Associate Director, Donor Acquisition

Department: Annual Giving

Reports to: Senior Director Annual Giving

FLSA Status: Exempt

The anticipated salary for this position starts at $75000. The final pay will be determined based on several factors including qualifications experience education and years within the job or industry with a strong emphasis on maintaining internal equity.

Who we are and what were about:

KU Endowment is an independent nonprofit organization and the official fundraising foundation for the University of Kansas. We partner with donors in providing philanthropic support to build a greater KU.

As an employee of KU Endowment youll witness firsthand the power of our donors generosity. You will join a talented and fun group of people who are inspired to help KU through the support of loyal alumni and friends. This support fuels excellence enabling students and faculty to develop innovative programs and research that distinguish the university. We connect the philanthropic passions of donors with the needs of students faculty and programs and everyone benefits.

People are engaged. Purpose is ignited. Lives are changed.

What we are looking for:

The KU Endowment Donor Engagement department is dedicated to cultivating and expanding the institutions base of support through increased engagement and contributions by its alumni and friends. This effort is vital in building a greater University of Kansas. A robust and innovative donor engagement strategy is essential to the longterm health of KU Endowments overall development operations benefiting the entire KU enterprise. A comprehensive holistic strategy serves as the foundation for and fuels major gift and planned giving pipelines.

In this role you will directly supervise a team of two fulltime staff membersthe Senior Multichannel Digital Campaign Coordinator and the Assistant Director Giving Dayproviding strategic guidance performance management and professional development support. You will collaborate closely with all members of the Donor Engagement team to develop innovative and engaging strategies prioritizing a digitalfirst approach. These strategies will be crafted to span the entirety of the donor engagement ecosystem with the overarching goals of driving acquisition and reactivation while laying the groundwork for future donor retention efforts. You will be responsible for fostering a collaborative goaloriented team culture aligned with broader donor engagement objectives.

You will play a pivotal role in collaborating with coordinators to refine and execute the tactical components that drive donor engagement and acquisition through flagship solicitation initiatives. This role will require close collaboration with KU Endowments Brand Communication team to ensure messaging creative assets and digital outreach align with the organizations broader engagement strategy. Your work will be essential in ensuring that these initiatives resonate effectively with donors and donor prospects contributing to the overall success of our fundraising endeavors.

The individual in this position is expected to embrace KU Endowments stated core valuescollaboration curiosity empowerment and excellence and demonstrate support for them through professional interactions and activities.

Whats a typical day look like

• Develop strategies and solutions that will drive sustainable engagement and growth ultimately through donor acquisition reactivation and retention.
• Create a robust implementation plan to drive donor acquisition.
• Create a donor engagement plan which threads across key fundraising initiatives with tactical components regarding donor acquisition.
• Work collaboratively to develop streamlined processes that guide donors through a seamless giving experience with the ultimate goal of nurturing a robust pipeline of donors for our Donor Engagement Officers to cultivate.
• Leverage existing tools and resources to develop a tactical plan.
• Partner with the Brand Communication and the entire Donor Engagement team to implement and execute the plan.
• Point person for overseeing acquisitionfocused initiatives.
• Build reporting to measure and track donor retention and acquisition efforts and results.
• Lead supervise and mentor a team of acquisitionfocused staff including the Senior Multichannel Digital Campaign Coordinator and Assistant Director Giving Day ensuring alignment with strategic goals fostering professional growth and managing workflow across key campaigns and initiatives.
• Regular and reliable attendance is essential for this position.
• Performs other duties as may be assigned.

Whats required to be considered:

• Bachelors Degree: A bachelors degree in a relevant field is preferred although equivalent experience may be considered.
• Relevant Fields of Experience: Nonprofit Fundraising/Development Digital Marketing or Public Relations.
• Salesforce Marking Cloud: Certification strongly preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 3 5 years experience preferred 5 7.

What separates the best from the rest

Seeking a highly motivated datadriven individual with an entrepreneurial mindset to join our Donor Engagement team. Will be responsible for developing and executing datainformed strategies to drive donor acquisition and engagement. This role requires a strong analytical mindset comfort with working in Salesforce Marketing Cloud and the ability to translate data insights into actionable solicitation campaigns.

• Strategic Planning: Design and implement datadriven strategies to attract and acquire new donors focusing on enhancing the donor pipeline.
• Project Management: Proven ability to manage projects effectively and simultaneously including coordinating with team members to execute multichannel projects including; mail email digital and social media.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate in crafting compelling content and effectively communicate with donors and colleagues.
• Collaboration: Ability to collaborate effectively with crossfunctional teams and stakeholders including senior leadership to achieve shared goals.
• Salesforce Marketing Cloud: Utilize Salesforce Marketing Cloud to design segment and execute digital donor solicitation and engagement campaigns. Analyze campaign performance data identify trends and apply insights to optimize engagement conversion rates and acquisition outcomes.
• Segmentation & Targeting: Build and maintain donor segmentation strategies based on data insights to ensure campaigns are personalized and relevant to different donor segments.
• Analytical Skills: Demonstrated experience in analyzing data and metrics to identify trends behaviors and opportunities for donor growth and segmentation. Leverage insights to inform decisionmaking and optimize donor engagement efforts and acquisition tactics.
• Reporting & Optimization: Develop regular reports on campaign performance engagement metrics and acquisition goals. Work collaboratively with team members to continuously refine strategies based on performance data and insights.
• Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail especially in managing donor communications and ensuring accuracy in project execution.
• Passion for Mission: Genuine passion for the mission and values of KU Endowment with a commitment to advancing philanthropy and supporting the universitys goals.
• Adaptability: Flexibility and adaptability to navigate changing priorities and thrive in a fastpaced environment.

Physical Requirements:

• A valid drivers license.
• Must have access to reliable transportation to travel between multiple locations for training donor meetings networking events and/or workrelated activities.
• Must be able to respond quickly and effectively to directions and safety hazards.
• This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office productivity machinery such as computers keyboards and a mouse laptops phones photocopiers filing cabinets and fax machines.
• This is largely a sedentary role; however some filing is required. This would require the ability to move files open filing cabinets and bend or stand as necessary.
• The ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• The person in this position frequently communicates with donors colleagues students and the public. Must be able to communicate with others effectively.
• Physical effort/lifting: sedentary; up to 10 pounds.
• Travel: rarely. Travel requirements can include the following: evenings weekends and out of town overnights as a regular part of the job.

KU Endowment is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job as regulated by ADA. If you require accommodation for any part of the application process or during employment please contact to discuss your needs.

Weve got you covered:

KU Endowment offers a competitive salary with an excellent benefit package including:

• 100% employerpaid pension plan
• Health dental and vision insurance
• 401(k) and Roth 401(k) matching program
• Section 125 flexible benefits
• Generous paid leave including holidays personal and sick leave
• Volunteer and community engagement opportunities
• Paid Parental Leave
• Life AD&D short and longterm disability insurance
• Legal & ID Theft protection
• Critical Illness
• Accident and Hospital Indemnity insurance
• KU education assistance
• Free parking

Sounds good right Whats next

Please include your resume and cover letter when applying for this position on our website at regarding this vacancy may be addressed to:

Emily Garcia

Sr. Human Resources Associate
KU Endowment
PO Box 928
Lawrence KS
Email:

Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the position is filled. Because of the sensitive nature of KU Endowment business and the importance of our reputation with donors KU Endowment conducts a comprehensive review of applicants. By submitting your application you authorize us to conduct reference checks and a review of available public information. Employment is contingent upon background and reference checks that KU Endowment finds acceptable.