Vice President, Development

Cancer Support Community•Washington, DC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Cancer Support Community (CSC), an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., is seeking an ambitious and detail-oriented individual who is passionate about making a difference in the lives of people impacted by cancer for our Vice President, Development position. JOB SUMMARY: The Vice President, Development serves as the chief architect of Cancer Support Community’s (CSC) comprehensive fundraising strategy and team structure. This visionary and hands-on leader will oversee the planning, execution, and scaling of a dynamic fundraising program that includes major gifts, annual and leadership giving, donor events, data analytics, peer-to-peer campaigns, and sponsorship development. Reporting to the Executive Vice President, External Relations, the Vice President will lead and mentor a team of high-performing fundraisers focused on corporate and foundation giving, donor relations and signature events, database operations, and annual & leadership giving. The Vice President will drive innovation, analytics, and cross-functional collaboration while providing strategic fundraising support to both the Executive Vice President, External Relations and CEO. This includes ensuring they are equipped with cultivation plans, donor intelligence, and materials to deepen relationships with high-level donors and philanthropic partners.

Requirements

Experience building and leading new fundraising functions or overseeing restructured teams
Strong understanding of data-driven fundraising practices, donor engagement cycles, and stewardship best practices.
High emotional intelligence with exceptional interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills.
Strategic thinker with hands-on execution ability.
Familiarity with CRM systems (Virtuous preferred)
Familiarity with fundraising analytics tools
Bachelor’s degree required
10+ years of progressive fundraising leadership experience, including direct supervision of complex teams.
Demonstrated success in annual giving, major gifts, event strategy, sponsorship development, and CRM optimization.

Nice To Haves

CFRE preferred

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and monitor a bold, multi-year development plan focused on sustainable revenue growth through diversified channels.
Oversee and refine the organization's individual giving strategy, including major gifts, annual giving, monthly sustainers, and mid-level donor engagement.
Ensure seamless collaboration between annual campaigns, sponsorships, and major gift strategies to advance donor journeys and fundraising ROI.
Lead, mentor, and evaluate the performance of a highly skilled fundraising team, including newly created roles focused on donor events, analytics, and annual giving.
Support direct reports in the development of innovative, goal-oriented fundraising strategies, with a focus on donor-centered storytelling, pipeline development, and data-informed decision making.
Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, creativity, and professional growth across the development team.
Provide strategic direction for the planning and execution of donor engagement events, including the Sunburst Gala and regional celebrations.
Ensure high-impact stewardship strategies are implemented organization-wide, from new donor onboarding to leadership-level recognition and cultivation.
Work closely with the Director, Donor Relations & Signature Events to maintain standards of excellence across all development-related donor experiences.
Lead the development and management of the Development department’s annual budget, ensuring alignment with organizational revenue goals and strategic priorities.
Collaborate with the Finance department to ensure timely and accurate revenue forecasting, reporting, and reconciliation for all fundraising streams.
Oversee CRM system strategy and performance, ensuring data accuracy, tracking of donor behavior, and effectiveness of segmentation and performance reporting.
Ensure Finance receives appropriate data for reconciliation, fund designation, and gift reporting, supporting alignment and accuracy across departments.
Partner with team leaders to set revenue and expense targets for key initiatives and monitor progress toward financial goals throughout the year.
Personally manage a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals, major donors, and institutional supporters with the capacity to make transformational gifts.
Develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for top prospects, with a focus on deepening relationships and long-term engagement.
Ensure the Executive Vice President, External Relations and CEO are equipped with strategic donor intelligence, briefing materials, and cultivation plans to support their high-level fundraising efforts.
Partner with the Manager, Annual & Leadership Giving and Director, Donor Relations & Signature Events to identify and elevate promising annual donors into the major gift pipeline.
Lead regular prospect review sessions with development team members and support moves management processes that align with donor interests and organizational priorities.
Leverage CSC’s board and senior leadership to expand networks, secure introductions, and support cultivation efforts for top prospects and institutional partners.
Provide oversight and support for foundation grants and corporate sponsorship efforts in collaboration with the grant writing and donor engagement staff.
Drive strategic engagement of corporate partners with tailored sponsorships, employee engagement opportunities, executive visibility, and long-term partnership development.
Collaborate with communications and digital teams to align corporate messaging with organizational impact priorities and campaign themes.
Identify and cultivate new corporate partners across industries to diversify CSC’s revenue streams and strengthen brand alignment.
Partner with the Executive Vice President, External Relations and finance staff to align fundraising strategy with marketing, brand, and finance efforts.
Represent CSC with external stakeholders, including partners, donors, and community leaders, articulating a compelling case for support.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Communications, Industry Partners, Programs, Education, Research and Policy teams to ensure fundraising strategies align with organizational impact priorities.
Performs other duties as requested by management