Associate Director of Digital Annual Giving Programs and Strategies

The Opportunity | University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina is a public research university in Columbia, South Carolina. It has seven satellite campuses throughout the state and its main campus covers over 359 acres in downtown Columbia, SC. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, Columbia is the flagship institution of the University of South Carolina System and offers more than 350 programs of study, leading to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. The university has a total enrollment of approximately 52,000 students, with over 35,000 on the main Columbia campus, making it the largest university in South Carolina.

Diversity Statement

At the University of South Carolina, we strive to cultivate an inclusive environment that is open, welcoming, and supportive of individuals of all backgrounds. We recognize diversity in our workforce is essential to providing academic excellence and critical to our sustainability. The University is committed to eliminating barriers created by institutional discrimination through accountability and continuous process improvement. We celebrate the diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences of our employees.

The Position | Director of Donor Experience

Under limited supervision, the Associate Director of Digital Annual Giving Programs and Strategies (Associate Director) reports directly to the Director of Annual Giving Programs and Services (Director) and is a key member of the Annual Giving and Lead Generation program. The Associate Director is responsible for developing and implementing digital ads and search engine optimization (SEO) and improving the online user experience (UX). This position will also manage the university’s crowdfunding program. The Associate Director will work collaboratively with the Director to implement the digital components of an omnichannel solicitation plan. This position is responsible for executing and evaluating the overarching digital strategy to increase online engagement and convert online interactions to online giving. The Associate Director will utilize Blackbaud CRM and Internet Solutions and other digital analytics tools, such as Google Analytics and Meta Marketing Services, to ensure strategies are data-driven, personalized, timely, and consistent and that goals are achieved. This position is a member of the Division of University Development and will operate within the system and procedures of UofSC Development to ensure consistent and well-coordinated activities.

Job Duties

Develop and implement an annual plan and comprehensive digital engagement strategy to support the goals of the Annual Giving and Lead Generation Department and the priorities of the university and its colleges and units in collaboration with the Director of Annual Giving Programs and Services.

Provide oversight and management of digital fundraising efforts including paid digital advertising, online giving forms, search engine optimization, text messaging, and email marketing automation. Ensure policy, best practices, and quality standards are employed by analyzing the effectiveness of digital fundraising campaigns and digital presence against organizational and industry benchmarks. Monitor outcomes, performance measurement of campaigns, website metrics, and drive improvements. Provides timely qualitative and quantitative reports of solicitation campaign performance and marketing metrics and analytics for the Annual Giving and Lead Generation team, the schools and units, and other partners as needed.

Organize online giving forms to improve and enhance UX. Collaborate with the Donor Relations and Communications team to enhance and improve the UX of the Development website, and to develop a comprehensive social media strategy. Implement an effective SEO strategy to increase visibility and comprehension of the online giving forms.

Provide primary oversight of the crowdfunding/social fundraising program managing the day-to-day operations and recruiting new projects externally and internally. Serve as the chair of the crowdfunding committee. In collaboration with the other Annual Giving and Lead Generation team members, assist with developing and managing the giving day crowdfunding sites and sites for other digital fundraising events.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and 3 years related experience in an area such as alumni development, fundraising, prospect research, or business development.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree and 3+ years of experience in higher education fundraising or other nonprofit organizations. Experience in annual giving/development communications, digital marketing and advertising, social media management, or/and web design and optimization.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Comprehensive knowledge of the Principals of Digital Marketing and advertising and web analytics; Crowdfunding/social fundraising trends and strategies; Constituent engagement strategies and practices.
Demonstrated ability to develop a strategy to engage constituents through digital channels. Manage complex projects while also managing relationships with colleagues and supervising staff. Improve and streamline online UX. Conceptualize compelling online/social media communications pieces with a solid and persuasive call to action and on-brand storytelling and messaging. Employ strong written and verbal communication skills. Utilize quantitative and qualitative information to improve decision-making and outcomes and document results. Apply creative and entrepreneurial thinking while applying sound judgment and conducting oneself with integrity. Effectively represent the interests and fundraising priorities of various schools/units while also maintaining a high degree of enterprise perspective by always acting in the best interests of the university. Work with a high degree of flexibility in a highly collaborative, fast-paced, goal-oriented environment.
The success of this position will be measured by decreased online giving cart abandonment, increased digital content engagements, and an increased number of crowdfunding/social fundraising projects that achieve their goals.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Professional fundraising team member (1+) Coordinators within the Annual Giving and Lead Generation department. Works closely with other team members within the Annual Giving unit. This position may also be responsible for managing student workers and volunteers.