Chief Development Officer

Job Description

LSSNCA has been serving the D.C. Metro area for more than 100 years and is undergoing an organizational transformation to position it to serve for the next 100 years. The Chief Development Officer is a member of LSSNCA’s Executive Leadership team, reporting directly to the CEO, and designing, directing, and executing the organization’s development and communications strategies, processes, and plans. The Chief Development Officer leverages the Board of Directors’ Stewardship Committee to execute this strategy, with an expectation that the Committee leads by example to motivate the Board to fulfill its fiduciary responsibility, advance LSSNCA’s visibility in the community, and increase and diversify its donor base. The Chief Development Officer will craft and successfully implement a multi-pronged resource development and communication strategy, in collaboration with the CEO, Stewardship Committee, and Communications department. The CDO will possess an entrepreneurial mindset, coupled with strong skills in all areas of traditional fundraising, including major gifts, foundation grant-seeking, corporate sponsorships, and annual fund.

Essential Functions

• Develops, adapts, and executes a three-year comprehensive resource development and communications strategy and plan to increase LSSNCA’s visibility and supplement LSSNCA’s earned income with sustainable and renewable philanthropic dollars from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
• In coordination with the Chief Operating Officer, identifies programmatic gaps and areas of interest for LSSNCA growth and expansion and translates into strategies for fund development and communications initiatives.
• Leads and develops a Development and Communications team to execute resource development strategies and plans. Supervises the Development Director and Director of Communications and Government Relations.
• Strategically leverages the time of the CEO, Stewardship Committee, and Development and Communications team to advance development efforts. Collaborates with the CEO, Director of Donor Relations, and Stewardship Committee to identify, research, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual and institutional prospects and donors.
• Plans and executes LSSNCA’s fundraising events and works with the Development Director on donor cultivation and donor appreciation events. These may be in-person or virtual.
• In collaboration with the Development Director, prepares high-quality grant proposals, reports, mailings, and acknowledgements.
• Provides strategic leadership and vision for communications and marketing efforts, in collaboration with the Director of Communications and Government Relations, to increase LSSNCA’s visibility, communicate LSSNCA’s impact, and advance LSSNCA’s strategic goals. This includes fundraising appeals and platforms, a social media presence, and media placements.
• In collaboration with the Director of Performance and Quality Improvement, communicates impact outcomes to donors and donor prospects.
• Creates development policies and protocols to accomplish the fundraising goals as needed.
• In coordination with the Finance department, ensures that LSSNCA complies with all local, state, federal, and industry regulations and standards regarding the operation of nonprofits.

• Participates on the LSSNCA Leadership Team and actively participates in developing strategies and creating agency policies and procedures and other LSSNCA oversight activities as assigned. Participates in inter-office projects, such as strategic planning, staff development, conferences, annual reports, etc.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university plus 10+ years of experience in nonprofit development and communications.
• Five years of managerial experience; has experience leveraging the strengths of diverse, dynamic, and experienced teams to accomplish departmental objectives and goals.
• Experience developing and using collaborative relationships to accomplish work objectives; developing relationships with staff and other individuals by listening, sharing ideas, and appreciating other's efforts.
• Experience with both individual and institutional fundraising required.
• Proven success in developing and implementing appeals through both traditional and emerging methodologies required.
• Personal solicitation experience desirable.
• Knowledge of Washington, D.C. area funders preferred, with knowledge of, and relationships with the Washington D.C. fundraising community essential.
• Basic knowledge of communications and marketing techniques necessary, with preference for work experience around development communications or nonprofit marketing.
• Commitment to the mission and vision of LSSNCA is a must.
• Knowledge of the United States refugee and immigration system and passion for advancing social justice for refugee and immigrant populations preferred.
• Commitment to ongoing learning on systemic racism, implicit bias, and the impact on refugee and immigrant populations.
• Valid driver’s license, access to an automobile, insurance, and willingness to drive to off-site locations, highly preferred.
• Able and willing to travel domestically up to 20% of time.

Preferred Skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills required.
• Strategic thinker who has demonstrated ability to execute a plan and raise the visibility of organizations.
• Mastery of all Microsoft Office programs, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, and Publisher, strongly preferred. Strong knowledge and expertise in strategy planning and execution preferred.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge or equivalent CRM, and its reporting and analytical components required.
• Experience with Constant Contact or equivalent email management system strongly preferred.
• Experience working with website content management system required.
• Expertise in using social media (including Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter) as a fundraising tool required.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and execute in-person and virtual fundraising, donor cultivation, and appreciation events required.
• Interest in mentoring other staff and volunteers in fundraising, and ability to help create a culture of philanthropy throughout LSSNCA required.
• Outstanding organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a dynamic environment with competing deadlines and demands.
• Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English.