Chief Development Officer

Position Description

Reporting to the German Centre’s CEO, the CDO is responsible for developing, leading, and executing a strategic fundraising plan that increases philanthropic support for the German Centre and its 501.c.3 Foundation, which operates exclusively to advance the German Centre’s mission and services. As a key member of the Centre’s leadership team, the CDO will work closely with the both Foundation and DA Inc. boards to advance the mission of the German Centre through philanthropy.

The CDO brings a best-practice orientation to building a donor pipeline with an eye toward identifying, cultivating, and soliciting intentional gifts. As the lead fundraiser, the CDO plans and executes annual and multi-year fundraising strategies with goals, metrics, and deliverables for major and planned giving, annual appeals, grateful patient/resident and family giving, and memorial giving. The CDO is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding prospective donors for both unrestricted and restricted giving, including short-term and longerterm campaigns. Additionally, the CDO assists with grant opportunities for key program areas, and guides donor engagement, recognition, stewardship, and fulfillment reporting with the support of an executive assistant/development coordinator.

Primary Responsibilities

• Set ambitious, achievable, measurable fundraising goals; track, analyze, and report on fundraising progress.

• Strengthen the donor pipeline through major gifts, planned giving, annual appeals, grateful patient/family giving, and memorial giving; develop a straightforward, efficient prospect management process, tracking, monitoring, and documenting donor interaction and pipeline movement in Raiser’s Edge.

• As the primary front-line fundraiser, identify, develop, and manage a portfolio of the top 40-50 major gift prospects, including individuals, corporations, and foundations, cultivating, soliciting, and closing gifts; prioritize qualified donors and build and strengthen relationships based on interest or influence.

• Partner with CEO and Foundation and DA Inc. Board members in identifying individual and institutional donor prospects, fully leveraging their relationships and networks, and activities for maximum cultivation and stewardship.

• Research potential donors to gain insights into priorities, application guidelines, relationships, and other charitable giving to understand how to effectively position the German Centre for philanthropic investment.

• Solicit foundations and submit grant applications or proposals to support designated operating and program priorities.

• Support CEO and Boards in developing a culture of philanthropy wherein volunteer leaders can participate effectively in donor cultivation and solicitation.

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues, volunteer leaders, clinicians, staff, donors, and friends of the German Centre, developing a personal rapport and acquiring and demonstrating a firm grasp of a wide range of issues facing eldercare and the funding landscape.

• Maintain best practices, policies, procedures, and records, adhering to IRS requirements.

• Participate in strategic planning, and branding and message development.

• Maintain high visibility/accessibility within the philanthropic community and participate in appropriate external activities that heighten awareness of the needs of the German Centre.

One-Year Expectations

• Establish professional and personal credibility and trust, internally and externally, with the CEO, management team, board leadership, key volunteers, residents/family members, donors, and the community at large; be viewed as competent and knowledgeable, a thoughtful listener, and committed to the organization’s mission and direction.

• Develop a collaborative working relationship with the CEO and board leadership in creating shared goals and expectations for philanthropy, defining/prioritizing funding opportunities, and identifying and engaging top prospects for solicitation (individuals and foundations).

• Develop phased tactical plan to meet short-term revenue (e.g., memory care renovation), while building a longer-term strategy for sustainable fundraising that supports the Centre’s strategic and growth goals.

• Strengthen annual giving program to ensure goal of $250-350K (with stretch goal of $500K) in year one, and as a reliable pipeline for intentional, major gifts going forward.

Longer-Term Expectations

• Strengthen the foundation for future capital and endowment fundraising.

• Identify, cultivate, and steward donors capable of making transformational gifts.

• Strengthen relationships with current donors, leading to consistent and ongoing philanthropic support.

• Continue to build donor pipeline through cultivation strategies, using moves management to encourage increased giving, while identifying new donors and prospects.

Qualifications

Knowledge and Experience

• An accomplished fundraising leader with progressive experience preferably within health and human services environments.

• Proven success in individual and major gifts with basic knowledge of corporate and foundation relations.

• Experience researching, identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding prospects and donors capable of six+ figure giving.

• Broad knowledge of deferred giving vehicles, including bequests, annuities, charitable lead trusts, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance, and gifts of real estate.

• Proficiency in the application of IT for philanthropy (e.g., Raiser’s Edge) and business management.

• Experience with board recruitment/development and volunteer management.

• Bachelor’s degree in related discipline.

Skills and Attributes

• Able to communicate genuine warmth, compassion, and commitment to quality and service, and to quickly build effective and strategic relationships, internally and externally.

• An engaged professional who brings a hands-on approach, with specific attention to detail and the ability to be a strategic, “big picture” thinker.

• Entrepreneurial and creative problem solver.

• Energetic, positive, and proactive individual who is self-directed.

• Superior oral and written communication skills.

• Strong analytical, financial, and business planning skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and persuasive skills to work effectively with diverse stakeholders and philanthropic investors.

• Facilitation skills for managing projects/processes and group dynamics.

• Strong management, coaching, and mentoring skills.

• Metrics-driven, results-oriented, able to effectively prioritize, delegate, and manage performance to meet objectives.

• Able to remain calm and focused under pressure.

• Tech savvy.