Chief Development Officer

JCCs of North America • Rochester, NY

84d • $110,000 - $125,000

About The Position

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is a key member of the Executive Team who will architect and lead an integrated, agency-wide development strategy. The JCC operates with an annual budget of approximately $12.5M and a staff of 90+ full-time employees and 250+ part-time/seasonal/contracted team members. The CDO will advance annual philanthropic revenue beyond its current ~$2.0M baseline while driving success of a comprehensive $5M campaign now underway. This role will professionalize best practices across programs, events, initiatives, and capital needs--ensuring coordination, clarity, and donor-centric alignment across the organization. The CDO's scope spans our full program portfolio--including Early Childhood, FWAR, Arts & Culture, Jewish Life, Camp Seneca Lake (CSL), Camp Sisol, and Active Agers (55+)--with thoughtful partnership to program Directors. Two signature programs, the Ames Amzalak Rochester Jewish Film Festival and the Lane Dworkin Authors + Innovators Festival; the CDO will collaborate closely with their respective Directors to design donor strategies and packages while honoring each program's leadership, brand, and identity. With support from agency leadership, the CDO will build the development function from the ground up--defining structure, roles, and workflows. In the interim, the CDO will coordinate our current multi-hand approach with robust support from internal professionals and engaged lay leaders. The CDO partners closely with the CEO and the Senior Leadership Team: Chief Operating Officer; Chief Creative Officer; Executive Director, Camp Seneca Lake; Chief Jewish Life & Engagement Officer; Chief Human Resources Officer; and General Manager, FWAR. The CDO is a visible ambassador to donors, prospects, foundations, corporate partners, and the broader Rochester community.

Requirements

• 7+ years of progressive fundraising experience with a strong record in major gifts and campaigns; success in six and seven-figure solicitations preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to design strategy, build teams, and deliver measurable revenue growth across multiple giving channels.
• Skilled relationship builder and storyteller; excellent written/oral communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Experience partnering with Marketing/Communications to align brand, campaigns, and donor journeys.
• Proficiency with fundraising CRMs and analytics; commitment to data-informed decision making and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of the Rochester philanthropic landscape and/or Jewish communal life is a plus; passion for the JCC mission is essential.
• Ability to work some evenings/weekends; and occasional regional travel.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year development plan to grow unrestricted annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, grants, corporate partnerships, and event-based revenue in alignment with agency priorities.
• Design and activate an endowment growth strategy (legacy/planned gifts, board-restricted and true endowment) aligned to long-term sustainability and investment policy.
• Establish clear KPIs and dashboards (pipeline health, donor retention and upgrade rates, grant hit rate, corporate revenue, event ROI) and report progress to the CEO and Board.
• Serve as internal convener of a cross-functional Development Council (program, marketing, finance, and operations) to coordinate calendars, campaigns, and cases for support.
• Co-lead the comprehensive $5M campaign with the CEO (and committee chair), including gift table design, case refinement, prospect strategy, solicitation plans, and campaign cabinet support.
• Manage a personal portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects; conduct discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship with disciplined moves management.
• Design and manage recognition and naming opportunities; ensure fulfillment and enduring stewardship.
• Partner with the Directors of the Ames Amzalak Rochester Jewish Film Festival and the Lane Dworkin Authors + Innovators Festival to meet strong development needs while preserving program leadership and identity; co-create sponsorship, underwriting, and major-gift strategies unique to each.
• Build a high-performing annual giving program (multi-channel appeals, mid-level donor strategy, recurring monthly giving, and lapsed-donor reactivation) in partnership with Marketing/Communications.
• Evolve events from transactional to mission-rich experiences that drive retention, upgrades, and pipeline growth; set goals and evaluate ROI.
• Align messaging and donor journeys with member engagement to grow participation and philanthropy.
• Lead foundation strategy: landscape analysis, proposal development, compliance, and reporting.
• Grow corporate revenue (sponsorships, program underwritings, cause marketing) with clear benefits packages for FWAR, Arts & Culture, Early Childhood, Family Programs, and Camp Seneca Lake.
• Leverage Blackbaud Raiser's Edge (NXT) as the system of record for philanthropy; integrate with DAXKO (building CRM) to align membership and program data for segmentation, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Strengthen policies and infrastructure: gift acceptance, pledge management, acknowledgments, and audits.
• Ensure CRM integrity and analytics (e.g., Salesforce/Blackbaud or equivalent), prospect research, and disciplined pipeline management.
• Partner with Finance on forecasting, reconciliation, and revenue recognition; ensure ethical and compliant fundraising practices.
• Build the development team, establishing structure, roles (e.g., Major Gifts, Annual Giving, Grants, Events, Stewardship/Donor Relations), and performance expectations in alignment with strategy and budget.
• In the interim, coordinate the current multi-hand approach with strong support from internal professionals and external lay leaders; clarify responsibilities, cadences, and decision rights.
• Staff the Development/Philanthropy Committee of the Board; prepare materials and progress reports.
• Recruit, coach, and manage a nimble development team (e.g., Major Gifts, Annual Giving, Grants, Events, and Donor Relations/Stewardship) and leverage dotted-line support across departments.
• Train staff, lay leaders, and program directors in donor-centric best practices; equip ambassadors with cases for support and talking points.
• Work very closely with the Executive Director of Camp Seneca Lake and CSL's development team to coordinate best practices and donor journeys for a flagship program whose alumni and donor base largely reside outside the Rochester area.
• Collaborate across departments--including Early Childhood, FWAR, Arts & Culture, Jewish Life, Camp Seneca Lake, Camp Sisol, and Active Agers (55+)--to prioritize opportunities and prevent overlap.
• Create a clear intake and vetting process for fundraising initiatives across departments (program pilots, events, capital needs) to avoid overlap and donor fatigue.
• Maintain a master development calendar, institutional priority list, and prospect assignment protocol.
• Ensure every appeal and event connects back to mission, impact, and a unified agency case.

Benefits

• Salary range: $110,000-$125,000, commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive benefits package and JCC membership; details provided during the interview process.
• Opportunities for professional development, networking, and participation in Jewish communal events and conferences.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree