Chief Development Officer

Girls • New York, NY

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

Girls Inc. is seeking a visionary, accomplished Chief Development Officer (CDO) to lead the organization’s fundraising strategy. Reporting to the President and CEO and serving on the executive leadership team, the CDO will design and lead a comprehensive, organization-wide fund development plan to secure unrestricted and restricted contributed income in support of Girls Inc.’s mission, business plan, and annual goals. The position is based at the National Headquarters in New York City, with a hybrid schedule that includes two days per week in the office, one of which is Tuesday.

The CDO will grow and diversify revenue from individuals, foundations, corporations, and planned giving; cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and partners; and help position Girls Inc. for transformational investments. The role partners closely with the President and CEO, board leadership, senior staff, and the affiliate network to strengthen philanthropy and fundraising capacity across the organization. The CDO also leads the development team, oversees fundraising programs and infrastructure, and uses data and analytics to guide strategy and assess performance.

The portfolio includes major and planned giving, annual giving, special events, cause-related marketing, institutional giving and grants, and capital and asset-building campaigns. The CDO works with organizational leaders to develop annual income plans, budgets, projections, progress reports, and long-range forecasts; provides staff leadership to board committees; oversees fundraising records and data systems; and collaborates with Marketing and Communications on fundraising materials and activities. Direct reports include the Director of Corporate Partnerships, Director of Institutional Giving, Director of Major Gifts, and other development staff as appropriate.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of progressive or diversified fundraising leadership experience, including senior-level management of development teams, or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated record of securing major gifts, including six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Experience in strategic philanthropy, marketing, major and capital-gift solicitation, donor stewardship, long-range fund development planning, and proposal development and presentation.
• Experience partnering with CEOs and boards to build a strong culture of philanthropy.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills and the ability to create and sustain effective relationships with donors, board members, and staff.
• Demonstrated success in a leadership role and the ability to serve as an articulate, compelling spokesperson for the organization.
• Strong written and oral communication, storytelling, relationship-building, organizational, and strategic-planning skills.
• Ability to synthesize disparate ideas and organizational needs, recognize opportunities, and pursue them proactively.
• Ability to appreciate, embrace, and advance diversity, with experience working with multicultural populations.
• Collaborative leadership style and ability to thrive in a team environment and lead through influence.
• Commitment to the Girls Inc. mission.
• Advanced degree in organizational development, nonprofit or public administration, marketing, or business, or equivalent experience.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods, work on a computer, and access and navigate the organization’s facilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an ambitious, multi-year fundraising strategy that expands and diversifies contributed income across individual, institutional, corporate, planned-giving, and other appropriate sources.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and partners, including pursuing six- and seven-figure and transformational gifts.
• Work with the President and CEO and board leadership to establish high standards of philanthropy and engage them in solicitation and donor stewardship.
• Increase annual giving levels toward approximately $20 million.
• Formulate, coordinate, and monitor fundraising programs, including major and planned giving, annual giving, special events, cause-related marketing, institutional giving and grants, and capital and asset-building campaigns.
• Work with the President and CEO, COO, CFO, and department heads to assess fundraising needs based on business-plan goals, operating needs, and annual priorities.
• Prepare the annual income plan for unrestricted and temporarily restricted funds with the President and CEO, COO, and CFO.
• Work with development directors to create fundraising budgets and prepare and monitor income projections, progress reports, and long-range or business-plan forecasts.
• Provide staff leadership to the Philanthropic Development Committee, advise the Fiscal Oversight Committee on income forecasts, and participate in other board and staff task groups as appropriate.
• Maintain and develop relationships with individual and organizational funders and build the involvement of the President and CEO and board members in fundraising and donor stewardship.
• Direct and support prospect research, proposals and appeals, funder reports, and donor acknowledgements.
• Oversee implementation of data management systems and fundraising records for all Girls Inc. fundraising activities.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications on fundraising materials and activities, including annual reports, newsletters, brochures, website content, special events, honorees, spokespersons, cultivation, and marketing opportunities.
• Support the President and CEO in developing an approach to fundraising with Girls Inc. affiliates; partner with the affiliate network to share best practices and strengthen fundraising capacity.
• Serve on the Girls Inc. Leadership Team, communicate fund development goals and objectives, and identify opportunities to align fundraising with organizational strategies.
• Build, mentor, and inspire the development team, fostering excellence, accountability, and collaboration.

Benefits

• Hybrid work schedule with two days per week in the New York City office, including Tuesday.
• Vacation, sick, and personal time, plus 11 company holidays.
• Healthcare, vision, and dental insurance.
• Gente Card health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) benefit.
• 401(k) with an employer match of up to 5%.
• Wellness stipend.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Fun, friendly office environment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive