Chief Development Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

Share Food Program (Share) is the leading hunger relief organization in the Greater Philadelphia region and one of the largest independent food banks in the nation. Share feeds hundreds of thousands of individuals each month—more than half of whom are children and seniors. The ripple effects of the pandemic, record rates of inflation, and critical cuts to government assistance benefits have plunged even more people into hunger and poverty. Philadelphia has the highest rate of poverty of any major city in the U.S., and food insecurity is a public health crisis. Share’s network of caring volunteers, dedicated professionals, and generous donors works to bring nourishing food to our neighbors in need.

Since 2022, the need for Share’s services has increased by 120% and the need will only increase with the passage of recent legislation. Share is committed to being at the forefront of advocacy fighting against these policies and ensuring everyone has access to food. Funding for advocacy and expanding its major donor program are strategic goals for Share. Furthermore, Share has successfully completed two stages of its capital campaign to expand and revolutionize its Philadelphia warehouse headquarters at the heart of Share’s operations, to help more neighbors in need.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is a leadership role helping Share to meet its commitments to fight against hunger across the Greater Philadelphia region. Reporting to the Executive Director, the CDO develops and executes both short-term and long-range fundraising strategy across all development programs in pursuit of $5 million in annual funds. This includes setting goals and targets, monitoring progress, and ensuring success. They lead and coach a team of development professionals and are responsible for leading and supporting the board and fundraising committee in their fundraising role. They will expand the major gift program by partnering with the executive director and are responsible for their own strategic relationship cultivation. The CDO leads with a donor centric approach, ensures the highest-ethical standards in fundraising, and promotes a culture of philanthropy across the organization.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

The Chief Development Officer reports to the Chief Executive Officer. They serve on the executive leadership team and supervise the development team including Director of Corporate Partnerships, Donor Relations Manager, Development Operations Manager and fundraising consultants.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Serve on the senior leadership team to set, track, and achieve strategic goals.
• Provide input for programmatic decisions by identifying the positive and negative philanthropic implications.
• Build a culture of philanthropy ensuring the team understands and embraces their fundraising responsibilities.
• Develop long-range strategic fundraising plan including financial targets, tactics, and measurable goals.
• Create, monitor, and oversee the development budget.
• Track fundraising trends, using information to predict possible future opportunities and avoid downtrends.
• Manage a portfolio of top individual and corporate prospects and identify new partners to grow donor pipeline.

Team Leadership

• Hire, supervise, and coach the development team.
• Coordinate and oversee fundraising consultants.
• Oversees volunteer opportunities.
• Lead, oversee, and actively participate in all fundraising activities including:
  • Philanthropic and public sector grants
  • Corporate sponsorship and partnerships
  • Individual giving
  • Major gifts
  • Special events
  • Capital campaigns
  • Advocacy funding

Board and Committee Leadership

• Nurture a positive, open and collaborative relationship with the board and fundraising committee.
• Working with the Executive Director and Board Chair, ensure the board members have the tools and resources to engage in Share fundraising.
• Develop and implement strategies to optimize collective and individual board engagement, including advancing board member contributions and embracing their ambassador role.
• Set expectations and coach board members to meet those expectations.
• Serve as staff liaison to the Fundraising Committee.
• In partnership with the Fundraising Committee chair, set goals and expectations for the committee.
• Arrange opportunities for board education and engagement to enhance board members’ ability to serve as ambassadors of the organization.

Ambassador

• Create compelling case statements and other resources and materials to encourage giving.
• Represent Share at public events.
• Develop and execute strategies to raise the organization’s visibility amongst a wide cross-section of potential supporters.
• Build and nurture strategic relationships for Share.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven success across fundraising strategies, procuring major gifts, and managing staff.
• Skills and experience to deliver on key responsibilities.
• Commitment to the Association of Fundraising Professionals Ethical Code of Conduct.
• Ability to leverage Every Action CRM for efficient and effective fundraising.

If you see yourself reflected in this job description but don’t feel you meet every criterion, we encourage you to apply anyway. We take a holistic and equitable approach to our hiring practices and seek to hire those who best align with our mission and goals.

Share Food Program is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender or gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, parental status, age, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by law. In addition to federal law requirements, Share Food Group complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. 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.

Share Food Program will make every effort to accommodate an individual when made aware of necessary accommodation to fulfill job duties. If necessary, the organization will decide on reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis in accordance with ADA law.

About Fairmount Ventures (Search Firm)

Fairmount Ventures is a women-owned and led consulting business committed to catalyzing social impact and equity in cities and communities by building the capacity of the nonprofit and public sectors. Our multi-disciplinary team and collaborative approach provide clients with insightful guidance and deep connection to resources as they work to advance the well-being and life prospects of their constituents. A thought partner to 500+ organizations since 1992, Fairmount leverages our unparalleled knowledge of the nonprofit, public, and higher education sectors in the Philadelphia region and beyond to benefit every client. We position the sector to grow and thrive through a continuum of related services including strategic and business planning, fundraising, board development, and executive search.

Fairmount’s full-time professional team is purposefully recruited from diverse backgrounds, experience, and academic training. See fairmountinc.com for a complete overview of the firm.