Director for Annual Philanthropy

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director for Annual Philanthropy provides strategic leadership for the University of Washington’s annual giving program and oversees direct mail and digital fundraising initiatives. The role designs, implements, and evaluates annual giving initiatives that build a long-term base of support, acquire and retain donors, grow annual contributions, and develop a philanthropic pipeline across the university community—including alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends. The Director analyzes data trends to inform strategic planning and works with partners across the University to advance annual giving. Reporting to the Executive Director for Annual Philanthropy, the Director leads and develops the Digital & Direct team, directs the annual giving multi-channel integration plan, and oversees day-to-day fundraising operations and continuous improvement. The position manages the University’s annual Husky Giving Day, the annual giving marketing budget, campaign data and metrics, and relationships with University Marketing & Communications, Donor Relations, Alumni & Stakeholder Engagement, unit-based fundraising teams, and Advancement Analytics. This is a full-time, regular position with a hybrid schedule: two days in the office and three days eligible for telework each week. The work takes place in a cubicle/open workspace that may have higher noise levels and visual distractions. Occasional evening or weekend work may be needed based on business needs, and the role requires access to reliable transportation for local travel and willingness to travel when necessary.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and four years of experience in annual giving or a related field; equivalent education and/or experience may substitute unless legal requirements apply.
Ability to work occasional evenings or weekends based on business needs.
Access to reliable transportation for local travel and willingness to travel when necessary.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing and developing staff and/or teams.
Experience as an annual giving professional managing complex campaigns to drive results and meet the expectations of a large institution.
Ability to work in a data-rich environment where decisions are based on analysis, testing, and iterative process improvement.
Ability to manage multiple large-scale projects, plan long term, and unify efforts across multiple teams.
Outstanding written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, initiative, flexibility, and ability to work with different people and functional areas.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite for correspondence, special reports, spreadsheets, databases, and forms.
Knowledge of the integrated advancement model and alumni relations, development, and advancement principles.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop Annual Philanthropy’s Digital & Direct team through strategic direction, coaching, performance management, and professional development.
Partner with the Executive Director to provide leadership, planning, and decision-making for the overall Annual Philanthropy program.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive, high-performing team culture that supports engagement, career growth, and accountability.
Oversee day-to-day operations, execution, and continuous improvement of digital and direct mail fundraising programming.
Develop strategies for annual donor segments to retain long-term donors and acquire new donors.
Develop and implement the University’s annual giving multi-channel integration plan, emphasizing innovative approaches.
Partner with University Marketing & Communications to direct high-volume direct marketing and digital activities efficiently and with measurable outcomes.
Manage the University’s annual Husky Giving Day in partnership with University Marketing & Communications and other key partners.
Manage and direct the annual giving marketing budget to maximize efficiencies and ensure projects are on time and on budget.
Work with Information Management colleagues to extract, prepare, analyze, and manage data for segmented annual giving campaigns.
Ensure data integrity and accurate identification of solicitable alumni populations; collaborate on annual giving metrics, statistics, and reports.
Liaise with colleagues across the University to drive annual giving strategy, set goals, and determine messaging and fundraising strategies.
Collaborate with University Marketing & Communications, Donor Relations, Alumni & Stakeholder Engagement, and unit-based fundraising teams to build support and maximize annual giving.
Partner with Advancement Analytics colleagues on data-driven segmentation, testing, and use of descriptive and predictive models to enhance direct marketing across channels.
Perform other duties as assigned.