Director, Digital Fundraising

How You’ll Contribute

The Advancement team identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards individuals, as well as foundation, government, and corporate partners who invest in the Society to drive impact through science, technology, education, exploration, and storytelling. The team collaborates across the Society to build transformative and impact-driven strategic partnerships. The team also produces global events that deepen connections and leverage the Society’s power to convene, and directs robust annual, major, and planned giving programs empowering the Society with a broad base of public support.

The Annual Giving and Membership (AGM) team manages a high impact fundraising and stewardship program through integrated and data-driven marketing and communications campaigns across multiple channels. Reporting to the Vice President, AGM, the Director, Digital Fundraising will be a strong communicator and collaborator who is creative in their approach to solving problems, confident with internal and external stakeholders, and resolute in uncovering insights that drive staff, campaign, and program success. The Director is responsible for developing strategy, managing three direct reports, and leading the digital fundraising program for the Advancement team to meet growing revenue goals across email, web, digital ads, and other digital channels to acquire, retain, steward, and reactivate donors at both the membership level and mid-level.

Your Impact

Responsibilities Include:

Digital Strategy & Team Leadership (25%)

• Directly supervise three digital fundraising staff (two Senior Managers and a Specialist) and support their growth and professional development.

• In collaboration with the VP, create annual and long-term program strategy, incorporating feedback from colleagues.

• Help colleagues and direct reports understand strategy, map and achieve goals, and expand the digital fundraising program.  

• Prioritize knowledge-sharing and mentorship, educating colleagues and direct reports on best practices and the latest industry trends to foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

• Research and build expertise of current and emerging fundraising technologies across all aspects of digital fundraising/marketing and make recommendations for program innovations.

Digital Fundraising Projects and Partnerships (30%)

• Oversee digital fundraising projects with internal enterprise wide partners and external vendors.

• Serve as the  AGM lead on enterprise-wide technology and integration projects to ensure that opportunities for donor and member cultivation and journeys and other AGM goals are prioritized.   

• Lead internal and external partners in the development of the strategy for integrated digital campaigns.

• Oversee the development of content and program creative elements. Provide strategic and experiential context for recommendations and campaign initiatives. 

• Drive strategy and planning meetings and maintain responsibility for persuasively presenting ideas and results.

• Serve as strategic partner to internal teams in developing digital plans for the Society that optimize fundraising and stewardship in support of overall donor and revenue goals.

• Oversee the annual digital calendar and strategies to establish a regular cadence of member communication and a robust plan for digital acquisition using display advertising, email, SMS, third-party promotions, paid search, e-appends, and other types of digital acquisition.

• Oversee the relationship with current and future digital advertising agencies.

• Collaborate with the NGS Communications and marketing team to ensure digital programs and tactics are aligned with Society priorities and brand requirements.

Create and Manage Digital Budget and KPIs (10%)

• Manage all aspects of the digital fundraising program budget, recommending investment and ROI scenarios, partnerships, cash flow, and revenue targets.    

• Ensure programs, revenue targets, and expenses meet overall AGM strategies and objectives.

• Provide frequent recurring and timely updates on overall budget performance to key stakeholders.

Oversee Annual Strategic Testing, Optimization, and Reporting Plans (15%)

• Develop and manage testing roadmap, with rele