Chief Development Officer
About the Client Our client is a mission-driven nonprofit focused on civic education and democracy-building, engaging youth and communities in civic learning nationwide. As the organization scales its impact, they're building out a modern development function to match their ambitions — creating a brand-new C-suite role to lead the charge.
About the Role This is a newly created, first-ever Chief Development Officer position, reporting directly to the President & CEO and overseeing a team of 2 (including a Sr. Director of Advancement). The CDO will own org-wide development strategy, leading the transformation from a grant-centered funding model to a diversified, relationship-driven philanthropy operation spanning major gifts, annual giving, corporate partnerships, alumni engagement, and institutional funding. This is a hands-on leadership role — the CDO will personally manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and close six- and seven-figure gifts, while also building the systems, team, and board engagement needed for long-term fundraising growth.
Responsibilities
- Own org-wide development strategy and drive an initial $600K–$1M in annual contributed revenue, with sustained year-over-year growth
- Lead the shift from grant-centered fundraising to a diversified, relationship-driven philanthropy model (major gifts, annual giving, corporate partnerships, alumni, institutional)
- Personally manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors; close six- and seven-figure gifts; run moves management and stewardship
- Build alumni-engagement pathways to convert former program participants into an active donor community
- Lead and mentor the development team; set KPIs, dashboards, and forecasting; ensure disciplined CRM (Salesforce) usage
- Serve as the CEO's fundraising partner and drive board engagement in donor cultivation and solicitation
Requirements
- 10+ years of progressive nonprofit development/fundraising/advancement experience, including ownership of fundraising strategy and revenue growth
- Demonstrated success personally closing multiple six- and seven-figure gifts
- 5+ years supervising development staff
- Proven ability to build a diversified development function beyond grants
- Genuine mission alignment with civic education, democracy, and/or youth civic learning
Benefits & Why Join
- Ground-floor opportunity to build and define a brand-new C-suite function
- Direct partnership with the CEO and board on organizational fundraising strategy
- Hybrid/remote flexibility, with HQ based in Calabasas, CA