“I feel that there’s a disconnect between a lot of the great science that’s happening… and the delivery of that science to society. I want to try and tap into that public support to build a philanthropic base for the center.” Dr. Giles Oldroyd, President
A proposal for the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Creative Director, Impact and Engagement
The Danforth Center’s transition to a philanthropy-driven future is constrained by a single, systemic issue: a disconnect between the excellence of its science and how that work is understood, valued, and supported by the public.
Internally, the Center produces groundbreaking research with profound global impact. Externally, however, public perception often reduces the institution to “that cool building with the unkept lawn.” This common observation reveals that without a proactive storytelling strategy, Danforth’s story is being told for us — or worse, not being told at all.
This narrative gap is not the result of disinterest or lack of merit; it is the result of lacking the institutional capacity dedicated to translating that merit into sustained public engagement.
“An informal survey of seven Center scientists during lunch recently revealed none had any public communications training… given the demands of being a scientist at a research institute, adding ‘Public Communicator’ to already stressed workloads is a daunting prospect.”James Carrington, former President
“I feel that there’s a disconnect between a lot of the great science that’s happening… and the delivery of that science to society. I want to try and tap into that public support to build a philanthropic base for the center.”Dr. Giles Oldroyd, President
Expecting researchers to simultaneously advance science and serve as primary public-facing communicators is neither realistic, sustainable, nor fair. Under new leadership, this long-standing communications gap has evolved into a strategic imperative. In other words, the challenge is no longer simply about visibility or awareness — it is about building the conditions necessary for individual philanthropy to grow at scale.
This narrative gap now represents the Center’s single greatest opportunity for philanthropic growth.
While the Center’s 2024 financials reflect strong success in securing major grants, the clear next step in its financial evolution is to build a parallel engine of equal power dedicated to individual philanthropy. By also expanding earned-income streams, the institution can unlock a new level of financial resilience and long-term flexibility.
A dedicated, senior-level function responsible for closing the gap between scientific excellence and public understanding — so that researchers can remain focused on their core work.
This is a full-time position reporting to the VP of Marketing and Communications, responsible for designing and operating the Center’s integrated engagement and narrative infrastructure, with the primary mission of driving measurable growth in qualified audiences, community participation, and individual philanthropic revenue.
Serving as the upstream architect of how audiences encounter, understand, and connect with the Center, this role functions as the creative hub for institutional storytelling. It is designed to complement, not replace, existing Development Communications capacity — building the engagement, membership, and narrative systems that enable fundraising communications to perform more effectively. Initially the Creative Director serves as the primary executor of this strategy, with a long-term vision of building a small, agile team as the philanthropic revenue generated by these initiatives supports future growth.
Core responsibilities & scope of workThis single role consolidates the strategic functions and production responsibilities of a Communications Director, a senior content creator, and a digital marketing manager.
The AIDA framework, operationalized as a deliberate, repeatable engagement system: one designed to move audiences from initial awareness to sustained participation and philanthropic support.
This system aligns narrative, experience, and measurement into a single, coordinated pathway that converts public interest into long-term value for the Center. Together, these stages function as a unified engagement engine, ensuring that creative strategy is not episodic or campaign-based, but continuously aligned with institutional goals, measurable outcomes, and long-term philanthropic growth.
Choose a stage
The connective tissue between engagement, membership, and measurement — the Center’s official digital membership credential and its first institutional mobile app.
It transforms membership from an abstract benefit into a tangible, everyday experience, while providing the Center with a centralized, modern channel for public engagement and critical user analytics. At its core, the Donny Pass operates as a virtual passport for members. Upon creating an account, each member receives a personalized digital pass — including their name, photo, membership status, and a unique QR code — enabling seamless access to benefits across the Center’s ecosystem, from on-site programs to exclusive offerings and partner discounts.
Because the Danforth Center does not currently have a standalone mobile app, the Donny Pass is intentionally designed to serve a dual purpose. In addition to member-specific functionality, it provides a scalable foundation for broader institutional use: public-facing content and announcements, event calendars and campus programming, educational resources and app-exclusive content.
Positioned this way, the Donny Pass is a durable digital asset, capable of growing alongside the Center’s public presence, storytelling efforts, and long-term philanthropic goals.
An effective creative strategy must be measured by its direct contributions to the Center’s core institutional goals: audience growth, community engagement, and — most importantly — philanthropic investment.
This approach is grounded in disciplined planning, analytics, and transparent reporting to ensure creativity remains accountable to measurable outcomes. All creative initiatives are governed by a centralized content and execution system that aligns storytelling with specific AIDA stages and donor journey outcomes, ensuring consistency, quality, and cross-departmental alignment.
KPIs for philanthropic growthPerformance is evaluated using a hierarchical, mission-first measurement framework that prioritizes revenue and conversion, supported by indicators of audience growth and engagement.
Transparency and accountability are paramount. Each quarter, the Creative Director delivers a concise briefing to senior leadership via a clean, visually driven dashboard. This briefing is not a raw data report; it is a strategic analysis that contextualizes performance and translates metrics into insight.
Each briefing clearly articulates where growth occurred, what was learned, and how those insights will shape the next quarter’s strategic priorities. This cadence establishes a shared, data-informed decision framework for leadership.
A comprehensive investment in a foundational capability for the Center — scaled in direct proportion to the philanthropic revenue and community growth it generates.
The operating budget below is designed to be directly tied to the primary KPIs. A five-year projected investment supports the creation of a foundational, scalable revenue-generating capability, with goals including diversified revenue, net-positive fundraising, recurring membership income, and measurable progress toward closing the Center’s operational deficit.
Illustrative annual operating budget| Category | Annual |
|---|---|
| Paid Media & DistributionTargeted digital advertising, podcast hosting and distribution, and local media placements. | $22,500 |
| Event Production & LogisticsCosts for flagship “Locational” events — equipment rental, permits, catering, licensing. | $30,000 |
| Freelance & CollaborationsHonorariums for podcast guests, fees for “Edutainer” collaborations, and freelance support such as graphics and animation. | $15,000 |
| Travel & ProductionTravel and logistical costs associated with on-location shooting for key storytelling initiatives. | $15,000 |
| Annual operating budget | $82,500 |
Investment scales with what it returns — not ahead of it.
Content is king and the reigning monarch of that kingdom is video. Topsoil is our foundational storytelling workhorse: high-energy 60-second videos built for reach, and monthly 5–10 minute YouTube mini-docs that provide substantive, story-driven deep dives into key research projects and their real-world implications.
A video podcast offering in-depth, conversational explorations of our research and its connection to the wider world — featuring our scientists in conversation with entrepreneurs, farmers, and community leaders.
Paid digital advertising behind our best-performing content; paid and earned placements in key local and scientific outlets; and strategic partnerships with major science communicators, leveraging their credibility and reach.
By prioritizing accessible, shareable content, we dramatically increase follower counts, reach, and brand awareness — building the large community that is the prerequisite for a successful membership and micro-donation program.
The deeper-dive mini-doc series identifies and engages individuals with a high level of interest in specific research areas, providing the Development team with a steady stream of warm leads for future cultivation.
A recurring series of short, cinematic video profiles telling the personal stories of the people who make the Center run. This goes beyond the PIs to include the vital contributions of postdocs, lab managers, greenhouse technicians, data scientists, grants managers, and admins — presenting a holistic and authentic view of our community.
By creating a personal connection to the people behind the science, we provide a powerful reason for existing donors to continue and even upgrade their support. It transforms their contribution from a transaction into a personal investment in people they admire.
The individual stories generated here become the emotional core for targeted, project-specific fundraising campaigns. Donors have the opportunity to give in direct response to the labs and people they have come to know through our storytelling.
Active partnership with St. Louis’s premier cultural institutions to create unique, collaborative content and events — a concert series with musicians from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theatre of St. Louis hosted at the Center; a collaborative art exhibition with the Contemporary Art Museum exploring themes of nature and technology.
A recurring series across video, podcast segments, and articles shining a light on local businesses, artists, and non-profits whose work is adjacent to our mission — building goodwill and cross-pollinating our audience with those of our partners.
Collaborating with major cultural institutions provides direct access to their large, established, and philanthropically-minded audiences, creating a highly efficient channel for new lead generation.
By demonstrating the Center’s relevance to all aspects of a vibrant cultural life, we make the eventual membership appeal feel not like a donation, but like an essential subscription to one of the most exciting cultural and intellectual hubs in the city.
Leverages the beauty and serenity of the Center’s campus during spring and summer days, turning our prairie, portico, and terrace into premier community gathering spaces — scheduled professional photoshoots in the prairie, farm-to-table sunset dinners, Jazz Age lawn parties.
Activates our campus in the evenings, using our iconic indoor and outdoor architecture as a stunning backdrop for cultural and social events. ChloroFilm Theater: a thematic outdoor movie series featuring 60-second stylized Danforth “trailer ads” captured in the manner of famous directors and movies. Sunset Patio Bistro: a weekly social event offering live music and cocktails on the back terrace.
Membership is the key that unlocks the Center. In exchange for their recurring monthly support, members receive the “experiential ROI”: free or discounted admission to all flagship events, early ticket access, invitations to exclusive member-only gatherings, and a tax receipt.
This transforms a donation from a simple transaction into a valuable “Port of Entry” to a vibrant cultural and intellectual community.
