Lead Direct Response Specialist (Fundraising)

Lead Direct Response Specialist (Fundraising)

Summary

The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia – one of the most popular websites in the world, serving nearly half a billion users every month. It is the only non-profit in the top 50 websites, supported by a community of millions of individual donors around the world.

The Wikimedia Foundation is expanding its team and seeking an experienced direct response fundraiser to contribute to our audience-based fundraising strategy while overseeing new avenues of growth, including direct mail. Succeeding in this role will require a creative, data-driven mindset to help us get to the next level of innovation to drive the continued growth of Wikimedia’s fundraising program.

Responsibilities:

• Conceptualize and execute tailored donor journeys for various donor segments, encompassing recurring donors, grassroots supporters, and lapsed donors.
• Spearhead the management of the new direct mail pilot program, ensuring its effectiveness and alignment with organizational goals.
• Help launch SMS as a new communication channel to help with donor retention.
• Develop strategies to enhance donor upgrade opportunities and increase donor lifetime value (LTV).
• Collaborate with the Major Gifts, Foundations and Endowment team (MGFE) team to plan Donor Advised Fund (DAF), and Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) and Planned Giving marketing strategies aimed at broader audiences.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to donor retention, tracking progress and implementing adjustments as needed.
• Conduct donor research initiatives, including user testing, surveys, and focus groups, to inform decision-making and strategy refinement.
• Demonstrate proficiency in utilizing donor KPI metrics to inform strategic decisions and optimize performance.

Requirements:

• Proficiency in donor retention, upgrade strategies, recurring donation management, and techniques for growing donor LTV.
• Familiarity with non-digital fundraising channels such as Direct Mail and SMS, as well as integrated direct response marketing principles.
• Experience working with detailed audience segmentation, data analysis, and managing complex donor journeys across multiple audience segments.
• Comfortable working with donor KPI metrics and utilizing them to drive strategic decisions.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams and departments.
• A proactive and results-oriented approach, with a commitment to continuous improvement and learning.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of the fundraising department at Wikimedia Foundation by driving audience development initiatives and optimizing direct response fundraising efforts. If you are passionate about fundraising, data-driven decision-making, and making a positive impact, we encourage you to apply.

About the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive. 

The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations. We receive donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Wikimedia Foundation values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a remote-first organization with staff members including contractors based 40+ countries*. Salaries at the Wikimedia Foundation are set in a way that is competitive, equitable, and consistent with our values and culture. The anticipated annual pay range of this position for applicants based within the United States is US$106,870 to US$164,923 with multiple individualized factors, including cost of living in the location, being the determinants of the offered pay. For applicants located outside of the US, the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire. We neither ask for nor take into consideration the salary history of applicants. The compensation for a successful applicant will be based on their skills, experience and location. 

*Please note that we are currently able to hire in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America and Uruguay.  Our non-US employees are hired through a local third party Employer of Record (EOR). 

We periodically review this list to streamline to ensure alignment with our hiring requirements. 

All applicants can reach out to their recruiter to understand more about the specific pay range for their location during the interview process.

If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at recruiting@wikimedia.org or +1 (415) 839-6885.

More information

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