Vice President, Direct Marketing & Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Accountabilities

• Lead the multichannel direct marketing strategy across direct mail, email, digital advertising, SMS, and other mass-market channels, covering donor acquisition, retention, reactivation, and giving upgrades.

• Establish annual fundraising revenue targets, budgets, and performance benchmarks for direct marketing and peer-to-peer programs.

• Use segmentation, A/B testing, campaign analytics, and return-on-investment analysis to guide channel investment, test new approaches, and scale successful campaigns.

• Manage external marketing vendors and agencies, ensuring high-quality delivery, timely execution, and cost-effective results.

• Monitor donor acquisition costs, retention rates, campaign performance, and lifetime donor value, adjusting strategies to improve fundraising outcomes.

• Develop donor pathways that encourage first-time contributors to become recurring donors and progress toward mid-level and major giving.

• Design, launch, and scale peer-to-peer fundraising initiatives, including team campaigns, individual fundraising, do-it-yourself campaigns, and ambassador programs.

• Collaborate with Marketing to create compelling campaign materials, fundraising pages, and participant communications.

• Develop training resources, toolkits, and playbooks that help volunteers, ambassadors, and chapter leaders fundraise effectively.

• Set and monitor recruitment, fundraising, and retention goals for peer-to-peer participants, using visible performance dashboards and recognition programs to motivate engagement.

• Experiment with new grassroots fundraising concepts, expand successful initiatives, and discontinue underperforming approaches.

• Convert peer-to-peer participants and donors into long-term supporters through targeted follow-up and direct marketing.

• Lead, coach, and develop staff, establishing clear priorities, performance expectations, accountability, and opportunities for professional growth.

• Build a collaborative, high-performing team culture that supports distributed fundraising leaders and promotes initiative, ownership, and continuous improvement.

• Coordinate with Marketing and Communications, Chapters and Programs, and other development functions to align donor messaging and fundraising activities with broader revenue goals.

• Oversee CRM tracking, data integrity, revenue pacing, and reporting for chapter and peer-to-peer fundraising activity.

• Provide regular performance updates, donor retention analysis, and revenue forecasts to the Chief Development Officer and, as needed, the Board.

Requirements

• At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit development or fundraising, including experience with chapter-based, affiliate, or peer-to-peer fundraising models.

• At least 3 years of experience managing staff or leading teams.

• Demonstrated success building or scaling peer-to-peer, grassroots, or volunteer-driven fundraising programs.

• A strong track record of meeting or exceeding ambitious fundraising revenue and participation goals, supported by specific, measurable achievements.

• Experience creating training programs, toolkits, or other resources for geographically distributed fundraising networks.

• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to engage, motivate, and support volunteers and chapter leaders across multiple locations.

• Experience working with CRM systems, preferably Salesforce, and peer-to-peer fundraising platforms.

• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and performance-management skills.

• A proactive, resilient, results-oriented approach, with the ability to learn from setbacks, experiment, and continually improve.

• A coaching-oriented leadership style, with the ability to motivate teams, set clear expectations, provide candid feedback, and address performance challenges.

• Comfort working independently with a high degree of autonomy, accountability, and transparency.

• Ability to travel overnight several times per year for chapter visits, team offsites, leadership sessions, fundraising events, and organizational gatherings.

• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, or holidays when required by fundraising activities and organizational priorities.

• A bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business administration, or a related field is preferred.

• Experience in membership-driven, chapter-based, or affiliate nonprofit organizations is an advantage.

• Familiarity with military and veteran-connected communities is desirable.

• Experience with peer-to-peer fundraising platforms such as Classy, GoFundMe Charity, or OneCause is a plus.

• Experience working in a high-growth, performance-driven environment, whether nonprofit or private sector, is beneficial.

Benefits

• Annual salary:$128,000–$177,000.

• Hybrid work arrangement within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching.

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).

• Life and disability insurance.

• Communications allowance.

• Professional development and career growth opportunities.

• PCS leave for active-duty military spouses.

• Mission-driven work supporting military service members, veterans, and their families.

• Opportunities to collaborate with a national network of chapters, volunteers, and community partners.