Donor Engagement & Communications Officer

Donor Engagement & Communications Officer Mary Greeley Medical Center Foundation Ames, Iowa Position Summary The Donor Engagement & Communications Officer serves as the Foundation's senior communications strategist and architect of the donor experience. This role is responsible for designing and executing a cohesive, multi-channel engagement strategy that deepens donor trust, advances philanthropic priorities, and elevates the mission of Mary Greeley Medical Center. The Officer leads all donor'facing communications-including storytelling, annual giving campaigns, digital content, stewardship communications, and donor brand experience-and ensures strong alignment with the Medical Center's Marketing & Communications team. This position also plays a critical role in building a sustainable donor pipeline, guiding loyal annual donors toward multi'year, leadership, major, and planned gifts. Key Responsibilities Strategic Communications Leadership Lead the Foundation's omnichannel donor engagement strategy across print, digital, email, direct marketing, video, social, and event communications to create a unified donor experience. Serve as the Foundation's senior voice and brand steward, shaping messaging architecture and ensuring consistency across all donor-facing channels. Partner proactively with the Medical Center's Marketing & Communications team to align branding, storytelling, messaging priorities, and communication calendars. Collaboration with Medical Center Marketing Participate in joint planning to coordinate campaigns, calendars, brand guidelines, and shared content assets. Ensure philanthropic storytelling reflects hospital strategic priorities, clinical strengths, and community impact. Coordinate digital content strategies (web, email, social) to ensure a cohesive public-facing voice. Donor Experience & Stewardship Develop and manage a Donor Experience Framework that ensures timely, meaningful, and personalized stewardship across all giving levels. Produce high-quality donor materials, including impact reports, gratitude communications, donor stories, case statements, and custom stewardship packets. Support tailored engagement strategies for Top 100 donors, mid-level donors, and leadership gift prospects. Annual Giving & Direct Marketing Lead annual giving strategy, including direct mail, digital appeals, multi-channel solicitations, and special initiatives. Oversee audience segmentation, creative direction, production timelines, and analytics to drive donor retention and upgrades. Collaborate with event leads to integrate sponsorship and corporate recognition communications, as appropriate. Donor Pipeline Development Design a light-touch, scalable donor journey for mid-level donors using program-specific offers and messaging that prepare donors for leadership, major, and planned giving. Partner with the Major Gifts team to identify behavioral signals that indicate readiness for deeper engagement. Track, analyze, and report mid-level donor KPIs. Content Creation & Creative Direction Serve as primary writer and creative lead for donor-facing content across platforms. Translate complex medical, clinical, and organizational information into clear, compelling, donor-centered messages. Cross-Functional Philanthropy Partnership Collaborate with the Major Gifts team to ensure communications support moves management and pipeline development. Equip board members, volunteers, and clinicians with messaging guides and stewardship assets to strengthen philanthropy advocacy. Data-Informed Continuous Improvement Review engagement metrics, digital performance, and campaign results to refine strategies and improve outcomes. Partner with the Data team on segmentation strategies, dashboards, and outcome analysis. Qualifications Required Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, philanthropy, or a related field. 5-7+ years of progressive experience in nonprofit communications, annual giving, direct marketing, or donor relations (preferably in higher education or healthcare). Demonstrated success leading multi-channel strategies and campaigns. Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with portfolio examples. Hands-on design capability. Strong project management and collaboration skills. Preferred Experience & Skills Experience partnering with centralized marketing and communications teams. Familiarity with CRM systems, segmentation strategies, and analytics. Healthcare philanthropy or community-based fundraising experience.