SVP, Marketing

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.

Since 2000, more than 5 million people and partners have contributed $1 billion to support 2 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. Projects range from art supplies to build the set for a school musical, to books and puzzles that affirm students' identities, to bird seed for an at-home science project. We proudly serve all US public schools, public charter schools, and Head Start centers, and we combat systemic inequity by driving a majority of donations to schools that have been historically underfunded due to economic and racial inequity.

DonorsChoose has been recognized as a best place to work by GOOD Magazine and the Nonprofit Times, while Fast Company named DonorsChoose one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World—the first time a charity has made this list. Our dedicated team works from across the United States to bring classroom dreams to life.

DonorsChoose is also at an exciting and pivotal moment of growth and innovation, exploring and testing new ways - through both growth and new product offerings - to eliminate educational inequity for all students. To learn more about the organization - visit the website.

About the Marketing Team

The Marketing team inspires individuals and partners to support teachers and students across the country, effectively conveying the DonorsChoose mission, growing organizational support, and meeting critical goals. The Marketing team sits within the broader Community, Growth & Impact team, which raises the revenue, $150M this school year, for the organization.

The Marketing team itself is responsible for raising just over half of classroom funding which the organization calls marketplace giving – the dollars that come from individual donors giving through the DonorsChoose website. The Marketing team also supports the Partnerships team, which raises funds from corporations and foundations. In order to achieve these goals, the team oversees digital and growth marketing (email, paid, social media, SMS, SEO) , editorial, word-of-mouth and community programs, brand, design, PR, and communications.

In addition, the Marketing team serves as a resource and center of excellence for the full organization, ensuring the DonorsChoose story and mission are conveyed with transparency and excellence and that the organization is known as a leader in driving educational equity.

ABOUT THE POSITION

About the SVP, Marketing:

The Senior Vice President, Marketing (SVP, Marketing) reports to the Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer (CMRO) and is responsible for leading the marketing and communications strategy for the organization. They ensure DonorsChoose achieves its marketplace giving goals (~$80M in 2023), with a focus on increasing the lifetime value of education supporters, ensuring that teachers, companies, and foundations know about DonorsChoose and that dollars are directed towards schools with the greatest funding gaps due to systemic inequities. They also work closely with the Partnerships team, providing marketing and communications expertise to support corporate and foundation giving. They manage a team of 26 marketing and communications experts with 5 direct reports, supporting them in achieving their goals and growing professionally. Finally, they serve as an expert voice and brand champion, internally and externally, collaborating with colleagues to tell the story of DonorsChoose and inspire support.

In this role, you'll:

• Set marketing strategy
• Serve as a steward for the DonorsChoose brand and mission, while driving revenue and equity goals
• Develop a comprehensive, detailed marketing plan for marketplace giving (online engagement) and provide support for planned giving (corporate and foundation giving)
• In partnership with the CMRO and your team, assess current marketing strengths and areas for improvement, and build a strategy for revenue growth
• Develop a deep understanding of DonorsChoose's unique model, spotting new opportunities for driving revenue growth and advancing equity
• Create operational plans to bring in new supporters (e.g. donors, teachers, partners) and to build new growth channels for the organization
• Recommend investments that enable future growth, track and report on marketing performance, adapting plans based on lessons learned through implementation efforts
• Maintain and grow marketplace revenue with a focus on revenue and equity goals
• Drive marketplace revenue growth, ensuring DonorsChoose hits its financial targets while always upholding its mission and values
• Build a strong marketplace by connecting our organization, teachers, partners, and donors and understanding their needs
• Empower the DonorsChoose community of teachers to be successful on DonorsChoose and spread the word about the organization and ensure that the community is not just welcoming, but feels like home to teachers of color
• Inspire individual donors to support classroom projects, understanding that racial inequity is at the root of funding disparities in education, and cultivating those who can give more
• Maintain strong channels and systems for communication with stakeholders; refine infrastructure and marketing channels over time
• Lead a team of 26 high performing directors and managers
• Recruit, manage, and mentor a high performing team of professionals; provide ongoing professional development to team members
• Set and manage team goals, aligned with strategic planning, stakeholder input, and industry research
• Promote a team-oriented culture of continuous learning and inclusiveness; build a cohesive, motivated team by fostering individual growth and collaboration
• Serve as a content expert on the marketing function, training and mentoring team members to develop their own marketing skills
• Serve as an organizational leader and marketing resource
• Collaborate across the organization and leadership teams to align the Marketing team's strategic vision with broader organizational goals
• Represent DonorsChoose in select external discussions and events, supporting and collaborating with team members and advancing organizational priorities
• Present to the DonorsChoose Board on an annual basis, providing visibility into key marketing efforts
• Support teams across the organization in stewarding the DonorsChoose brand

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• At least ten to fifteen years of overall marketing experience, with at least 5 in a senior leadership role
• Deep marketing expertise, with a track record of creating and implementing effective B2B and B2C marketing strategies in complex and large organizations ($50M+), ideally with nonprofit experience
• E-commerce experience, with a track record of building digital marketing strategies to drive revenue
• Strong knowledge of brand marketing and a deep appreciation for the importance of storytelling
• Team management experience, with a track record of managing teams to achieve outcomes while fostering professional growth and learning
• A demonstrated commitment to advancing racial equity and centering the perspectives of those most impacted in decision-making, including experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• A deep appreciation for and love of teachers and the outcomes they drive
• Exceptional strategic thinking with a strong bias for action and implementation
• Strong relationship and influencing skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with a strong ability to tailor the most complex messages for different audiences in a manner that they can understand and relate to

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Our compensation philosophy ensures that we are both externally competitive with tech-forward nonprofits of a similar size and internally fair in our pay practices. The following ranges represent the target offer range, given the scope and experience expectations for this role:

• The hiring salary range for this role is $144,000 - $167,000
• We have a hiring salary range of $160,000 - $185,000 for specific higher cost of labor locations, which include New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

Exact compensation details will be commensurate with experience and location. In addition, we are open to a variety of experiences and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced or more senior than this job description, as posted. If that's the case, an updated salary range will be shared with candidates if they move forward in our hiring process. Once an employee is hired, the salary range for their role increases to ensure they are able to receive performance-based raises and grow in their role.

In addition, we offer full-time staff 25 paid vacation days per year and 11 paid holidays, a rich employer-paid individual and family health plan, a matching 401(k) plan (up to 5% of base salary), annual professional development stipend, and casual and flexible work environment. To learn more about what it is like to work for DonorsChoose, visit our careers page.

Location:

In this role, you'll have the option to work a flexible, hybrid schedule in our NYC office remotely or anywhere in the U.S.

DonorsChoose is a fully vaccinated workplace. Regardless of work location, all new employees will be asked to share proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 within two weeks of their hire date or request an exemption from this policy due to a disability or sincerely held religious belief or practice.