Sr. Director, Fund. Comms
The Director, Fundraising Communications at United Way Worldwide (UWW) is a strategic role focused on developing and executing comprehensive communications strategies to drive fundraising efforts and support the global United Way Network. This hybrid position, based in Alexandria, VA, requires a seasoned professional with extensive experience in development communications, marketing, and fundraising.
Key Responsibilities and Focus:
Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Global Communications, the Director will be responsible for creating and implementing communication strategies that enhance donor engagement and support UWW's fundraising goals. Core responsibilities include:
Fundraising Communications Strategy:
Developing and executing communication strategies to support organizational fundraising goals, including workplace campaigns, year-round and short-term giving, corporate funders, and donor stewardship.
Partnering with UWW Development colleagues to create annual plans, message strategies, assets, and activations.
Message Framework and Content Development:
Developing compelling message frameworks to elevate UWW's value proposition and ensure consistency across all communication touchpoints.
Creating compelling written materials for offline and online channels, in partnership with Development and Marketing teams.
Providing data, stories, and messaging to support Development presentations and reports.
Digital Fundraising and Donor Engagement:
Driving strategy, cadence, and content development for email communications to UWW donors, and analyzing results to optimize messaging.
Collaborating with the digital marketing team to drive and nurture individual donor relationships, including email marketing strategy.
Experience in digital fundraising and creating donor user journeys is required.
Network Support and Collaboration:
Leading efforts to create fundraising messaging and tools for local United Ways.
Supporting corporate cause marketing campaigns as needed.
Supporting communications for donor cultivation events.
Performance Measurement and Management:
Establishing, measuring, and reporting on performance metrics.
Managing assigned agency and vendor relationships.
Potentially supervising and developing direct reports.
Essential Skills and Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will possess:
A bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field.
Minimum 12 years of experience in development communications, marketing, fundraising, or a related field.
More than five years of experience overseeing fundraising communications for a national or global charitable organization.
Proven experience in developing and executing donor communication strategies.
Expertise in aligning communications to drive strategic goals.
Strong writing and editing skills, and effective communication consulting abilities.
Experience in digital fundraising and creating donor user journeys.
Experience with developing and implementing marketing and communications for a decentralized global organization (preferred).
Strong cultural competencies and ability to communicate to a diverse global audience.
Experience with project management software (preferred).
Experience with email marketing and CRM platforms.
Proven ability to establish and evaluate performance metrics.
Excellent strategic and conceptual thinking, and decision-making skills.
Ability to submit writing samples.
A cover letter is required.
Impact and Significance:
This role is crucial for maximizing UWW's fundraising potential and supporting the global United Way Network. By developing and executing effective communication strategies, the Director will play a vital role in engaging donors and driving financial support for UWW's mission. This position offers a significant opportunity to contribute to a global organization dedicated to improving lives worldwide.
