The Manager, Base Memberships provides strategic and operational leadership for the Dallas Arboretum’s broad-based membership program. The Manager is accountable for paid-household acquisition and growth, renewals, retention, reactivation, revenue performance, member experience, and assisting with movement from Base membership into Friends and Caroline Rose Hunt Society levels.
The role leads membership strategy, pricing, benefits, campaigns, segmentation, scalable engagement, performance analysis, and service coordination. It uses disciplined testing and data to grow the program while ensuring that membership remains aligned with the Arboretum’s mission and serves as an intentional entry point to deeper philanthropy.
The Manager supervises the Coordinator, Memberships and partners across Development, Marketing and Guest Experience, Finance, and other teams to deliver a cohesive member journey.
Essential Duties and Key Responsibilities:
Base Membership Growth and Revenue
- Develop and lead an annual base-membership plan with goals for paid-household acquisition, growth, revenue, and return on investment utilizing direct mail, email, digital, on-site, and other channels.
- Recommend membership levels, pricing, benefits, policies, and promotions based on member behavior, market conditions, mission alignment, and financial performance.
- Develop audience segments, campaign briefs, testing plans, and offer strategies in partnership with Development Operations and Marketing.
- Monitor results, identify barriers to growth, test new approaches, and reallocate resources based on performance.
- Own renewal, retention, lapsed-member recapture, and reactivation strategies for base membership.
- Establish goals and coordinated contact plans for moving qualified members into Friends and CRHS levels.
Member Experience, Benefits, and Engagement
- Set the strategy and annual engagement calendar for base-member communications, events, previews, and experiences.
- Oversee base membership benefits and fulfillment standards in collaboration with the coordinator and internal partners.
- Partner with Marketing and Guest Experience on issue resolution, frontline training, and consistent delivery of the membership promise and use surveys, direct feedback, service trends, and event results to improve member satisfaction, retention, and growth.
Operations Data, Reporting, and Budget
- Partner with Development Operations to maintain accurate records for paid, complimentary, promotional, reciprocal, and other non-revenue memberships.
- Prepare dashboards and forecasts covering households, revenue, acquisition, renewal, retention, reactivation, upgrades, lifetime value, and campaign performance.
- Develop base-membership revenue and expense projections and manage performance against the approved budget and reconcile membership revenue and reporting with the Director, Individual Giving.
Team Leadership and Collaboration
- Supervise, coach, and set administrative priorities for the Coordinator, Memberships.
- Equip Guest Experience and other frontline teams with current membership information, escalation practices, and service standards.
- Build effective working relationships across Developments.
Performance Measures
- Paid base-membership households and net revenue
- New-member acquisition, cost per acquisition, and campaign return
- Renewal, retention, reactivation, and lapsed recapture rates
- Budget and forecast accuracy
- Accuracy and timeliness of membership processing, fulfillment, reporting, and data
Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in membership, annual giving, alumni engagement, fundraising, loyalty marketing, or a comparable relationship-based program.
- Demonstrated success growing and retaining a membership, donor, subscriber, or customer base and achieving revenue goals.
- Experience developing strategy, managing budgets, forecasting revenue, and using data to improve results.
- Proficiency with CRM and ticketing or membership platforms; experience with Raiser’s Edge and Ticketure is preferred.
- Ability to balance long-range strategy, relationship development, and disciplined operational follow-through.
- Availability for evenings and weekends during key events, and a valid driver’s license.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to sit at a desk or stand at events for prolonged periods.
- Comfort working outdoors in varied weather conditions.
- Ability to operate a golf cart and lift or move event materials as needed.
- Flexibility to facilitate events both on-site and off-site.
Other Duties
The above statements describe the general nature and level of work performed by the person assigned to this position. They are not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required.
About the Arboretum
To help you stay energized, engaged, and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including comprehensive healthcare, a 401K, and Paid Time Off (PTO).
The mission of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is to be a garden for all that enriches lives through beauty, learning, and connection. We are a world-class sanctuary where people and plants flourish in the natural environment.
The Dallas Arboretum is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, color, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, military or veteran status, genetic characteristics or disability unrelated to job performance.
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