Director, Fundraising Analytics

Wellesley College • Wellesley, MA

9d • $109,000 - $125,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Fundraising Analytics is a mission-critical leadership role embedded within the Development department and responsible for advancing the College’s fundraising strategy through rigorous analysis, interpretation, and application of data. The role ensures that fundraising decisions across all giving programs and the comprehensive campaign are informed by timely, accurate, and forward-looking insights that support donor engagement, pipeline growth, and long-term revenue goals. As the College’s leading expert on fundraising performance, the Director applies advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and Business Intelligence tools, together with deep expertise in the fundraising and donor management functionality of Salesforce Affinaquest CRM, to translate complex data into clear and actionable guidance for Development leadership and frontline fundraisers. The Director provides the analytical foundation for campaign planning, annual giving strategy, donor segmentation, resource allocation, and revenue forecasting, ensuring that data is interpreted within the context of fundraising best practices and institutional priorities. This position leads the Development department’s role in the full fundraising analytics lifecycle, including metric definition, data governance, reporting strategy, forecasting, and analytic interpretation. The Director works in close partnership with frontline fundraisers, annual giving, prospect research and management, donor relations, development communications, and gifts and records administration, while collaborating with Library and Technology Services on technical execution of Development-defined priorities. In addition to managing a Senior Manager of Fundraising Analytics, the Director serves as the primary Development liaison for fundraising data strategy, ensuring that enterprise systems and technical solutions fully support fundraising objectives. The Director of Fundraising Analytics brings advanced analytical and technical expertise to the core work of fundraising strategy and performance management. This role is essential to building a sustainable, insight-driven fundraising operation that equips leadership to make informed decisions and supports the College in achieving its campaign goals.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required. Preference for a degree in a quantitative, analytical, or data-focused discipline such as Business Analytics, Finance, Computer Science, Statistics, or Mathematics.
• Overall Experience: At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising analytics, development operations, data strategy, or business intelligence within a nonprofit fundraising environment. Experience in higher education or another complex mission-driven organization is strongly preferred.
• CRM Experience: A minimum of five years of hands-on experience working with and reporting from an enterprise CRM used for fundraising or donor management. Strong preference for experience with Salesforce or a comparable constituent relationship platform.
• Business Intelligence Experience: At least three years of experience with Business Intelligence and data visualization tools, with demonstrated expertise in platforms such as Tableau or Power BI.
• Leadership Experience: Demonstrated experience managing or guiding a team or function, including responsibility for prioritization, cross-functional collaboration, and mentoring staff or colleagues.
• Skills and Abilities Fundraiser Collaboration: Demonstrated experience partnering directly with frontline fundraisers and Development leadership to translate data-driven insights into portfolio strategy, pipeline development, and donor engagement opportunities.
• Database Knowledge: Deep understanding of relational database structures and data flows to support effective collaboration with technical partners and to guide long-term reporting and system optimization.
• Analytical Expertise: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, including experience with quantitative modeling, trend analysis, forecasting, and the synthesis of complex datasets with accuracy and precision.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex findings clearly and persuasively to non-technical audiences, including senior leadership and frontline fundraisers.
• Strategic and Organizational Skills: Demonstrated ability to think strategically, manage competing priorities, and drive insight-informed decision making within a mission-focused fundraising environment.
• Technical Fluency: Ability to work fluently with technical tools and partners in service of fundraising analytics, reporting, and strategy.
• Leadership and Influence: Ability to lead through influence in a matrixed environment and to strengthen analytic literacy across teams that depend on data to guide fundraising strategy.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Python or other scripting languages for automation and analysis is a plus.
• Familiarity with scripting or statistical languages such as Python, R, or SQL is considered a plus.

Responsibilities

• Fundraising and Campaign Data Strategy: Lead the development and execution of advanced data models, predictive analytics, and forecasting tools that guide all fundraising programs, including annual giving, leadership giving, and principal and planned gifts.
• Provide strategic insight into campaign pacing, pipeline health, donor trends, and segmentation to support Development leadership in setting priorities, allocating resources, and evaluating fundraising effectiveness.
• Business Intelligence Dashboard Development: Design, build, and maintain comprehensive Business Intelligence dashboards and visualizations, with a preference for Tableau, that support fundraising strategy and performance management by monitoring fundraising and campaign performance indicators, donor engagement trends, and progress toward goals.
• Ensure dashboards reflect Development-defined metrics and support the decision-making needs of senior leadership and frontline fundraisers.
• CRM Reporting and Data Expertise: Serve as the primary Development expert on extracting, analyzing, and interpreting complex data sets from the Affinaquest Salesforce enterprise CRM.
• Use Apsona Reporting and related tools to deliver high-quality campaign reports, fundraising analyses, and specialized metrics that inform strategy and frontline portfolio management.
• Technical Data Partnership: Serve as the primary Development business partner to Library and Technology Services analysts and project managers.
• Contribute fundraising expertise to the strategic maintenance and evolution of the Affinaquest data structure and reporting architecture, ensuring that technical solutions align with fundraising reporting requirements, analytic needs, and long-term data integrity.
• Team Leadership and Mentorship: Lead and mentor the Senior Manager of Fundraising Analytics.
• Foster a culture of data quality, analytic rigor, and continuous improvement.
• Provide guidance and support to colleagues across Development who rely on fundraising data and reporting to perform their roles effectively.
• Cross-Functional Reporting and Reconciliation: Partner closely with Gifts and Records Administration to ensure consistent and accurate fundraising and campaign reporting, including gift classification, revenue reconciliation, and adherence to institutional standards for fundraising accounting and reporting.
• Process Optimization and Innovation: Evaluate and recommend analytic tools, methodologies, and workflow improvements that enhance fundraising reporting, insight delivery, data quality, and analytic capacity within Development.

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation
• Exceptional Benefits Package: Access a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision and pre-tax saving benefits, life insurance, disability coverage, and more to safeguard your health and that of your loved ones.
• Commuting and Transportation: Enjoy the convenience of free parking on our picturesque campus, easily accessible from major roadways. We are also accessible via the MBTA commuter rail.
• Paid Time Off: Take advantage of paid vacations, personal days, sick time, and holidays to recharge and maintain a healthy work-life harmony.
• Retirement Savings: Plan for the future with our retirement savings plan. Wellesley College contributes up to 10.5% towards your 403(b) plan for eligible employees
• Work/Life and Wellness: A hybrid work environment for select positions (additional details will be provided during the interview process), caregiving support through Wellthy, legal plan insurance, pet insurance discount and a variety of other resources including retirement planning, and access to cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.
• Professional Development: Enhance your skills and explore growth opportunities through continuing training and pathways for growth within our supportive environment.
• Tuition and Education Benefits: Invest in your education with tuition benefits, and access resources to navigate student loan forgiveness, reinforcing our commitment to your ongoing learning.
• Campus Privileges: Enjoy free use of our state-of-the-art athletic and fitness facilities with onsite fitness classes, Library resources, and seize opportunities to attend diverse campus events that contribute to a vibrant community.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director