Chief Advancement Officer (CAO)

FIVE18 Family Services Operations Inc.•Lynchburg, VA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) is an executive leader on FIVE18 Family Services’ Executive Leadership Team who sets and executes the strategic direction for community engagement, donor stewardship, brand marketing, and strategic partnerships. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the CAO articulates the organization’s vision and mission to external stakeholders, church partners, individual donors, corporate sponsors, and civic leaders, and directly oversees the Community Focus Team. The Community Focus Team encompasses Donor Engagement (major gifts, annual campaigns, planned giving, and donor relationships), Marketing & Communications (brand strategy, digital communications, public relations, and storytelling), and Community Collaboration (church relations, corporate partnerships, outreach, and advocacy). The CAO advises the CEO and Board of Directors, manages the team’s operating budgets, leads fundraising and communications strategy, develops community partnerships, and provides leadership and professional development to the team. The position supervises a stated current span of five across Donor Engagement staff, the Director of Marketing, and the Community Collaboration Manager. This is a full-time, exempt position based primarily at FIVE18 Family Services’ office at 4009 Murray Place in Lynchburg, Virginia, with work from the agency office expected at least four days per week. Local and other travel is expected for donor meetings, community events, and church presentations; the posting states that 40% travel is expected. Evening and weekend attendance at events or church engagements is required as needed.

Requirements

Deep and active personal Christian faith aligned with FIVE18 Family Services’ mission, values, and statement of faith.
Genuine passion for family strengthening, child welfare, and community transformation.
High emotional intelligence, spiritual maturity, and commitment to integrity in professional interactions.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Non-Profit Management, Marketing, Communications, Development, or a related field.
At least 8–10 years of progressive leadership experience in nonprofit fundraising, community relations, or marketing.
At least 5 years of experience in an executive or directorial capacity.
Demonstrated success securing major gifts.
Demonstrated success leading fundraising programs that raise $1 million or more annually.
Demonstrated ability to manage budgets effectively and execute strategic marketing and community partnership campaigns.
Exceptional written, public-speaking, and interpersonal communication skills.
Strong leadership abilities to inspire, manage, and empower multidisciplinary teams.
Proficiency with donor management software/CRMs and marketing analytics tools.
Strategic thinking and willingness to execute operationally when needed.
Strong technical skills, including ability to use Google Suite, AI, Virtuous donor CRM, Paylocity, and other software.
Ability to travel for community appointments, including the vision required to operate a vehicle.
Ability to actively listen to and engage stakeholders and donors in varied settings.
Availability to attend events or church engagements in the evenings and on weekends as needed.
Work from the agency office at least four days per week.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
CFRE certification.

Responsibilities

Advise the CEO and Board of Directors on community relations, fund development, and public messaging.
Champion FIVE18 Family Services’ Christian mission, vision, and core values internally and externally.
Develop and manage Community Focus Team operating budgets and ensure effective resource allocation and measurable return on investment.
Collaborate with executive leaders to communicate program outcomes and organizational impact to stakeholders.
Oversee a comprehensive, multichannel development strategy to grow individual, church, corporate, and foundation support.
Cultivate and maintain relationships with major donors, select mid-level givers, and key foundation prospects.
Lead capital campaigns, annual giving drives, fundraising events, and planned giving initiatives to meet campaign and operating giving goals.
Oversee donor stewardship, including timely recognition, transparent reporting, and donor connection to the mission.
Oversee foundation engagement to meet annual grant targets.
Guide brand positioning and messaging to elevate organizational visibility in local and regional communities.
Oversee public relations, crisis communications, media strategies, and content creation across digital, print, and social media platforms.
Ensure communications use a Christ-honoring tone, compelling storytelling, and dignity toward the families and children served.
Build and nurture relationships with churches, pastoral networks, faith-based ministries, civic organizations, and government agencies.
Position FIVE18 Family Services as a thought leader and key regional partner in family-strengthening initiatives.
Establish strategic coalitions and collaborations that increase the organization’s reach, resources, and community impact.
Provide leadership, mentorship, and professional development to directors and team members in the Community Focus Team.
Foster a team culture of prayer, excellence, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Establish goals and performance metrics across Donor Engagement, Marketing, and Community Collaboration, and support the team in meeting quarterly and annual goals.