Chief Development Officer

CAREERS IN NONPROFITS; King of Prussia (PA); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation & holidays

Retirement plan

Medical/dental/vision insurance

Relocation package

Job summary

American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) seeks a Chief Development Officer to lead fundraising strategy, donor relations, and development operations. The CDO will build the infrastructure, team, and culture of generosity to support a multi-year fundraising agenda and a $5M annual contributed revenue goal.

This senior role requires mission alignment, strategic leadership, and proven success in major gifts, campaigns, and national fundraising across diverse constituencies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required.
• CFRE credential or equivalent preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive development experience.
• At least 5 years in senior leadership or management.
• Experience building development strategy and teams.
• Strong fundraising and donor relations background.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead ABHMS' development strategy with aligned priorities.
• Develop and implement fundraising and donor stewardship plans with KPIs.
• Oversee annual giving, major gifts, and planned/legacy giving programs.
• Design and manage a successful capital campaign.
• Lead donor segmentation and expand engagement to new communities.
• Establish CRM strategy and data infrastructure for fundraising.
• Track progress, report results to the Executive Director/CEO and Board.
• Manage the development budget and maximize resource use.

Job description

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!

PNP Staffing Group is excited to have been retained by American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) to lead their search for a Chief Development Officer.

JOB TITLE: Chief Development Officer

SALARY: $130,000 - $150,000

LOCATION: Hybrid in King of Prussia, PA

COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS: See below

About ABHMS

For nearly two hundred years, the American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) has answered God’s call to develop and equip Christian leaders to make a positive impact in people’s lives. We promote the Christian faith across the United States and Puerto Rico by cultivating Christ-centered leaders and disciples who heal and transform communities in partnership with American Baptists and others. ABHMS’ mission delivery framework includes faith-based philanthropy, continuous learning, networking and capacity building, and publishing.

Summary of the Role

The ABHMS Chief Development Officer (CDO) is a senior leadership position within the organization and the architect of its development future. The CDO designs, builds, and leads ABHMS’ fundraising strategy, donor relations, systems, and development initiatives to secure the financial support that advances organizational goals. The CDO will need to establish the strategy, infrastructure, team, and culture of generosity needed to carry ABHMS into its next chapter and toward a $5 million annual contributed-revenue goal.

The successful candidate will be a mission-driven leader who integrates fundraising with the core values of faith, generosity, gratitude, and stewardship. The CDO nurtures a culture wherein donors, donors, board members, staff, and other stakeholders participate in advancing the vision and mission of ABHMS by growing its financial resources. By blending strategic fundraising with deep stewardship principles, this role strengthens ABHMS’ ability to serve its mission, builds lasting relationships, and inspires ongoing generosity.

Key Responsibilities

Development Strategy

• In collaboration with the Executive Director, design and build a comprehensive development strategy aligned with ABHMS’ missional priorities - establishing the vision, systems, and infrastructure for a modern, sustainable development function.
• Develop and implement a fundraising and donor stewardship plan with measurable goals, key performance indicators, and clear accountability for results.
• Build and oversee annual giving, major donor, and planned/legacy giving programs, prioritizing planned and legacy giving within ABHMS’ mature and loyal donor base.
• Design and implement a successful capital campaign aligned with the development strategy.
• Lead donor segmentation and develop strategies to deepen relationships with existing supporters while reaching donor communities ABHMS has not historically engaged - including intercultural communities, next-generation givers, and justice-minded donors.
• Establish the data infrastructure, CRM strategy, and operational systems that enable disciplined cultivation, accurate reporting, and a healthy return on fundraising investment.

Work of the ABHMS Development Unit

• Assess and build the development team to match the organization’s goals - supervising, mentoring, and developing staff, and recommending the roles and capacity needed to reach the goal.
• Lead the development team in nurturing and maintaining relationships with donors, corporate sponsors, and foundations to ensure ongoing engagement and stewardship.
• Along with members of the development team, maintain a portfolio of donors to cultivate relationships and steward gifts through personalized engagement strategies that highlight the impact of contributions.
• Analyze and grow current program giving initiatives.
• Organize fundraising events and donor recognition activities to enhance visibility and engagement.
• Cultivate and grow giving from American Baptist churches, congregations, and denominational partners - ABHMS’ core constituency - alongside prospective individual major donors.
• In collaboration with communications and programmatic ABHMS staff, develop cases for support, by donor segment, to effectively communicate the impact of giving for ABHMS’ mission.
• Collaborate with marketing and communications staff to create promotional materials, case statements, digital campaigns, and public relations initiatives that support development strategy and goals.
• Track fundraising progress, analyze the effectiveness of campaigns, and report results to senior leadership and the Board of Directors.
• Manage the development budget in alignment with financial guidelines - ensuring transparency, accountability, and maximum use of resources across fundraising, public relations, and donor outreach.

Grants

• Provide oversight of and accountability for the final product of grant seeking and proposal writing - ensuring quality and alignment with missional priorities - while the research, writing, and submission are carried out by program and development staff.

Leadership

• Promote a culture of philanthropy, ethical fundraising and mission giving throughout ABHMS.
• Prepare and present development analysis and reports to Executive Director/CEO and Board.
• Educate and support the Board of Directors on how to engage in fundraising strategies.
• Provide confidential consultation to the Executive Director/CEO and senior leaders as needed.
• Participate in organizational planning, aligning development initiatives with the mission and long-term goals of the organization.
• Model collaboration and teamwork across departments to advance ABHMS’ strategic mission.
• As part of the Leadership Team, participate in the development of plans and programs by providing strategic development guidance and perspective on decisions affecting ABHMS.

Representation and Travel

• Represent the Executive Director/CEO as assigned.
• Represent ABHMS in various denominational and nonprofit arenas wherein ABHMS participation is required.
• Travel regular - approximately 30-40% of the time - across the United States and Puerto Rico for donor and church visits, denominational gatherings, and key events (e.g., Space for Grace), in addition to Board meetings.

Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required; advanced degree or CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) credential preferred.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressive development and fundraising experience, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership or management role, with a demonstrated track record of building development strategy, systems, and teams - not solely operating within an established program.
• Passion and commitment to ABHMS mission, vision, values, and missiological priorities; knowledge of American Baptist structure and polity a plus.
• Demonstrated success in major gift fundraising, with experience in planned/legacy giving and capital campaigns.
• Experience building or leading development across a national, multi-site, or geographically distributed footprint.
• Experience cultivating philanthropy across diverse and intercultural communities, with the cultural competence to build authentic relationships across the breadth of ABHMS’ constituency.
• Experience cultivating church, congregational, denominational, or other faith-based institutional giving.
• Skilled in network leadership, partnership building, and cross-sector collaboration.
• Strong project management and organizational leadership skills.
• Ability to navigate complexity with adaptability, resilience, and innovation.
• Passion for promoting and implementing a culture of generosity among staff, board, and constituents.
• A skilled storyteller with excellent communication skills across various media, with strong presentation and public speaking skills that inspire staff, board, and other key stakeholders and partners.
• Transparent, high-integrity leadership and a hands‑on style that motivates people.
• Solid, proven budget management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making, and reporting.
• Proficiency leading a major donor CRM, with the ability to own CRM strategy, data integrity, and team adoption; experience with Salesforce and/or DonorPerfect strongly preferred. Proficient use of Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook).

Benefits

• Paid vacation, paid sick days and holidays; professional development opportunities; retirement plan with employer contribution; comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance; and more.
• A generous relocation package is available.

ABHMS is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate and take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.