Annual Giving & Communications Manager

From crisis intervention, trauma and mental health counseling to providing basic necessities and doing whatever it takes to help students succeed in college and future careers, Communities In Schools of Houston’s caring Student Support Specialists are embedded on campuses across Greater Houston to break down any barrier to student well-being and support educators to create school cultures where it’s okay to reach out for help.

The Annual Giving & Communication Manager engages with current and potential individual donors, with an emphasis on donors of less than $5,000. This role is also responsible for crafting and conveying the powerful stories of CIS, along with other strategic communications efforts.

Duties/Responsibilities:

Support CIS of Houston’s private fundraising efforts - 60%

• Participate in active engagement of annual-giving donors (less than $5,000), by making stewardship calls to all current donors at this level, particularly repeat donors, inviting appropriate donors to a campus, outreach luncheons and other events to further educate donors on the work of CIS
• Develop annual appeals strategy in collaboration with Individual Giving Officer
• Manage donor engagement projects from start to finish, to include the creation of a minimum of three annual giving direct marketing appeals per year
• Create direct marketing appeals content for print and digital donor outreach, coordinate appeals distribution, and analyze appeals results to drive future strategy
• Identify interest and potential for further engagement of annual-giving donors and work with Development Team members to cultivate and steward relationships
• Identify annual-giving new and lapsed donors for renewal and reacquisition and make personal outreach to encourage giving
• Work closely with the Individual Giving Officer to drive moves management to grow the pipeline of individual prospects & donors and strategize engagement of donor segments, annual giving donors and major gift donors.

Support CIS of Houston’s expanding communications/marketing efforts - 40%

• Develop and create internal and external digital and printed marketing communications materials, including event-related publications, e-newsletters, Annual Report, blogs and corresponding graphics, letters to prospective and existing donors, marketing collaterals, social media content, and more
• Craft messaging and correspondence on behalf of CIS Leadership for marketing and outreach purposes
• Identify and assist in the creation of a wide range of engaging content, including stories from educators, CIS leadership, CIS Student Support Specialists, students and their families, generous donors and other CIS supporters
• Coordinate the creation of agency marketing materials in collaboration with external communications partners including graphic design and printing firms engaged by CIS
• Identify multimedia opportunities and manage relationship with consultant public relations firm to inform CIS media engagement strategy and presence
• Coordinate with the Development Department and CIS Marketing & Communications Board Committee, and collaborate with CIS’ public relations firm to identify, develop and execute internal/external communications strategies, including thought leadership opportunities
• Interact with CIS Student Support Specialists, Leadership, Board members, partner agencies, school district officials, and other CIS affiliates regarding communications efforts
• Manage the creation of annual campus reports, to include biannual supervision of temporary assistant

In addition to the above outlined responsibilities, this position holder is expected to perform other duties as needed as a member of the CIS Development team.

Minimum Educational Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Communications, Business, Social Sciences or other related fields.

Minimum Experience Requirements and Qualifications:

• Minimum three years’ experience managing donors and coordinating communications / marketing for an organization.
• This position requires a highly self-motivated, resourceful, creative, and relationship-driven individual with experience and a passion for engaging donors and internal & external audiences on a daily basis, with the ultimate goal of furthering CIS of Houston’s mission to support students.

Required Knowledge & Skills:

• Exceptional writing and research capabilities
• Strong interpersonal, donor engagement, and team-collaboration skills
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects/tasks with minimal supervision, work under deadlines, and adapt to changing communications needs
• Detail-oriented and well organized with persistent follow-up
• Demonstrated capacity to continuously develop and apply the latest knowledge and skills related to donor engagement, fundraising, and marketing & communications, including the ability to dive into and analyze data, learn new applications, and provide new ideas for improving donor outreach & communications efforts
• Prior fundraising database management experience (experience with Raisers Edge a plus)
• Prior experience/competency using the following platforms (or similar applications) for business: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google Analytics, Canva, Animoto, Photoshop and Hootsuite
• Professional appearance and manner at all times while at work

Work Environment:

• Hybrid – Remote and In-Office
• City-wide travel
• Occasional prolonged and irregular hours