Annual Fund & Membership Officer

Position Summary

The Annual Fund & Membership Officer is responsible for leading and growing the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium's annual giving program while providing strategic oversight of the Zoo's membership program. This position serves as the organization's primary annual fund strategist, developing and executing comprehensive fundraising initiatives that increase donor acquisition, retention, upgrades, and lifetime value.

Working closely with the Vice President of Development and the broader development team, the Officer will create innovative, multi-channel fundraising campaigns that inspire philanthropic support and strengthen the donor pipeline. The position also oversees the Member Services Strategist, providing both strategic leadership and operational support for the Zoo's membership program. While the Member Services Strategist manages the day-to-day administration of membership, the Officer ensures operational excellence, assists with complex member service issues, oversees key membership processes, and leverages membership as a critical entry point into deeper donor engagement and philanthropy.

The ideal candidate is an experienced annual giving professional with a proven track record of building successful direct response fundraising programs, utilizing donor analytics, and creating stewardship strategies that increase donor loyalty and annual philanthropic support.

Key Responsibilities

Annual Fund Leadership & Execution

• Develop and execute a comprehensive annual fund strategy focused on donor acquisition, retention, reactivation, and gift upgrades.
• Create and manage a year-round annual giving calendar that includes direct mail, digital campaigns, GivingTuesday, Spring and year-end appeals, monthly giving, comprehensive donor journeys, and integrated fundraising initiatives.
• Analyze donor data and giving trends to identify opportunities for segmentation, personalization, and increased donor engagement.
• Partner with the Donor Relations Officer to develop donor journeys that successfully transition annual donors into major gift cultivation.
• Design compelling fundraising messaging across print, email, social media, website, and digital advertising platforms.
• Develop strategies to grow unrestricted annual giving while identifying opportunities to increase participation across all donor segments.
• Lead the implementation and expansion of monthly giving initiatives.
• Establish annual fund goals, KPIs, dashboards, and performance metrics; regularly evaluate campaign effectiveness and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Oversee donor stewardship activities, including acknowledgement processes, impact reporting, recognition strategies, and annual stewardship campaigns.
• Work collaboratively with Marketing and Communications to ensure consistent fundraising messaging and integrated campaign execution.
• Stay current on emerging annual giving trends, technologies, and best practices.

Membership Leadership & Operations

• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Zoo's membership program while directly supervising the Member Services Strategist.
• Support the day-to-day operation of the membership program by assisting with complex member service issues, policy decisions, escalated concerns, and operational planning.
• Ensure efficient membership processes, exceptional customer service standards, and a consistently positive member experience.
• Monitor membership performance metrics and recommend improvements to pricing, benefits, communications, renewals, and operational procedures.
• Collaborate with Marketing to develop membership acquisition, retention, and renewal campaigns.
• Identify opportunities to convert members into annual donors through integrated engagement and fundraising initiatives.
• Evaluate membership trends and recommend strategies to strengthen member retention, engagement, and lifetime value.
• Ensure accurate membership reporting, data integrity, and effective utilization of the membership database.
• Serve as a resource and backup for critical membership operations during periods of high volume or staff absence.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Directly supervise the Member Services Strategist through coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
• Foster a collaborative and service-oriented culture within the Membership & Annual Fund team.
• Collaborate across Development, Marketing, Guest Services, Finance, and other departments to achieve organizational fundraising goals.
• Assist the Vice President of Development with strategic planning, budgeting, and annual fundraising priorities.
• Participate in departmental leadership initiatives and organizational planning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Five or more years of progressive experience in annual giving, direct response fundraising, donor engagement, or nonprofit development.
• Demonstrated success managing comprehensive annual giving programs that include direct mail, digital fundraising, stewardship, and donor acquisition.
• Experience supervising staff and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong understanding of donor lifecycle management and moves management principles.
• Experience using donor databases and fundraising CRM systems (Altru preferred).
• Excellent project management, communication, and organizational skills.
• Strong analytical abilities with experience utilizing fundraising metrics and dashboards to guide decision-making.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading or supporting a nonprofit membership program, including membership operations, renewals, customer service, and member engagement.
• Experience integrating membership and annual giving strategies to increase donor participation and lifetime value.
• Experience working in a zoo, aquarium, museum, botanical garden, or other membership-based cultural institution.
• Passion for conservation, education, and the mission of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.

Department: Development
Reports To: Vice President of Development
Supervises: Member Services Strategist

Salary Range: $80,000-$90,000 (commensurate with experience and qualifications)
FLSA Status: Exempt