Chief Advancement Officer

Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis; Edina (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church and School seeks a Chief Advancement Officer to lead a mission-driven fundraising program, including annual giving, major gifts, endowments, grants, and campaigns. You will supervise staff, manage budgets, and ensure donor-centered operations with strong stewardship and compliance.

Reporting to pastors and school leadership, you will build relationships with volunteers and parish leaders, cultivate top prospects, and deliver data-driven dashboards to governance

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or CFRE preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive fundraising experience with success in annual giving and major gifts; capital campaign experience preferred.
• Experience in a Catholic parish/school or faith-based nonprofit strongly preferred; understanding of Catholic teaching and parish life.
• Proven team leadership, volunteer management, and committee facilitation skills.
• Strong financial acumen (budgets, forecasting, fund restrictions) and operational discipline.
• Proficiency with donor CRMs and prospect research tools; strong data and reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a comprehensive advancement program for parish and school; align to mission and priorities.
• Set annual goals, KPIs, calendars, and budgets for all fundraising programs.
• Recruit, supervise, and coach advancement staff; provide professional development.
• Serve as staff lead to Pastor and committees; prepare agendas and reports.
• Maintain gift acceptance, counting, and recognition policies.
• Oversee annual giving, endowment, grants, and capital campaigns.

Skills

Leadership

Relationship Building

Strategic Thinking

Data-Driven Decision Making

Prospect Research

Donor Stewardship

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree or CFRE preferred

Tools

Donor CRM software

Job description

Published: September 22, 2026

Expires: October 22, 2026

Location: 5071 Eden Ave, Edina, MN, Minnesota

Job Type: Full‑time

Starting Salary Range: $90K-$140k based on experience, health, 403(b), PTO.

Position Summary

The Chief Advancement Officer leads and grows a comprehensive, mission‑driven philanthropic program for Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church and School (OLG). The role builds a culture of stewardship, oversees all fundraising functions (annual giving/offertory, major and planned gifts, endowment, grants, capital campaigns, and cultivation‑focused events), and ensures excellent donor care and advancement operations. Note: This role does not lead or perform Marketing or Communications functions (e.g., branding, media, website, social, parish/school publicity).

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy & Leadership
  • Develop and execute a multi‑year advancement plan aligned to OLG’s mission and priorities (parish and school).
  • Set annual goals, KPIs, calendars, and budgets for all fundraising programs.
  • Recruit, supervise, and coach advancement staff; provide professional development and clear performance expectations.
  • Serve as staff lead to the Pastor and Endowment and Stewardship Committees; prepare agendas, reports, and action plans.
  • Maintain and enforce gift acceptance, counting, and recognition policies.
• Annual Giving & Offertory
  • Design and manage parish offertory enhancement and sustained giving programs.
  • Oversee the annual fund for parish and school, including pledge drives, recurring giving, and targeted appeals.
  • Coordinate volunteer ambassadors and ministry/parent leaders for peer‑to‑peer outreach and testimony.
• Major Gifts & Campaigns
  • Build and manage a robust major‑gift pipeline (identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, steward).
  • Create individualized cultivation plans and visit goals for top prospects and donors.
  • Develop and maintain own portfolio of annual giving prospects.
  • Partner with Pastor/Head of School on leadership asks; coordinate feasibility studies and—when authorized—capital/endowment campaigns.
• Planned Giving & Endowment
  • Launch and grow a planned giving program (bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable trusts, etc.).
  • Steward and report on endowment and restricted funds in coordination with Finance.
  • Grow our legacy society to recognize planned‑gift donors.
• Grants & Institutional Funding
  • Oversee grants pipeline: prospecting, proposal strategy, compliance, reporting, and renewals.
  • Ensure timely, accurate submissions and post‑award stewardship.
• Capital Campaign Management and Complete Work as such
• Donor Stewardship & Advancement Operations
  • Ensure prompt gift processing, acknowledgments, and adherence to donor intent.
  • Maintain an accurate CRM/database (gift coding, soft credits, moves management, prospect research).
  • Produce dashboards on revenue, pipeline health, retention, and ROI for Pastor, Principal, Finance Council, and Endowment Committee.
  • Safeguard donor confidentiality and data integrity; ensure GAAP/IRS and diocesan compliance (letters, receipts, restrictions).
• Events & Volunteer Leadership (Cultivation‑Focused)
  • Plan and execute cultivation and gratitude events (leadership receptions, donor briefings, small salons).
  • Recruit, train, and support volunteers/committee members for stewardship and endowment activities (not publicity).
• Mission Integration & Collaboration
  • Embed a spirituality of stewardship across parish and school; train clergy, staff, and volunteers on Catholic development best practices.
  • Collaborate with leaders on funding priorities, cases for support, and donor impact reporting—without taking on marketing/communications work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or CFRE preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive fundraising experience with success in annual giving and major gifts; capital campaign experience preferred.
• Experience in a Catholic parish/school or faith‑based nonprofit strongly preferred; understanding of Catholic teaching and parish life.
• Proven team leadership, volunteer management, and committee facilitation skills.
• Strong financial acumen (budgets, forecasting, fund restrictions) and operational discipline.
• Proficiency with donor CRMs and prospect research tools; strong data and reporting skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; high integrity, discretion, and donor‑centric judgment.
• Ability to work evenings/weekends as needed for pastoral and school schedules.

Core Competencies

• Mission Alignment & Pastoral Sensitivity
• Relationship Building & Listening
• Strategic Thinking & Execution
• Solicitation Confidence & Presence
• Data‑Informed Decision Making
• Process/Policy Rigor & Compliance
• Coaching & Team Development