Director of Marketing and Donor Engagement

Reporting to the Senior Director of Operations, the Director of Marketing and Donor Engagement is seasoned, dynamic, creative, and organized, with a great interest in helping United Way of Northwest Michigan thrive and grow. The Director of Marketing and Donor Engagement is responsible for new donor identification, cultivation, and stewardship of existing donors to increase overall retention and giving levels. The Director of Marketing and Donor Engagement will lead appeal campaigns and develop the organization’s first planned giving program. Continually, this position will manage budgets, monitor campaigns, and support communications to the community.

Responsibilities:

• Leverages and aligns United Way of Northwest Michigan (UWNWMI)’s unique strengths and abilities to support donor development and stewardship
• Promotes awareness of UWNWMI’s mission, which encourages lifelong relationships between UWNWMI and its donors, including foundations, corporations, and individuals
• Provides leadership and direction in the design and implementation of integrated strategies that deliver results on the donor development agenda
• Establishes and manages professional relationships with media personnel
• Creates powerful content that tells the story of United Way and the people we serve
• Write and proofread copy for marketing materials, including newsletters, brochures, campaign materials, annual reports, websites, and solicitation letters
• Works with internal and external teams to successfully execute strategies and develop related tasks
• Provides progress reports to the Senior Director of Operations on a monthly basis on donor relations development and marketing strategy
• Researches potential donors, foundations, and other development opportunities
• Coordinates and executes fundraising and marketing campaigns to meet UWNWMI’s targets
• Maintains existing relationships with individual and corporate donors, including acknowledgment and recognition
• Provides a consistent and positive experience for donors
• Fosters a spirit of teamwork and unity among the department and work effectively together to enable each employee and the department to succeed
• Safeguards all confidential information used in the performance of duties
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to conceive, plan, and execute a major gifts program, including annual giving, special events, and special projects/campaigns
• Extensive marketing experience and comprehensive knowledge of branding
• Ability to manage conception, development, and implementation of marketing plans and strategy and promotional programs to drive donor interest and sales
• Ability to master the use of databases/CRM and other web-based tools
• Excellent written and public speaking skills
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
• Ability to plan, organize, and facilitate meetings and presentations
• Ability to initiate action and work independently or as part of a team
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to develop and manage budgets
• Successful track record in marketing role and campaign creation
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, donor relationship building, and marketing
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in relevant field

Competencies:

United Way Core Competencies for all Staff:

• Mission-Focused: Catalyze others’ commitment to the mission to create real social change that leads to better lives and healthier communities; this drives their performance and professional motivations
• Relationship-Oriented: Understands that people come before process and is astute in cultivating and managing relationships toward a common goal
• Collaborator: understands the roles and contributions of all sectors of the community and can mobilize resources (financial and human) through meaningful engagement
• Results-Driven: Dedicated to shared and measurable goals for the common good; creating, resourcing, scaling, and leveraging strategies and innovations for broad investment and impact
• Brand Steward: Steward of the brand and understands his/her role in growing and protecting the reputation and results of the greater organization

Supervisory or Managerial Responsibility

None

Residency and Travel

It is preferred that applicants reside in the service area and are available to attend early morning, evening, and/or weekend meetings periodically, and should be able to travel independently throughout Northwest Michigan.

50% travel within the service area

Physical Demands

Physical demands are representative of the requirements necessary for an employee to perform the essential functions of this position successfully. The employee is required to listen and communicate clearly and actively. The employee is required to stand and publicly speak. The employee is required to walk, reach with arms and hands, climb, balance, twist, lean, move from one location to another, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close and far. Ability to operate a computer keyboard and mouse, and lift files and reports is required. Employee must be able to lift and carry 25 pounds.

The employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use their hands and fingers to handle or feel. Reliable transportation and a clean driving record are required, as the employee will need to travel throughout Northern Lower Michigan to visit with community members/stakeholders at their preferred meeting locations and to travel to donor engagement events. Set up and take down for community events.Participation in early morning and evening meetings and events will be required. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. It should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all required duties, responsibilities, and skills. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable disabled individuals to perform the essential functions of the job.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

We value the visible and invisible qualities that make us who we are and welcome every person who brings a unique perspective and experience to advance our mission.

We strive to ensure that all community members, donors, volunteers, advocates, employees, and representatives of United Way of Northwest Michigan have equal access to solving community problems.