Director of External Advancement

National Mill Dog Rescue

Job Description

The Director of External Advancement is a senior leadership position responsible for the strategy, integration, and performance of all external-facing functions, including fundraising, marketing and communications, outreach and education, volunteer engagement, digital presence, and advancement operations.

This role ensures that revenue growth, community awareness, online engagement, brand visibility, and volunteer experience are aligned in a unified advancement strategy. The Director works closely with the Founder/Chief Mission Officer and Executive Director to drive sustainable growth and mission impact.

Core Responsibilities
Advancement Strategy & Revenue Leadership
Develop and execute a comprehensive annual advancement plan integrating fundraising, communications, outreach, and volunteer engagement and digital strategy
Lead revenue strategy across individual giving, major gifts, grants, corporate partnerships, and campaigns
Establish clear performance metrics, dashboards, and revenue forecasting
Partner with the Founder/Chief Mission Officer and Executive Director on major donor strategy and cultivation
Identify growth opportunities and long-term revenue diversification strategies

Community Awareness & Brand Visibility
Develop strategies to increase community awareness and public recognition of the organization’s mission and impact
Oversee brand positioning and ensure consistent messaging across all platforms
Strengthen public-facing storytelling to elevate credibility, trust, and engagement
Identify partnership opportunities that expand community reach and visibility

Digital Presence, Online Engagement & SEO
Provide strategic oversight of the organization’s digital presence, including website, email marketing, social media, and online campaigns
Ensure content strategy supports fundraising, education, volunteer recruitment, and awareness goals
Oversee website optimization, including user experience and search engine optimization (SEO), to increase traffic and engagement
Monitor and analyze digital performance metrics (engagement rates, conversion rates, web traffic, donor acquisition)
Guide strategies to convert online engagement into donor support and volunteer involvement

Department Oversight & Integration
Provide strategic leadership and supervision to:
Outreach & Education Manager (including volunteer program oversight)
Communications Manager
Philanthropy Assistant
Data Entry Specialist
Ensure cross-functional alignment between outreach, marketing, fundraising, volunteer engagement, and digital strategy
Create systems that connect community engagement efforts to donor pipeline development
Support staff development, accountability, and goal-setting

Outreach, Education & Volunteer Engagement (Strategic Oversight)
Provide strategic direction to community outreach and education initiatives
Ensure volunteer engagement supports advancement and mission goals
Strengthen volunteer retention, recognition, and ambassador development
Identify opportunities to convert volunteers and program participants into long-term supporters

Advancement Operations & Infrastructure
Oversee CRM integrity, reporting systems, and donor data processes
Ensure accurate gift processing and stewardship workflows
Develop departmental budgets and monitor financial performance
Build scalable systems to support organizational growth

Qualifications
7+ years of progressive nonprofit advancement experience
Demonstrated success in fundraising growth and donor relationship strategy
Experience supervising managers and cross-functional teams
Strong understanding of digital marketing, online engagement strategy, and SEO best practices
Experience with CRM systems and advancement operations
Data-informed decision-maker with strong analytical skills
Strategic thinker with the ability to move from vision to execution
Experience working with executive leadership and boards
Commitment to mission-driven, animal welfare-focused work

Working conditions:
Must be comfortable working around dogs and barking.
Must be able to work as part of a team and contribute to tasks not related to marketing when required.
Must be able to receive constructive feedback.
While performing essential duties of this job, employees are regularly exposed to noxious odors, fumes or airborne particles, allergens, toxic or caustic chemicals; and potentially volatile situations which can present risk of violence or injury.
May be required to travel to/from any NMDR location for various periods of time for training, to support rescue efforts and/or special events.
Must be able to lift and move objects weighing up to 35 pounds for short distances; 50 pounds on occasion.
Must be able to occasionally climb, balance, crouch or crawl.
Must be able to stand, walk, use hands, reach, stoop, kneel and handle various types of equipment.

Skills & Experience requirements:
Must have a positive attitude and ability to maintain professional working relationships with a diverse group of colleagues.
Maturity, good judgment and a professional personal appearance required.
Flexibility and ability to manage multiple tasks is essential to success.
Must have the ability to apply and enforce organizational policies and procedures.
Must have advanced computer skills (email, database, Microsoft Office).