Chief Development Officer, Children's Learning Centers of Fairfield County

About Us

Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County (CLC) is committed to providing early childhood education for all families, with direct services and programs focused on health, nutrition & family support for children 6 weeks – 5 years of age.

Since 1902, CLC has been a cornerstone of the community. CLC is Stamford’s largest early childhood education program, serving over 800 families a year. We provide exceptional early learning experiences in a safe and loving environment that allows kids to grow and learn. One third of every incoming kindergarten class in Stamford public schools are CLC graduates.

CLC’s decades of care have shaped the city and its residents, improving lives for thousands of families across generations. Care work makes all other work possible. When parents and caregivers feel confident dropping their child off, they can focus on pursuing their goals, meeting their family’s needs, and advancing their careers. This benefits the local economy, creates a stronger workforce, and creates brighter economic futures for both parents and kids.

About the Role

CLC is seeking an experienced nonprofit leader and development professional for the role of Chief Development Officer (CDO). This is an opportunity to work with a legacy organization and bring fresh ideas and energy leading into the organization’s 125th anniversary.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, this position will be the lead strategist and project manager focused on growing CLC’s nearly $2 million (excluding government contracts) revenue portfolio. The CDO will lead the development team, including the Foundations and Corporate Relations Director, Donor Engagement Director, Marketing and Communications Manager, and Development Operations Coordinator to increase support across revenue streams. The CDO will own a portfolio of high-level relationships, and will identify, cultivate, and solicit major donors and support the CEO in managing her portfolio.

The Chief Development Officer’s work may include:

Leadership and Development Strategy

• Foster an intentional and coordinated culture of philanthropy across CLC.
• Develop, manage, execute, and update CLC’s development and stewardship plans to achieve annual revenue goals.
• Ensure development plans align with and are in service of evolving organizational goals.
• Collaborate with board members to create individual development goals, based on their unique networks, to support the organization’s mission.
• Work with cross-functional departments to determine funding priorities and asks and ensure coordination among teams engaging in external-facing efforts to leverage fundraising opportunities.

Fundraising and Donor Relations

• Research, design, and lead the moves management plans for major individual donors.
• Ensure a robust gift pipeline big enough to hit annual revenue goals.
• Manage and develop a planned giving initiative.
• Project manage the CEO’s fundraising work, directing her where and how best to spend her time and efforts on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis.

In collaboration with team members:

• Support planning, direction, and goal setting for appeals and events.
• Determine best combination of events to support program and organizational goals, developing new and engaging events as necessary.
• Identify and articulate priorities for new foundation prospect research and review grant proposals and reports.
• Identify new and creative opportunities to engage corporate funders that are mutually beneficial.
• Ensure messaging in donor communications is compelling, consistent, and aligned with CLC’s mission, values, and fundraising goals.

Development Operations and Revenue Tracking

• Establish and monitor annual and long-term revenue goals and budgets.
• Design and update a regular progress-to-goal report and development dashboard for the leadership team as well as financial reports for the board.
• Evaluate effectiveness of appeals and events and oversee financial reporting.
• Maintain the quality of development-focused data by ensuring all staff are consistently using Salesforce and adhering to a common logic as detailed in an SOP manual.

Staff Supervision

• Manage four full-time staff members including supervision, training, and coaching.
• Support staff in working with vendors and consultants, as needed.
• Maintain a high-performing team culture.

About You

To be maximally successful in this role, you need to be:

• A strong people manager with a high EQ who can motivate and develop people
• An excellent relationship manager who can quickly build trust with internal and external stakeholders
• A leader with a track record of creating alignment and buy-in among and across teams/groups
• A strategic thinker with a deep development knowledge
• Dedicated to continuous improvement, evaluation, and data-informed decision making
• Solution and action-oriented
• A reliable and optimistic team-player who holds themselves and those around them to a high standard
• A practiced facilitator who can lead productive and efficient meetings
• A dynamic, professional, and poised ambassador for CLC
• A consistent and friendly communicator who reaches out and follows up
• A stickler for details and quality
• A caretaker of sensitive information about donors and others in the organization’s community with an understanding that everyone has an important story to tell
• Able to navigate complex conversations across lines of difference with humility, and understand the perspectives of others
• Passionate and persistent in the pursuit of resources so our families have what they need to succeed

You need to have:

• A minimum of 10 years of nonprofit development experience
• A minimum of 4 years of nonprofit leadership experience, including staff supervision
• Demonstrated success securing major gifts and working with a team to grow and diversify revenue
• In-depth experience working in close partnership with senior management and board members on major philanthropic initiatives and campaigns
• A strong working knowledge of CRM systems for donor and revenue management; Salesforce experience preferred

About Location, Compensation and Benefits

• In-person in Stamford, CT
• Health, dental, and vision insurance; life insurance; 401k matching; CT Paid Leave; accrued sick and personal days; 20 accrued vacation days plus holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Years
• The salary for this role is $150,000-$165,000

To Apply:

Interested applicants should submit the following to saralacavalieberman@clcstamford.org with “CLC Chief Development Officer” in the subject line: Resume and cover letter responding to the following questions:

• Why are you interested in this role at CLC at this point in your career?
• What about your past experience makes you a good fit for this role?

If you require accommodations or have any access needs that you want to make sure are met during any part of this application and hiring process, please reach out to us at saralacavalieberman@clcstamford.org

CLC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. It is the policy of CLC that no employee or applicant for employment or services will be discriminated against because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, family responsibilities or family status, veteran’s status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Health, dental, and vision insurance; life insurance; 401k matching; CT Paid Leave; accrued sick and personal days; 20 accrued vacation days plus holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Years