Chief Development Officer

Austin Humane Society; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Austin Humane Society seeks a transformational Chief Development Officer to lead fundraising, donor engagement, and communications in service of homeless animals and the human–animal bond.

Reporting to the President/CEO and as a member of the executive team, the CDO directs all fundraising revenue generation, donor relations, major gifts, grants, annual campaigns, and capital campaigns, while mentoring staff and managing budget and data systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required; 7-10 years fundraising/development experience with major gifts and campaigns.
• Proven success securing major gifts and meeting revenue goals; experience leading a team.
• Proficiency with donor CRM systems (Raiser's Edge) and data-informed decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-year fundraising plans to grow and diversify revenue from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major gift donors; expand annual giving and mid-level programs.
• Oversee grants strategy, proposals, reporting, and funder relationships with foundations and government sources.
• Develop corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and cause-marketing opportunities; build planned giving programs.

Skills

Donor relations

Public speaking

Financial forecasting

Strategic leadership

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Raiser's Edge

Job description

Position: Chief Development Officer

Reports to: President/CEO

Salary Range: $125,000 - $150,000

Organization Overview

Formed in 1952, The Austin Humane Society is Austin’s largest, longest standing, no kill, non-profit animal shelter. AHS is dedicated to eliminating unnecessary euthanasia of dogs and cats through:

Innovative life-saving adoption programs High-volume spay and neuter programs Engaging the community to be part of the solution Serving animals and people in times of crisis

Austin Humane Society Chief Development Officer Position

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) leads Austin Humane Society's fundraising, donor engagement, and communications strategy in service of our mission to save the lives of homeless animals and support the human-animal bond. Reporting to the CEO and serving as a member of the executive team, the CDO directs all fundraising revenue generation and donor relations, including strategies for major gifts, grants, annual campaigns, and capital campaigns.

The CDO creates multi-year fundraising plans to grow and diversify revenue streams across individuals, foundations, and corporations, ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the organization, and cultivates a personal portfolio of high-net-worth major gift and institutional donors. This role hires, mentors, and supervises development staff, grant writers, and event coordinators, and partners with the CEO, CAO, Board of Directors, and other volunteer leadership to optimize volunteer engagement in fundraising. The CDO also manages the department budget, donor database and CRM systems, and performance analytics.

Essential Functions:

Fundraising Strategy & Revenue Growth

• Create and lead multi-year fundraising plans to grow and diversify revenue streams Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major gift donors and prospects, personally managing key relationships. Grow individual giving, recurring giving, and mid-level donor programs to build a sustainable base of support. Lead grant strategy, overseeing research, proposals, reporting, and funder relationships with foundations and government sources. Develop corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and cause-marketing relationships. Build and advance a planned giving/legacy giving program.

Donor Relations & Stewardship

• Establish and maintain a culture of exceptional donor stewardship, ensuring timely acknowledgment, recognition, and communication. Oversee accurate donor data management, gift processing, and the integrity of the donor database (Raiser's Edge). Use data and analytics to segment donors, evaluate campaign performance, and inform strategy.

Capital Campaign

• Serve as a key leader of Austin Humane Society's capital campaign, partnering with the CEO, CAO, Board of Directors, volunteer leadership, and campaign counsel. Help develop and execute the campaign plan, including the case for support, prospect strategy, solicitation, and stewardship. Personally cultivate and solicit lead and major campaign gifts. Track and report on campaign progress toward goal, ensuring milestones and timelines are met.

Events

• Provide strategic oversight of signature fundraising and community events, ensuring they meet revenue, engagement, and brand goals.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and grow the development team, setting clear goals and fostering a collaborative, accountable culture. Manage staffing, performance, and professional growth within the department. Establish and manage the department budget, track expenses, and report on ROI and progress toward goals.

Board & Committee Partnership

• Partner with the CEO, CAO, Board of Directors, and volunteer leadership to engage them in fundraising and donor cultivation. Staff and support volunteer leadership committees, providing strategy, reporting, and follow-through. Prepare and present development reports, forecasts, and dashboards to leadership and the Board.

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as an active member of the senior leadership team, contributing to organization-wide strategy and decision-making. Represent Austin Humane Society to donors, partners, media, and the community as a visible ambassador for the mission. Ensure development activities comply with applicable laws, ethical fundraising standards, and donor intent.

Qualifications/Basic Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 7-10 years of progressive fundraising/development experience, including major gifts and campaign leadership. Demonstrated success personally securing major gifts and meeting or exceeding revenue goals. Experience leading and developing a team. Strong knowledge of fundraising best practices across individual giving, grants, events, and corporate partnerships. Advanced expertise in donor psychology, public speaking, financial forecasting, and strategic leadership. Proficiency with donor CRM/database systems (Raiser's Edge) and data-informed decision-making. Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. High ethical standards and discretion in handling confidential donor information. Demonstrated success establishing revenue targets, tracking performance against them, and holding staff accountable for results.

Preferred

• Experience in animal welfare, humane, or mission-driven nonprofit organizations. Demonstrated experience helping lead or manage a capital campaign; planned giving experience a plus. CFRE certification or equivalent.

Core Competencies

• Strategic vision - sets direction and translates it into measurable results. Relationship building - cultivates authentic, lasting relationships with donors, staff, board, and community. Leadership - inspires, develops, and holds a team accountable. Results orientation - drives toward goals with persistence and adaptability. Communication & storytelling - conveys mission and impact compellingly. Integrity - models ethical fundraising and stewardship of donor trust.