Chief Development Officer

About Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund

The mission of the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund (DMSF) is to unlock educational opportunities for talented Chicago-area students facing financial need. DMSF partners with Scholars, families and schools through high school and beyond by providing scholarships, academic programs, and personal support. Founded by two brothers in 1989, DMSF now offers around 150 scholarships to 8th graders each year, supporting a total of 500 Scholars in high school. Those Scholars are attending roughly 40 different parochial and independent day schools in the Chicago area, as well as 40 boarding schools from coast to coast. For more information, please visit https://www.dmsf.org/

DMSF is seeking a results-oriented leader to take our fundraising program to the next level. The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team and is responsible for planning, directing, and implementing the strategic development plan to meet our annual $6M+ fundraising goal. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and partnering closely with the Board of Directors, the CDO will manage a team of five and play a critical role in driving philanthropic growth, building and maintaining strong donor relationships, and advancing the organization's mission and impact on our students and the city.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

In this role, the CDO will be responsible for:

Creating and Executing the Fundraising Vision & Strategy

• Developing and executing a comprehensive development strategy aligned with DMSF's mission, vision, and goals.
• Providing visionary leadership to the Development team and collaborating closely with senior leadership and the Board to drive philanthropic growth.
• Leading the planning, execution, and monitoring of annual fundraising initiatives, which includes major gifts, corporate partnerships, annual fund appeals, special events, grants, and planned giving.
• Engaging the Board of Directors, Leadership Team, and other key stakeholders in fundraising efforts; providing support, training, and resources to empower involvement in donor cultivation.

Building, Guiding, and Coaching the Development Team

• Recruiting, developing, and leading a high-performing development team, providing mentorship, guidance, and professional development opportunities.
• Fostering a collaborative and results-oriented team culture.
• Facilitating strong performance and achievement of key metrics; providing ongoing feedback to assigned direct reports to address and encourage performance.
• Utilizing data analytics and performance metrics to assess the effectiveness of fundraising strategies and making data-driven recommendations for refinement and improvement.

Cultivating and Stewarding Supporters

• Building and maintaining strong relationships with individual, corporate, and foundation donors.
• Implementing effective stewardship practices to ensure ongoing engagement and retention, leading to increased giving levels.
• Creating an effective program to deepen knowledge and further engage current and prospective corporate and institutional donors in the work of DMSF.
• Developing sponsorship packages, partnership proposals, and collaboration opportunities that offer mutual benefits and help attain the financial goals of DMSF.
• Researching, identifying, and evaluating potential major gift prospects and funding opportunities and conducting thorough research to tailor cultivation strategies for major donors and different donor segments.

Driving Results

• Achieving +10% year-over-year growth in current FY while establishing a roadmap for next FY.
• Forecasting revenue projections accurately and operating within the departmental expense budget.
• Working closely with the Financial and Development Committees to monitor, drive and adjust revenue projections.
• Ensuring adherence to all relevant fundraising regulations and reporting requirements and maintaining accurate records of donor interactions, contributions, and outcomes.

Competencies and Skills:

• A strong interest in the mission of DMSF and the students we serve.
• A proven ability to build trust and rapport with boards and volunteers (or similar), effectively inspiring and supporting new levels of engagement with fundraising activities.
• A proven track record of taking initiative and managing multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to set and attain fundraising and financial goals while controlling costs.
• Ability to forge and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of constituents, including board members, donors, volunteers, and DMSF staff.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• A positive and authentic approach to relationship-building that inspires long-term financial support and a genuine investment in improving the lives of Murphy Scholars.
• Unquestioned integrity, ethics, and values; proven ability to be trusted with highly confidential and sensitive information.
• Curiosity and drive to stay ahead of trends and identify new opportunities to serve the DMSF mission.

Interested candidates should submit resume and targeted cover letter at https://danielmurphyscholarshipfund.applytojob.com/apply. MBT Civic is the recruitment firm conducting this process. Please email search@mbtcivic.com with questions. Inquiries made to Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund will not be forwarded. No phone calls please.