Chief Development Officer

Chief Development Officer

Reporting to: President

Department: Executive

Location: Remote (with travel as needed)

FLSA Status: Exempt

About National CARES Mentoring Movement

National CARES is a pioneering community-mobilization initiative that directly addresses the life-shredding effects of poverty and lays a blueprint for community recovery. Anchored by a 58 U.S.-city affiliate network, we are the nation’s recognized leader in the recruitment, training, and engagement of mentors, and the only organization in the U.S. providing holistic programming on a national scale to advance children growing up in poverty. Our work provides children and low-income parents with the emotional, social, academic, and career-readiness support they need to become self-sustaining, successful contributors to their families, communities, and society. We assist the often-forgotten people we serve in building bridges to the brighter futures they long for.

Position Overview

Reporting directly to and working closely with the President, the Chief Development Officer (CDO) will play a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s mission and strategic goals. This is a strategic leadership position responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive fund development strategy that drives sustainable revenue growth, strengthens organizational positioning, and advances the mission of the National CARES Mentoring Movement.

The CDO will collaborate with cross-functional teams, external stakeholders, and key partners to ensure success in the organization’s mission and vision. We are seeking a candidate who is deeply passionate about advancing opportunities for young people, demonstrates a strong commitment to service, and is fully aligned with the CARES mission and values.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Fundraising and Revenue Development:

• Design and implement a comprehensive, multi-year fund development strategy.
• Lead comprehensive fundraising efforts across diverse funding sources:
• Corporate partnerships
• Private and family foundations
• Government grants
• Individual major donor cultivation
• Innovative funding mechanisms
• Develop and manage annual fundraising goals and strategic plans.
• Create sophisticated donor engagement and stewardship approaches.

Key Competencies:

Strategic thinking and planning; revenue diversification expertise; advanced fundraising acumen; financial forecasting; results orientation; innovation and entrepreneurial mindset; data-driven decision-making.

Organizational Positioning and Thought Leadership:

• Develop compelling narrative proposals and impact reports.
• Conduct strategic market and landscape analysis.
• Build organizational thought leadership in mentoring and community development.
• Create consistent, strategic messaging across development communications.
• Translate complex programmatic concepts into engaging donor narratives.

Key Competencies:

Executive communication and storytelling; brand strategy; analytical thinking; content development; influence and thought leadership; ability to synthesize complex information; marketing and positioning expertise.

Donor and Stakeholder Relationship Management:

• Cultivate and manage relationships with high-capacity donors and strategic partners.
• Lead high-level donor engagement and solicitation strategies.
• Develop robust prospect research and donor intelligence systems.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to align fundraising with organizational strategy.

Key Competencies:

Relationship management and emotional intelligence; executive presence; negotiation and influencing skills; stakeholder engagement; networking and partnership development; discretion and trust-building; collaboration.

Grants and Financial Strategy:

• Oversee comprehensive grants administration process.
• Develop precise budgets and financial reporting for diverse funding sources.
• Ensure audit readiness and financial compliance.
• Coordinate between Development, Finance, and Program departments.
• Implement advanced donor management and tracking systems.

Key Competencies:

Financial acumen; grants management expertise; attention to detail; compliance and risk management; project management; systems thinking; cross-functional coordination.

Program Evaluation and Impact Measurement:

• Partner with Program Leadership to develop sophisticated monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
• Design impact assessment methodologies.
• Create logical frameworks and performance indicators.
• Develop compelling impact narratives for donor communications.
• Support program evaluation processes that demonstrate organizational effectiveness.

Key Competencies:

Evaluation and impact measurement expertise; data analysis and interpretation; learning and continuous improvement mindset; strategic insight; ability to connect data to storytelling; programmatic understanding.

Qualifications

• Commitment to the mission and vision of CARES
• Bachelor's degree in Nonprofit Management, Business Administration, or related field
• Master's degree strongly preferred
• Relevant fundraising certifications a plus
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in progressive fundraising and development leadership
• Proven track record of securing multi-million-dollar funding
• Experience in nonprofit fund development strategies
• Demonstrated success in diverse funding source cultivation
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate and build strong relationships with stakeholders
• Goal-oriented with a solutions-focused approach to overcoming challenges
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting in diverse settings
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines effectively
• Data-driven mindset with the ability to make informed decisions and track results
• High level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness

Supervisory Environment

• Provides supervisory support to the Director of Development

Working Conditions

• This position is remote, with occasional travel required to meet with funders, partners, team members, attend conferences, or participate in organizational events.
• The applicant will work from a home office and be expected to engage in phone and video conferencing as necessary.

This description is intended to provide an overview of the responsibilities of the position. It is not all- inclusive and an incumbent in the position will be expected to perform other duties as required. The responsibilities may change over time. This description is provided for informational purposes only and does not form the basis of a contract.

Equal Opportunity Employer

CARES is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

CARES expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of CARES employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECIEVED TO OUR INDEED POSTING TO BE CONSIDERED - PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL YOUR APPLICATION

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $200,000.00 per year

Work Location: Remote