Individual Giving Specialist - Retention - Save the Children NZ

Save the Children:

Here in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and around the world, we create irreversible positive change for and with children. Our vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation. We want to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and achieve lasting change in their lives.

Save the Children New Zealand (SCNZ) is a long-standing member of the leading international development and humanitarian organisation Save the Children Association, which supports child-focused operations in more than 120 countries around the world worth more than US$2 billion annually.

We work with our supporters and partners to advocate, campaign and programme for change to improve children’s wellbeing, realise children’s rights and ensure children’s voices are being heard.

The SCNZ Office is based in central Wellington; two-thirds of our staff are based here, with the remaining third working remotely across New Zealand. We aspire to be a collaborative and inclusive team, always seeking ways to deliver on our ambitious goals for children. We value creativity and innovation and support each other to rise to opportunities and challenges. Both the staff and our Board share a passion for the vision, mission and values of Save the Children.

About the role:

We’re looking for a creative, analytical, and relationship-focused fundraising professional to take the lead on our Appeals, Telemarketing, and Regular Giving Retention programmes.

As our Individual Giving Specialist – Retention, you’ll design and deliver donor journeys that inspire loyalty, strengthen relationships, and grow long-term support for children. You’ll manage multi-channel campaigns that show the real impact of every donation — across digital, mail, and telemarketing, while optimising results through data, insight, and testing.

Reporting to the Individual Giving Manager, you’ll oversee the full retention cycle: planning, budgeting, creative development, delivery, and reporting. You’ll work closely with our Communications and Digital teams, as well as external agencies, to ensure every supporter feels valued and connected to the difference they make.

Key areas of responsibility:

Appeals

• End-to-end coordination and management of our major annual appeals and supporter retention communications along the ask/thank/report/repeat cycle, including upgrade/cross-selling activities.

• Craft bespoke and automated donor journeys that make supporters feel valued and connected to our work, celebrating their impact through inspiring stories and heartfelt, targeted communications.

• Identify and segment donor data to ensure appeals are targeted and relevant, leveraging donor behaviour and motivators to maximise engagement and response.

Donor Journey & Communication

• Develop and deliver personalised donor journeys and communications that reflect each supporter’s giving preferences, highlight the impact of their contributions, and inspire continued engagement with Save the Children.

• Utilise mail, email, website, SMS and telemarketing to communicate with donors to show impact and opportunities to support SCNZ.

• With support of the Communications Team, create and manage retention campaigns through different channels and products.

• Lead the delivery and analysis of the Donor Survey to gain insights into supporter motivations, preferences, and behaviours, using the findings to inform fundraising strategy, enhance donor journeys, improve retention, and identify growth opportunities.

Budget & Reporting

• Develop annual retention plans in conjunction with broader Fundraising plans to ensure programme sustainability and maximum return on investment, including targets and budgets, and recommend alternate investment plans in order to maximise investment and donor numbers. 

• Monitor and analyse key performance indicators related to donor support such as retention rate, lifetime value and churn rate.

• Report to the Individual Giving Manager on results and potential threats the programme is facing.

• Provide regular reports and insights on the effectiveness of retention marketing strategies and industry trends to maximise retention and satisfaction.

Data & Insights

• Use data and insights to continuously enhance the performance and impact of our fundraising campaigns, maintaining a growth mindset to improve after each appeal or campaign.

• Ensure CRM records are updated accurately and in a timely fashion, in line with the Database Policy.

• Ensure a clear understanding of when donors have moved from ‘acquisition’ donor journeys into ‘retained’ donor journeys.

Stakeholder Management

• Work with the relevant agencies to implement retention campaigns, reduce delinquency, increase average gift value and stewardship campaigns.

• Work closely with our fundraising agency, Donor Republic, and other external suppliers, including list brokers, telemarketing partners, designers, and mail-houses, to develop and deliver effective fundraising campaigns, ensuring agreed budgets, workplans, and KPIs are met.

Training & Development

• Work closely with Digital & Communication team members to plan and develop high-quality content and a seamless engagement experience across all channels.

• Participate in Save the Children International’s Fundraising Hub practitioners’ groups as well as NZ industry peer groups to ensure best practice is being used and identify areas for development across the programme. 

About you:

We’re looking for an organised, creative, and results-driven fundraising specialist to lead the delivery of our key annual appeals and donor retention programmes.

You’ll help bring campaigns to life that inspire generosity, strengthen supporter connections, and make a lasting difference for children. Working with passionate colleagues and external partners, you’ll deliver multi-channel campaigns that engage hearts and grow impact.

To succeed in this role, you’ll have experience delivering end-to-end fundraising campaigns, achieving income growth, and building strong, long-term donor relationships. You’ll thrive in a collaborative environment, juggling multiple priorities while staying focused on our shared purpose, making a difference for children here in Aotearoa and around the world.

Our ideal Individual Giving Specialist

If we could create the perfect you, you’d be a motivated, creative fundraising specialist who loves connecting with people and turning great ideas into meaningful impact. You’re positive, organised, and thrive in a supportive team that’s passionate about making a difference for children.

You’ll bring:

• Proven experience delivering fundraising and supporter-retention campaigns across digital, direct mail, and telemarketing channels.

• Strong copywriting and storytelling skills that bring our mission to life and inspire donor action.

• Experience managing campaigns end-to-end, collaborating confidently with colleagues and external partners.

• A supporter-focused mindset, creative flair, and a drive for continuous improvement.

• Great communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams.

Skills & Strengths, You’ll Bring

You’re not just skilled, you’re passionate about making every donor feel connected to something bigger. You’ll have:

• A genuine passion for individual giving and donor engagement, you know these supporters are the heart of what we do.

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to turn insights into smarter, more meaningful campaigns.

• A deep understanding of what motivates donors to give regularly and how to nurture that connection.

• Creative and strategic thinking focused on growing donor loyalty and retention.

• You have excellent communication skills; you write and speak with warmth, clarity, and purpose.

• Strong project management and organisational skills, keeping multiple priorities running smoothly.

• Flexibility and a collaborative spirit, always ready to support your fundraising teammates when needed.

• Confidence in managing budgets and delivering great results within them.

Why You’ll Love Working with Us

At Save the Children, you’ll be part of a passionate, values-driven team that believes in collaboration, creativity, and integrity. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong.

We offer:

• A supportive and flexible hybrid work environment.

• Opportunities for professional growth and development.

• The chance to be part of a global movement creating positive change for children every day.

Ready to Join Us?

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!
Apply now and help us build stronger connections with the supporters who make our work possible, because together, we can create a better future for children.

Submit your application today and be part of a movement creating lasting change for children.:

Anri van Deventer - anri.vandeventer@scnz.org.nz

Closing date for applications: Tuesday, 4 November 2025