Senior Director, Philanthropic Communications

Department

ADV Communications

About the Department

The Advancement Office engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. Advancement raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

The Advancement Communications team works with Advancement partners to shape and brand communications to engage, steward, and inform alumni, donors, and friends of the University of Chicago. The design team, which supports this group, utilizes communications and design best practices to shape impressions for signature events and other programming that supports Advancement philanthropic goals and strengthens the University’s identity in the world.

Job Summary

The Senior Director of Philanthropic Communications provides visionary leadership for the development, review, distribution, and alignment of high-impact donor-facing materials. The Senior Director is responsible for developing and driving strategies for gift proposals, bespoke donor materials, and annual giving stewardship reports, ensuring all communications resonate with diverse donor audiences and inspire philanthropic investment.

This role manages a team or multiple teams of managers and professional staff responsible for planning, preparing and disseminating information designed to keep the public informed of the University's perspectives, programs, and accomplishments. Develops and plans marketing, press relations, creative editorial and design services, and internal communications.

Responsibilities

• In partnership with the Executive Director, Stewardship and Events, and the Assistant Vice President, Advancement Communications, develops and implements a comprehensive strategy for philanthropic communications that aligns with organizational goals and donor engagement strategies. 
• Develops and implements strategies for distributing donor-facing content across appropriate channels to maximize reach and engagement. 
• Serves as a senior advisor on donor communications, providing guidance to leadership and fundraising teams on messaging, tone, and content personalization. 
• Directs the creation and delivery of proposals, stewardship materials, gift announcements, and customized donor content to ensure alignment with donor motivations and organizational priorities. 
• Provides leadership and oversight of the philanthropic communications team by managing workloads, setting clear goals, and supporting the professional growth of team members to ensure efficiency and collaboration.
• Fosters a culture of excellence by implementing standards, training, and feedback systems to enhance the professionalism and reputation of expertise of the writing team.
• Collaborates with internal teams to align content distribution efforts with organizational priorities and fundraising campaigns. 
• Identifies and leverages meaningful content created in other parts of the organization, ensuring alignment with donor communication goals. 
• Builds relationships with program teams, researchers, and organizational leaders to source compelling stories, data, and insights for donor materials. 
• Serves as a connector across departments, ensuring seamless integration of organizational content into philanthropic communications. 
• Leverages data and insights to craft content tailored to diverse donor audiences, emphasizing storytelling that connects donors to organizational impact. 
• Evaluates the effectiveness of donor communications strategies and materials, implementing data-driven improvements to enhance outcomes. 
• Innovates strategies for personalizing communications to strengthen donor relationships and inspire giving. 
• Builds strong partnerships with internal stakeholders, including fundraisers, program leaders, and senior executives, to support organizational objectives. 
• Represents the organization’s communications expertise in cross-departmental initiatives and donor-related planning. 
• Stays informed on trends and best practices in donor communications, philanthropy, and audience engagement. 
• Develops communication strategy, provides leadership and management of communications staff, liaises with other University and Unit offices as appropriate.
• Oversees the writing, preparation, and/or delivery of information from or about the unit. Is accountable for maintaining the unit's goals and communications strategy in publications, announcements, and speeches.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qual