Chief Advancement Officer

Association of Fundraising Professionals; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Life and disability insurance

FSA

403B

Job summary

AALS is seeking a Chief Advancement Officer to lead all fundraising activities, including gifts, grants, sponsorships, and partnerships. You will cultivate and solicit donors, supervise the Development Associate, and work with senior leaders to expand funding opportunities.

The role is full-time and hybrid, based in Washington, DC, with occasional travel to engage donors and staff across events. Strong leadership and five+ years of fundraising experience are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with emphasis in business, marketing, communications, philanthropy, or related field.
• Minimum of five years of fundraising experience or equivalent education/experience.
• Familiarity with law and/or higher education a plus.
• Proven success soliciting support from individuals and corporations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong knowledge of fundraising principles, ethics, and best practices.
• Ability to manage multiple long and short-term projects and meet deadlines.
• Strong planning, prioritization, and independent decision-making skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building abilities.
• Advanced PC skills and expert proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe products.
• Experience using AMS Protech, and with event platforms such as Accelevents desirable

Responsibilities

• Lead fundraising strategy and donor engagement for the organization.
• Cultivate and steward corporate and individual donors and volunteers.
• Oversee sponsorships, events, and partnerships; drive renewals and solicitations.
• Manage the development budget, create annual plan, track metrics.
• Ensure compliance with state charitable solicitation regulations.
• Lead special programs, including donor recognition and stewardship.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Donor cultivation

Account management

Communication skills

Relationship building

MS Office expertise

AMS experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Graduate degree a plus

Tools

Protech AMS

Accelevents

Microsoft Office

Adobe products

Job description

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) leads all aspects of AALS’s fundraising programs, including gifts, grants, sponsorships, and partnerships. This role works closely with the CEO/ED and key board members to cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate and individual donors and to pursue new funding opportunities. The CAO supervises the Development Associate.

POSITION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning & Strategy

• Partner with the CEO/ED to identify funding opportunities that strengthen program offerings, operations, and institutional sustainability.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive annual development plan—including donor and prospect strategies across individuals, corporations, foundations, law firms, and sponsors.
• Manage the development budget and annual workplan, tracking metrics to assess program effectiveness and year-over-year progress.
• Ensure compliance with state charitable solicitation regulations, including registrations and annual renewals.

Donor & Prospect Engagement

• Oversee the Law Firm Leadership Circle, including new firm outreach, renewals, and stewardship.
• Lead the AALS Fellows program, including renewals, prospect research, donor recognition, and stewardship.
• Initiate and manage donor outreach, including meetings, solicitations, and follow-up.

Sponsorships & Exhibitors

• Chair the Exhibitors & Sponsors Working Group; secure sponsorships and exhibitors for the Annual Meeting and other events; and oversees related marketing and outreach materials.
• Oversee vendor relationships and exhibit hall operations in coordination with the exhibit hall provider and the Development Associate.

This is a full-time, hybrid position with headquarters located in Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C. Occasional travel is required for AALS events, donor engagement, and staff gatherings.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis or concentration in business, marketing, communications, public relations, philanthropy, or a related field. A graduate degree is a plus.
• Minimum of five years of fundraising experience required, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Familiarity with law and/or higher education a plus.
• Proven success soliciting support from individuals and corporations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong knowledge of fundraising principles, ethics, and best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple long and short-term projects and meet deadlines.
• Strong planning, prioritization, and independent decision-making skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship building abilities.
• Ability to persuasively engage and motivate donors and groups in support of the mission.
• Advanced PC skills and expert proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Adobe products
• Experience using association management systems (AMS) such as Protech, and with event platforms such as Accelevents experience desirable

SALARY & BENEFITS

• Salary - Commensurate with experience, expertise, and other qualifying factors.
• Benefits - AALS offers employees a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, dental insurance, free life and disability insurance for the employee, FSA, and 403B.