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Director, Direct Response

Arbor Day Foundation • Full-time • Lincoln, Nebraska • 5m ago

Job Details

Lincoln Campus - Lincoln, NE

Full Time

Not Specified

Nonprofit - Social Services

Director, Direct Response

Does the opportunity to devote your talents to a cause much greater than yourself excite you? Are you a strategic, data-savvy leader who thrives at the intersection of purpose and performance? Do you believe in the power of experiences that inspire people to create a better world? The Arbor Day Foundation is a place where you can do work that matters, with people who care. As we say at the Foundation: life is short, love where you work.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. We foster a growing community of more than one million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by our bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees.

We are seeking a Director of Direct Response to drive growth and deepen relationships between individuals and our mission through direct mail, online, and other channels. You will lead two complementary areas: Integrated Experience (IX), which focuses on driving membership and engagement through traditional and digital engagement methods led by direct mail, and Digital Experience (DX), which leads digital-first outreach and engagement efforts. Together, these teams power one of the nation’s most iconic membership and fundraising programs—reaching nearly one million members—and play a vital role in cultivating long-term supporter value.

This role is based in Lincoln, Nebraska, and reports to the Vice President, Development. Team members are expected to work in the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, with optional remote work from home on Wednesday and Friday.

What you’ll do:

Own business planning and forecasting for IX and DX, managing an annual budget and applying data-driven rigor to decisions that balance short-term gains and long-term growth.
Serve as a strategic thought partner across departments (Marketing & Communications, eCommerce, and Customer Engagement), bringing the voice of the supporter into cross-functional planning while aligning marketing, operations, and mission delivery for greater impact.
Drive multi-channel fundraising performance, delivering annual revenue, net income, supporter growth, and engagement goals through direct mail, email, web, and digital acquisition campaigns and journeys.
Modernize the full supporter journey through personalization, audience segmentation, and data-driven testing and insights – strengthening long-term value and loyalty.
Advance key growth priorities—including mid-level giving, sustainer strategies, and membership retention—by leveraging data and insights to test, refine, and scale efforts that align with supporter expectations and market trends.
Lead the evolution of our flagship membership trees program—advancing the full supporter journey from acquisition through fulfillment and long-term engagement and retention, in close collaboration with cross-functional teams.
Lead and inspire a high-performing team to exceed revenue and engagement goals for digital and mail programs.

What you’ll bring:

Passion for the Foundation’s mission, nature, environmental stewardship, and people.
Proven experience of owning and delivering revenue-generating programs; through direct mail, email marketing, digital acquisition, and integrated campaigns.
Strategic vision; able to navigate channel-specific nuance while staying focused on ROI, lifetime value and deeper supporter connection.
Financially savvy and insight-driven; confident navigating budgets, KPIs, segmentation models, and optimization efforts.
Entrepreneurial mindset, self-starter, and natural change agent; energized by opportunities to build and evolve.
Customer-centric mindset, always seeking to understand and enhance the experience of donors, members, and consumers–balancing empathy with business outcomes.
Experience building and leading high-performing teams; fostering trust, and inspiring collaboration.

Love Where You Work:

Our work changes the world. We find deep purpose in our daily work, we’re helping to shape the planet for future generations.
We're in this together. A culture focused on a genuine interest in the wellbeing of others, collaboration, and the intrinsic shared purpose to do what's right.
We pride ourselves on the culture we’ve built. We love it, and we know you will too.
We care about your health. We offer competitive healthcare (health, dental, vision) coverage for you and your loved ones matched with a wellness incentives program.
We invest in your future. Company paid short-term and long-term disability, paid parental leave, life insurance and 401k with company match are available.
We know the little things matter. Team members receive a monthly parking stipend, a fully stocked kitchen, and access to a plethora of benefits at Arbor Day Farm.
We care about your growth. We allocate 40+ hours annually for our team members to focus on learning and development.
We want you to unplug when needed. We believe in taking your time off without guilt, including the week between Christmas and New Years that we close our Lincoln Campus to recharge.
We'll round out the experience. We put our culture first, and we host events and experiences throughout the year to show that we care about you (and your family).

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