Caitlin Van Orden

League of Women Voters

Development and Communications Manager

August 2014-Present

 

In this role I am building a mid-level program for the organization and creating a pipeline to move more donors from the annual fund program up to the major donor level. I also oversee our online donor program, developing and executing strategies in coordination with our direct mail and online advocacy programs. I am the writer for the department, creating collateral material and foundation proposals and reports.

 

Center for Community Change Action

Donor Relations and Marketing Manager

​January 2014-July 2014

Annual Fund and Marketing Manager

May 2012-December 2013

 

I was brought on to CCCAction because of my cross-section of experience in fundraising and communication.  The small donor program was almost non-exisitent when I started and in my first year we quadrupled revenue. In my second year we are set to double our revenue again.

 

This turnaround is the result of a focused strategy, deploying coordinated direct mail and email campaigns and closer collaboration with the communication team to mirror fundraising efforts on social media and our website. I'm also building out the infrastructure and testing for a mid-level program, moving direct mail donors to the next level.

 

Day-to-day I am responsible for managing our entire direct marketing program, including our direct mail vendor and caging company, devising fundraising campaigns, drafting and sending emails, writing our monthly e-newsletter and bi-annual print newsletter, managing our small donor lists, drafting acknowledgement language and overseeing our acknowledgement process for all gift levels, overseeing data entry into Raiser's Edge, and managing our online donation pages. 

 

I also direct the digital rollout for our annual Change Champions Awards, working with a consultant to develop mini digital rollout campaigns for each honoree using email and social media, managing press outreach, and overseeing the day-of social media campaign.

 

​I am also a member of the organization's 10 person Technology Steering Committee. We are currently engaging a consultant to complete an audit of the organization and make recommendations for technology solutions that can help employees do their work better and smarter. The committee with select which recommendations we will use and oversee the implemenation and maintenance process.

 

USA for UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency)

Manager, Corporate and Foundation Relations

​2009 - 2012

Grants Coordinator

​2008 - 2009

Development Assistant

​2007 - 2008

 

I started at USA for UNHCR as a development assistant, answering phones, doing donor data entry, opening mail, and other basic office tasks. After a year, due to a massive staff change, I was thrust into writing grants and reports for our foundation donors. I eventually became the grants coordinator, managing all prospecting, solicitation and stewardship for the foundation program. By the end of my time there, I was steward a $1 million+ program of five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts. 

 

After the collapse in the foundation sector in 2008, my attention shifted to possibilities for corporate partnerships. I stewarded relationships with major companies, including Motorola, Western Union, and TOMS Shoes.

 

I also played a major role in the development of our Blue Key program, including building campaign strategy, helping conduct focus groups and other research on design and message, and overseeing the roll out. After we launched, I coordinated fulfillment of key orders and identified a consultant to help us take the program to the next level.

 

Around the same time, an audit of our organizational assets to help drive our corporate outreach campaign revealed a hidden gem in our Teachers' Corner program. I was the project lead in overhauling the teaching materials, working with a consultant to conduct focus groups with teachers, re-write materials, and re-launch the program.

 

 

Senator Menendez Re-election Campaign

Field Organizer

​August 2006 - November 2006

 

As a field organizer in Sen. Menendez's re-election campaign, I helped run a canvass operation in three counties. I conducted canvasser trainings, managed all schedules and payroll, staffed local campaign events, and liaised with DNC staff to execute party strategy in our counties.