The role of Engagement and Annual Giving Programs (EAGP) is to build a strong and lasting connection between the university and its community, nurturing a sense of pride, belonging, and active involvement. We strive to establish a pathway that enables alumni, parents, students, and friends to develop a lifelong philanthropic relationship with WashU, contributing to its growth, sustainability, and continued excellence.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Operations and Marketing, the Director of Direct Marketing and Participation is a forward-thinking, highly innovative partner who leads a team of professionals to develop and execute sophisticated multi-channel, university-wide, direct marketing fundraising strategies. This role creates, oversees, and drives the strategy to increase and diversify the number of donors and philanthropic dollars to WashU, with an emphasis on support of the annual fund. Additionally, this person will manage a team of individuals focused on the WashU Engagement Center’s efforts to strategize and implement initiatives utilizing our student advancement ambassadors to increase involvement, pride, and loyalty between the university and its community.

The ideal candidate is a data-driven, strategic thinker with a passion for leveraging modern fundraising and annual giving marketing practices in support of higher education. This person is a collaborative team player and will have experience in direct marketing, emerging fundraising technologies, and staff management.  

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop a strategic plan to segment and solicit alumni, parents, and friends to increase donors to the Annual Fund and the university. This includes strategic analysis of past performance of appeals and solicitation methods, acquisition rates, retention rates, and industry trends. Closely monitor return on investment and make data-based decisions to guide future fundraising strategies. Report on overall results to internal and external constituencies, as needed.\
• Develop key strategies for retention, acquisition, and stewardship of donors to the Annual Fund based on affiliation, class year, and interest.
• Collaborate closely with key departments in University Advancement including by not limited to Advancement Communications, Analytics, Data and Reporting, Advancement Systems, and Donor Relations, on fundraising projects and campaigns including but not limited to WashU Giving Day, Loyalty Society, Engagement Center, License Plate Program, Matching Gift Program and emerging technologies.
• Work closely with other colleagues in University Advancement to align program goals with the overall philanthropic goals of the university.
• Oversee the technology used to support direct marketing efforts for all university constituents including engagement center system/vendor, and the data analytics system/vendor. Assist with the development of websites, including online gift forms.
• Manage data as it relates to direct marketing, including responsibility for data hygiene, segmentation, and other issues related to ensuring accurate and useful data for direct marketing including editing and proofreading publication content.
• Manage professional staff responsible for the WashU Giving Day, Loyalty Society, Engagement Center, premium fulfillment, License Plate Program, and Matching Gift Program.
• Stay up to date on the latest fundraising trends, technologies, and strategies and implement them as appropriate.
• Additional duties as assigned and in support of the EAGP team.

Required Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree or combination of education and/or experience may substitute for minimum education.
Certifications:

No specific certification is required for this position.
Work Experience:

Relevant Experience (5 Years)
Skills:

Not Applicable
Driver’s License:

A driver’s license is not required for this position. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Preference for experience within a complex university setting or national nonprofit organization.
• Experience working with high-level volunteer leadership.
• Annual giving experience at an institution of higher education or non-profit organization.
• Experience creating and implementing complex, multi-channel fundraising marketing campaigns.
• Knowledge of VanillaSoft.
• Knowledge of ClickUp or other project management software.
• Experience, sensitivity, and diplomacy; understanding of the high-level relationship-building and strategies involved in securing complex gifts. 

Skills:

Accountability, Adaptability, Analytical Thinking, Business Creativity, Communication, Confidentiality, Data Management, Deadline Management, Ethical Behavior, Interpersonal Relationships, Leadership, Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Oral Communications, People Management, Prioritization, Proactive Approach, Professional Integrity, Relationship Building, Salesforce (Software), Sound Judgment, Volunteer Management, Working Independently, Written Communication 

Salary Range
$84,200.00 – $148,500.00 / Annually 

The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one’s qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.