Annual Giving & Advancement Communications Lead

Husson University; Bangor (ME); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Husson University in Bangor, ME seeks a Manager of Annual Giving and Advancement Communications to lead the comprehensive annual giving program and craft marketing and communications strategies that advance fundraising, donor engagement, and alumni participation.

The role involves growing philanthropic support through direct mail, digital communications, Giving Day, crowdfunding, social media, and other targeted outreach, partnering with Marketing to ensure brand consistency and impact across

Qualifications

• Progressively responsible experience in annual giving, fundraising, marketing, or alumni relations.
• Ability to develop and execute fundraising, marketing, or engagement strategies.
• Strong analytical skills to set goals and evaluate results.
• Strong project management and multi-priority delivery.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and storytelling.
• Experience with digital, email, social media, and direct-response communications.
• Commitment to donor service and relationship building.
• Supervising student employees or staff.
• Graphic design, digital content, or web content management.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership for a comprehensive annual giving program designed to acquire new donors, retain and upgrade existing donors, increase alumni participation, and build a strong culture of philanthropy among alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends of Husson University.
• Develops and executes an annual solicitation and communications calendar incorporating direct mail, email, digital giving, social media, crowdfunding, Giving Day, and other targeted fundraising strategies.
• Leads the planning and execution of Husson University’s annual Giving Day, including campaign strategy, messaging, audience segmentation, volunteer engagement, marketing, digital communications, and post-campaign analysis.
• Helps to establish annual fundraising and participation goals and regularly evaluates program performance. Uses giving trends, response rates, donor retention, acquisition, and other key performance indicators to refine annual giving strategies.
• Develops strategies to identify, retain, and upgrade annual donors and works collaboratively with Major Gifts staff to identify annual giving donors with the interest and capacity for increased philanthropic engagement.
• Develops targeted fundraising strategies for key constituencies, including alumni, parents and families, faculty and staff, students, athletics supporters, and friends of the University.
• Directs Advancement marketing and communications supporting annual giving, donor engagement, and alumni participation, including segmented emails, solicitation appeals, giving-page content, digital campaigns, social media, and other donor communications.
• Develops compelling philanthropic messaging and donor-centered content that communicates the impact of giving and connects donors with University priorities, students, programs, scholarships, athletics, and other areas of philanthropic opportunity.
• Coordinates with University Marketing and Communications to ensure Advancement materials are consistent with Husson University brand standards and institutional messaging.
• Develops regular reports on annual giving activity, campaign performance, donor participation, retention, acquisition, and other key metrics for the Vice President for University Advancement and University leadership.
• Maintains knowledge of emerging trends and best practices in annual giving, digital fundraising, donor engagement, and advancement communications.
• Represents University Advancement at University events and activities as appropriate.
• Performs other duties as assigned in support of the goals and priorities of University Advancement and Husson University.

Skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Written communication

Verbal communication

Donor service

Relationship building

Digital fundraising

Alumni engagement

Graphic design

Web content management

Fundraising knowledge

Familiarity with Husson University

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Raiser's Edge NXT

Job description

Husson University in Bangor, ME seeks a Manager of Annual Giving and Advancement Communications to lead the comprehensive annual giving program and craft marketing and communications strategies that advance fundraising, donor engagement, and alumni participation.

The role involves growing philanthropic support through direct mail, digital communications, Giving Day, crowdfunding, social media, and other targeted outreach, partnering with Marketing to ensure brand consistency and impact across