We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Since its founding in 1832, Wills Eye has enjoyed a reputation as one of the premier eye facilities in the world. As the first hospital in the United States to be dedicated exclusively to the treatment of eye disorders, and long renowned for excellence in patient care, Wills Eye has ranked consistently as one of the nation's best eye hospitals by U.S. News & World Report since the survey began in 1990.
Wills Eye Hospital's benefits program is both comprehensive and cost-effective. Our employees are offered an array of benefits that include health and dental insurance, vision care, prescription drug coverage, and a variety of wellness benefits. Additional enrollment information and specifics will be provided to prospective employees during their onboarding.
DESCRIPTION
Location:
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Status:
Full-time
About the Position
The Director of Annual Giving at Wills Eye Foundation is responsible for raising philanthropic funds from individuals who give $1 to $24,999 annually via targeted appeals, with the goal of increasing the number of donors and dollars. The Director will develop and implement an Annual Fund cultivation and solicitation strategy, manage campaigns to active and lapsed donors through mail and digital channels and grateful patient acquisition campaigns. The Director will establish annual philanthropy as a core program and engagement opportunity, designing and managing a program fully integrated with and partnering with Donor Relations, Major Giving, and Planned Giving. A primary objective of this program is to develop a comprehensive donor pipeline moving donors toward leadership, major, principal, and planned giving.
Key Responsibilities
Develop a coordinated matrix of communication and solicitation strategies focused on shaping a sustainable tradition of annual support, using a mix of novel and known technologies and tactics.
Writing compelling appeal letters (print and email) through strategic storytelling that encourage current, prospective, and lapsed donors to give philanthropic donations to the Wills Eye Foundation.
Plan and execute a minimum of four (4) solicitation appeals to all audiences including but not limited to: Day(s) of Giving, Calendar Year End, Doctors' Day, and Fiscal Year End which should include mail, email, online giving, social media, and individual follow up via phone calls. Additional appeals include but are not limited to strategic campaigns, Giving Tuesday, recurring gift donors, employee giving, and crowdfunding.
Cultivate and solicit donors in the 1832 Society ($1,832 to $24,999 level) with targeted messaging within the solicitation appeals to encourage leadership level giving. A portfolio of leadership level donors should be cultivated and solicited by the Director of Annual Giving utilizing a personalized donor approach through mail, email, and phone calls.
Collaborate with the Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship to ensure all annual fund donors are effectively stewarded throughout the year.
Establish a comprehensive solicitation calendar for the year which identifies mail dates, email solicitations, and includes the relevant CDO and leadership approval deadlines, list review, and print deadlines.
Each solicitation/appeal should have the unique patient story or theme of each solicitation piece identified in advance.
Work with vendors to design, produce, and distribute all annual fund appeal collateral materials including but not limited to the appeal letter, brochure, website, elevator poster, envelopes, response devices, etc. Ensure timely completion of projects and stay within budget.
Develop a Wills Eye Hospital Foundation donor brochure that is distributed and available throughout the main Hospital and suburban locations.
Collaborate with the Development Database Manager and Director of Development Operations to establish solicitation parameters and a reasonable schedule to have mailing lists pulled from the patient database and the Raisers' Edge database for solicitations and reviewed by colleagues within the Development department.
Establish overall metrics and goals to increase donors and dollars for the Wills Eye Hospital Fund, specifically reporting on renewal rates, donor retention, new donor acquisition, and progress to all goals. In addition, establish these goals and metrics for each individual solicitation appeal based on previous years' performance.
Work with key internal and cross-departmental partners to enhance engagement, solicitation, and stewardship efforts.
Manage Wills Eye Hospital Fund budget and track expenses to maximize cost efficiencies.
In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
Key Qualifications
Minimum of eight years of progressively responsible development experience, with a strong working knowledge of the principles and practices of annual giving fundraising in an academic medical, healthcare environment, or comparable complex organization.
Highly motivated self-starter who is engaging, resilient, and resourceful with the ability to work independently, as well as part of a team.
Excellent ability to set priorities, plan long-term, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and perform in a fast-paced environment to meet deadlines.
Detail oriented with a methodical approach to work.
Superb analytical thinking skills with ability to assess situations and react appropriately.
Superior verbal and written communication skills.
Understanding of business implications of decisions and ability to align work with strategic goals.
Skilled at relationship management, collaborating with colleagues, and encouraging and facilitating open communication.
Ability to liaise in a professional manner with all levels of staff, management, donors, and external contacts.
Willingness to work evenings and weekends as required.
Attends Wills Eye Hospital sponsored events as required.
Solid working knowledge of fundraising databases, preferably Raisers' Edge NXT.