The Manager, Appeals plays a key role in increasing donor participation and engagement, especially among alumni, parents, and other constituents, to ensure the university meets its annual giving targets. This role includes both strategic and tactical responsibilities, with a focus on donor cultivation, stewardship, tracking, and campaign management.

Duties

• Aid in the overall development, execution, tracking, and evaluation of annual giving campaigns and appeals, including 2 annual giving days, direct mail, email appeals, and digital fundraising initiatives.
• Develop digital content, including website updates, and email appeals ensuring efforts meet goals of department and stakeholders. Create and oversee corresponding direct mail campaigns when applicable.
• Collaborate on strategy for events designed to engage donors, including in-person activations, digital presence, and stewardship.
• Manage student employees and student outreach, working to increase student engagement. 
• Set and track progress toward annual giving goals, ensuring campaigns are on target to meet participation targets, working with frontline fundraisers and digital gift officers to ensure constituents are cultivated properly.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Uphold University mission through work performed.

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Skills and Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree and 2 years of full-time professional experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to compose, proofread and edit correspondence and reports for correct grammar.
• Able to work cross-functionally, while building and maintaining relationships.
• Proficiency in time management, project organization, and attention to detail.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently and adept at setting priorities and managing workflow to fulfill objectives and meet goals according to deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft suite and Google suite of applications, specifically database (Excel and Sheets) programs.

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s Degree in communications or similar with at least 2 years of experience within marketing, nonprofit, higher education, event planning, or similar.
• Proficiency with Google Office Suite.
• Experience with donor databases, preferably Raiser's Edge or equivalent database and the use of databases to generate reports.
• Prior experience in digital solicitations and crowdfunding outcomes in a fundraising and/or similar constituent-driven environment.
• Goal-oriented, self-motivated, and adaptable to evolving environments.
• Proficiency in Notion, Raiser's Edge CRM, GiveCampus.

This is a Regular, Nonexempt, 40 hour per week position that is eligible for hybrid or remote work in accordance with the university policy manual. 

Expected Pay Range: $29.80 - $31.69 per hour 

The above pay range reflects what Pepperdine University reasonably expects to pay for this position at time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant factors such as work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. In addition to base pay, Pepperdine offers a robust and highly competitive benefits package.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Pepperdine is committed to providing a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Engaging in unlawful discrimination or harassment will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Pepperdine is religiously affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is the purpose of Pepperdine to pursue the very highest employment and academic standards within a context that celebrates and extends the spiritual and ethical ideals of the Christian faith. While students, faculty, and staff represent many religious backgrounds, Pepperdine is permitted under applicable law and reserves the right to seek, hire, and promote persons who support the goals and mission of the institution, including the right to prefer co-religionists who support Pepperdine's Christian mission.

Qualified individuals should be able to show respect for workplace differences, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. The University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Individuals will be required to disclose any criminal convictions on a designated form after receiving a conditional offer of employment; failure to disclose accurate information may result in withdrawal of the offer or termination of employment. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.