Senior Director of Annual Giving Programs

Position Summary

Reporting to the Vice President for Donor Engagement and Chief Marketing Officer, the Senior Director of Annual Giving Programs oversees all aspects of the OSU Foundation’s centralized academic annual giving programs, including a comprehensive multi‑channel marketing, solicitation, and retention program, unit‑based and university‑wide annual giving initiatives, constituency‑based programming and volunteer engagement, and a leadership annual giving donor experience program. The Senior Director leads a team responsible for increasing academic annual giving revenue (gifts under $50,000), increasing the number of annual giving donors and donor retention, increasing the engagement of annual giving donors, and strengthening the major gift pipeline.

• Lead the development of annual goals and plans for academic annual giving to ensure a healthy donor pipeline, including annual dollars raised, donor goals, and $1k+ donor goals. Monitor progress, develop reports, and deploy analytics to make necessary improvements to meet and exceed goals.
• Lead, manage, develop and mentor annual giving team members. Build and develop a cohesive, integrated team. Exercise full supervision over assigned staff, make appropriate hiring decisions, establish work plans and accountabilities, provide training and professional development, and ensure required training is received, conduct performance evaluations, effectively manage behavioral and conduct issues.
• Use data and digital technology to enhance the donor experience, increase donors, and optimize fundraising performance. This includes utilizing machine learning, predictive modeling, artificial intelligence, sales enablement technology, and marketing automation. Collaborate with the Technology and Innovation team to advance the Foundation’s digital technology and innovation goals.
• Lead the development and execution of solicitation and stewardship strategies, encompassing both unit‑based and university‑wide initiatives. Oversee the creation and implementation of marketing campaigns across various channels to engage donors, alumni, and the broader community with the right message based on their interests. Work with unit leads to develop unit‑specific annual giving goals and plans. Work closely with the Marketing and Communications team to ensure that all initiatives align with the Foundation’s branding and messaging.
• Ensure the development and execution of a comprehensive stewardship plan for all annual giving donors that increases donor retention and builds a pipeline for increased giving and engagement at all annual giving levels. This includes customized stewardship strategies and communications for key annual giving segments, including unassigned donors, first‑time donors, mid‑level donors, and loyalty/consecutive donors; donors from target constituencies; and donors to certain areas.
• Oversee the development and implementation of fundraising and donor volunteer engagement strategies for key constituent and recognition groups, including OSUF’s Beaver Leadership Circle, Women’s Giving Circle, parents, employees, alumni employees, recent graduates and other leadership groups. Work in partnership with the Director of Constituent Engagement and Stewardship, Annual Giving Programs, to develop and execute a comprehensive plan to grow constituency groups and increase annual giving volunteers.
• Lead the university’s Day of Giving. Chair university‑wide planning committee and work collaboratively with departments across the university and Foundation to execute OSU’s largest single annual engagement activity. Develop and execute robust solicitation and engagement plan that reaches yearly objectives for funds raised, donor participation, increased brand awareness and an enhanced culture of philanthropy.
• Lead pipeline development and leadership giving retention programs including Donor Experience Officer (DXO) Program, in conjunction with the Director of Donor Experience, Annual Giving Programs. Oversee deployment of innovative technology and sales enablement tools to provide personalized donor outreach duct regular analysis of quantitative and qualitative…