Application Guide

How to Apply for Growth Manager, Paid Media

at Givedirectly

🏢 About Givedirectly

GiveDirectly is a pioneering nonprofit that has delivered over $1B in direct cash transfers to more than 2 million people in poverty across 15 countries, backed by rigorous evidence and coverage from The Economist, NPR, TED, and Time100’s Most Influential Companies of 2026. Its culture is candid, analytical, and non-hierarchical, offering high ownership and real professional growth for people who want to challenge conventional aid models and scale dignified, effective solutions.

About This Role

As Growth Manager, Paid Media, you will own the strategy and execution of paid media campaigns to double new donor acquisition in 2027 and expand brand awareness among key segments. This is a high-impact role where you’ll manage a growing budget, test unconventional approaches, and directly contribute to GiveDirectly’s mission by turning advertising spend into life-changing cash transfers.

💡 A Day in the Life

You might start your day with a data deep-dive into campaign performance, adjusting bids and creatives to optimize for donor acquisition. Later, you’d collaborate with the Individual Giving team to align paid media with brand messaging, then test a new audience segment or channel based on a hypothesis. You’ll regularly analyze results, share insights in a candid team meeting, and iterate quickly to maximize impact.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for Givedirectly

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who Givedirectly Is Looking For

  • 5+ years of hands-on paid media experience (search, social, programmatic) with a track record of scaling acquisition budgets profitably in a nonprofit or mission-driven context.
  • Strong analytical skills: comfortable with attribution modeling, A/B testing, and using data to challenge industry norms and find disproportionately high-leverage opportunities.
  • Experience managing multi-channel campaigns across platforms like Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, and programmatic display, with a focus on donor acquisition and brand lift.
  • Self-directed and adaptable in a fully remote, non-hierarchical environment, with the ability to overlap at least 3 hours with East Africa time (e.g., 9am–12pm EAT).
  • A genuine curiosity about GiveDirectly’s cash transfer model and a desire to apply growth marketing to social impact, not just commercial KPIs.

📝 Tips for Applying to Givedirectly

1

Highlight specific paid media campaigns you’ve run that achieved exceptional ROI or scale—quantify results (e.g., “reduced cost per acquisition by 40% while doubling spend”).

2

Demonstrate familiarity with GiveDirectly’s evidence base and values by referencing their research or a specific cash transfer study in your application.

3

Address the East Africa timezone overlap requirement directly—state your willingness and ability to work at least 3 hours overlapping with EAT.

4

Show you’re not just a channel expert: explain how you’ve experimented with unconventional tactics or challenged standard industry practices to drive growth.

5

Use the cover letter to connect your paid media skills to GiveDirectly’s goal of doubling new donor acquisition in 2027—be specific about how you’d approach that challenge.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

Emphasize your experience scaling paid media budgets with a focus on acquisition and brand awareness, and tie it directly to GiveDirectly’s 2027 goal. Highlight a time you challenged industry norms to find a high-leverage opportunity. Show you understand and resonate with GiveDirectly’s candid, analytical, non-hierarchical culture. Finally, confirm your ability to overlap with East Africa time and your commitment to remote, mission-driven work.

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read GiveDirectly’s published research on cash transfers, especially studies on long-term impact and cost-effectiveness, to understand the evidence base you’ll be promoting.
  • → Explore GiveDirectly’s website and recent annual reports to learn about their donor acquisition goals, current campaigns, and key segments.
  • → Watch or read interviews with GiveDirectly’s leadership (e.g., TED talks, podcasts) to grasp their culture and strategic priorities.
  • → Review their paid media presence (ads, landing pages, social channels) and note strengths and opportunities for improvement.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you approach doubling new donor acquisition in 2027 given GiveDirectly’s current paid media spend? Walk us through your first 90 days.
2 Describe a time you identified a disproportionately high-leverage paid media opportunity that others overlooked. What was the outcome?
3 How do you balance brand advertising with direct response to grow both awareness and donor acquisition?
4 Give an example of how you’ve used data to challenge a standard industry practice in paid media.
5 How would you adapt your paid media strategy to resonate with GiveDirectly’s key segments while maintaining a dignified, evidence-based tone?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on commercial paid media metrics without connecting them to social impact or donor acquisition goals.
  • Ignoring the East Africa timezone overlap requirement or failing to address it in your application.
  • Using generic language about “making a difference” without demonstrating specific knowledge of GiveDirectly’s model or the role’s objectives.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Givedirectly!

← Back to Job Listing Apply Now →