Assistant Director for Annual Giving Creative Content, Medical Philanthropy

Welcome to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)… a world unlike any other.  We combine learning, research, creativity, service and discovery with a commitment to inclusive excellence. Ranked by U.S. News as one of the 30 “most innovative” public universities in the country, VCU is a premier, urban, public research university home to multiple nationally ranked programs.  Here, your success is supported, and your career can thrive. VCU offers a generous leave package, career paths for advancement, competitive pay and mission-driven work. To explore our benefits further, please visit https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/university-and-academic-professional-benefits/. We advance a conscientious drive to support a climate where excellence and success for all people are valued and differences are celebrated.  Together, we can be unstoppable.

The VCU Office of Medical Philanthropy and Alumni Relations (MPAR) brings together proficient, skilled, and passionate fundraising professionals who drive mission-critical fundraising for medical-based units at VCU and VCU Health. As a fundraising unit within the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR), the MPAR team maximizes philanthropic support by engaging stakeholders for VCU Massey Cancer Center, VCU Health, and the VCU School of Medicine. The MPAR Annual Giving team works in partnership with the MPAR frontline fundraising units and other campus stakeholders.

The Assistant Director for Annual Giving Creative Content , reporting to the MPAR Director of Annual Giving, enhances VCU’s fundraising capacity by developing, conceiving, crafting and executing messaging and designs for direct response fundraising channels including mail, email, social media and other digital opportunities. These projects support institutional priorities for alumni, grateful patients, and community stakeholder engagement and fundraising.

In this role you will:

• Serve as the primary liaison between the Medical Philanthropy Communications team and the Medical Philanthropy Annual Giving team, working collaboratively to write and design direct response solicitations for alumni and grateful patient constituents
• Work with the Annual Giving team to create and execute robust, multichannel, strategic solicitation campaigns that further strategic priorities by writing and designing annual giving solicitation content for print, email, digital, and other outreach strategies
• Develop a thorough understanding of the different donor audiences that comprise Medical Philanthropy and create solicitations designed to meet their specific interests and expectations
• Partner closely with the Medical Philanthropy communications team to maintain up to date knowledge of news of interest to different constituent populations and use this information to create compelling solicitations
• Write and design mail and email solicitations in strategic partnership with the Annual Giving team and each of the five fundraising priority areas, including alumni and grateful patients
• Demonstrate mastery of best practices in annual giving copy and design creation
• Serve as primary copy editor and proofreader for annual giving content created by vendors and other third parties
• Create organic and paid social media content, including writing and design, to increase reach and impact of direct response campaigns
• Create other digital marketing assets, including display ads, to acquire and retain donors
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and cross-campus staff to solicit content ideas and facilitate content approvals
• Collaborate and engage with Strategic Marketing and Engagement and MCV Foundation colleagues (i.e., graphic designers, photographer/videographer, social media specialist) in the development of communications and other deliverables
• Stay abreast of new ideas and strategies in annual giving comms and suggest innovative approaches

Required education and qualifications:


• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing or related field required or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Three to five years of experience in journalism, public relations or fundraising, with emphasis on higher education, nonprofit, or healthcare setting
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in persuasive writing and fundraising, annual giving communications, and design for digital and print materials
• Superior grammar, spelling and editing skills and superior knowledge of AP Style
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Aptitude to develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU
• Ability to communicate and present ideas accurately and clearly
• Adaptable, proactive, deadline-driven, results-oriented, highly organized and detail-oriented
• Enjoy working within a fast-paced, performance-based professional environment
• Self-starter who can succeed with general direction and exercise independent judgment
• Trustworthiness to serve as a brand ambassador and to handle issues or escalate as appropriate

Preferred education and qualifications:

• Experience writing fundraising communications in an educational environment
• Previous experience in a university or nonprofit setting
• Previous experience in a hospital, academic medical center or other healthcare setting

For more information on Virginia Commonwealth University and Development and Alumni Relations, please visit https://www.support.vcu.edu/talent/

Interested individuals should apply directly at https://vcu.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/3702?c=vcu

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, veteran’s status, political affiliation or disability.