEE to maintain a safe and secure working and learning environment for students, faculty and staff.
Work collaboratively across Advancement (major gifts, planned giving, alumni engagement, prospect research, and advancement services) to ensure cohesive donor strategies.
Maintain memberships and active involvement in applicable professional organizations.
Assisted with occasional advancement-related events.
Serve on educational or college-wide committees, work groups, task forces and/or councils.
Other duties as assigned.