Chief Advancement Officer

Girl Scouts of Eastern•Waltham, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

For over 100 years, Girl Scouts has empowered girls to lead, break barriers, and create positive change. At Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA), we foster a powerful all-girl space that values collaboration over competition, inspiring girls to turn their dreams into reality. GSEMA is seeking an experienced and mission-driven Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) to serve as a strategic architect and trusted partner in advancing the organization’s philanthropic vision. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the CAO will engage Board members, major donors, philanthropic leaders, and community partners to strengthen and expand GSEMA’s funding and impact. At a pivotal moment in GSEMA’s growth, the CAO is a key member of the senior leadership team, responsible for strengthening and expanding philanthropic partnerships to ensure long-term sustainability and impact. The CAO leads all advancement functions, including development, fundraising, donor communications, constituent engagement, stewardship, and advancement operations. Building upon GSEMA’s three-year strategic plan, the CAO is responsible for achieving annual fundraising goals of $3 million over the next three to five years, supported by clear metrics, timelines, and operational plans. This leader creatively and proactively identifies, qualifies, and cultivates new and existing donor prospects, strengthening and diversifying the pipeline to deepen GSEMA’s philanthropic portfolio. With a balance of strategic vision, operational excellence, and emotional intelligence, the CAO builds momentum and deepens donor alignment with GSEMA’s mission and communicates the transformative impact of Girl Scouts - building girls of courage, confidence, and character – while supporting growth among new and emerging membership communities. Skilled at building authentic and productive relationships with individuals and communities of all backgrounds, the CAO helps shape and advance GSEMA’s next chapter of impact and growth. The CAO leads, manages and mentors a team of five (5) advancement professionals, ensuring the organization meets its annual fundraising goals through cultivation, solicitation, individual giving, major and principal gifts, grants and foundations, and legacy giving.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively successful experience designing, building and executing direct fundraising and annual giving with an expectation of 5%–10% year-over-year growth
Minimum of eight (8) years of management and supervisory experience
Strong financial acumen with experience using fundraising databases and analytics to inform strategy and decision-making
Demonstrated experience building internal and external relationships across a diverse set of stakeholders
Experience developing and managing budgets effectively and ability and oversee financial resources
Exceptional interpersonal, communication and influencing skills; persuasive, credible and polished communicator, both written and verbal
Proven ability to plan and execute strategic communications that support and enhance advancement initiatives
Proficiency in Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office suite
Experience with Raiser’s Edge or another leading donor database
Capacity to, independently and as part of a team, plan, organize and prioritize work, while managing multiple deadlines in a complex and fast-paced environment
Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze and successfully manage a variety of variables, navigate differing personalities, and adapt effectively in a changing environment
Deep appreciation for and active engagement in GSEMA’s mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character and the ability to compellingly project that mission to prospective donors
Successful completion of background checks, which include a state check, sexual offender check and may or may not include a national background check.
An active membership in the Girl Scout Movement is required to be maintained during employment.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as chief strategist for comprehensive advancement program, including major gifts, campaigns, annual and planned giving, donor stewardship, and engagement
Collaborate with GSEMA Senior Leadership Team and the Advancement Team to educate council members on leading practices of development and fundraising to promote and model an organization-wide culture of philanthropy, equipping staff and board members to serve as ambassadors of GSEMA’s mission
Operationalize GSEMA’s 3-year Strategic Plan with overarching, measurable goals that evaluate return on investment and specific goals for each aspect of the plan, including major and individual donors, corporate, foundation, and events
Serve as the liaison to the BOARD Fund Development Committee and to the Board Nominating and Development Committee; assist with new board member identification, recruitment, and orientation
In partnership with Mission Delivery and Operations, generate Girl Scout Alumni database to design and execute an alumni donor campaign
Maintain a presence in GSEMA’s existing communities while building presence in new communities to increase the council’s visibility to engage a broader base of potential, current, and past donors
Cultivate and steward relationships with a portfolio of individual donors, board members, corporations, foundations and other funders; identify and develop new funding sources
Identify and generate portfolio of potential donors for cultivation for CEO and Board engagement and fundraising and meet assigned metrics for substantive donor/prospect engagements per month
Manage a personal portfolio of up to 50 donors and prospects; plan and execute cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies
Build a pipeline of giving for all categories
Ensure current processes, systems, policies, and infrastructure supports the most effective engagement of donors including effective donor database and confidential records management; make and implement suggestions for improvements
Provide accurate financial reporting to the CEO, Board and SLT on progress towards goals, pipeline health and emerging opportunities
In conjunction with the Chief of Staff and Senior Director of Marketing, provide strategic oversight and ensure consistent messaging and branding in all print and online donor cultivation and solicitation communication vehicles based on GSUSA marketing strategy
In partnership with Marketing, deploy strong public relations skills to develop community collaborations and reach broader stakeholders
Lead team in the cultivation, solicitation, and proposal development for grants, major and principal gift donors and foundations, including support for legacy giving conversations

Benefits

Flexible schedule
Generous paid time-off benefits, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
Full medical and dental benefits
No-cost group life insurance
Disability coverage
Employee Assistance Program
403(b) Retirement Savings Plan
Paid time for training and other development opportunities
Discounts on Girl Scout merchandise
Eligible family members can enjoy discounted rates for up to two (2) weeks at GSEMA summer camps.
Experience the outdoors and connect with the Girl Scout spirit through outdoor activities and staff camp days.