Chief Development Officer

Queens County Bar Association; New York; On-site; USD 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading nonprofit organization seeks a Chief Development Officer (CDO) to spearhead fundraising initiatives and build relationships with major donors. This pivotal role involves collaborating with leadership to drive revenue growth and sustainable operations while engaging the community through compelling storytelling and education efforts. The ideal candidate will possess a strong fundraising background, strategic vision, and a commitment to the organization's mission of social change.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in fundraising and donor management.
• Strong understanding of nonprofit operations and revenue planning.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide thought partnership to Executive Directors and Board on philanthropic vision.
• Identify and cultivate major individual donors and foundations.
• Design and implement multi-pronged fundraising strategies.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor Engagement

Strategic Planning

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, business, or related field

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Life Stories is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media and education organization that believes in the transformative power of visual storytelling as a catalyst for learning, civic dialogue, and connection. Life Stories seeks an accomplished and innovative Chief Development Officer (CDO) to help diversify its funding streams and explore the potential for resource generating initiatives. The CDO will play a key role in shaping this next chapter, helping to grow a philanthropic community that shares a belief in the power of story to educate, build connection, and inspire, in an era where the world needs it most.

Dedicated to capturing and sharing the stories of people whose lives inspire meaningful change, Life Stories has an expansive archive of over 500 in-depth, eyewitness, open-source interviews, a growing catalog of acclaimed films and docuseries, and curated educational resources that address issues of social justice, history, politics, the arts, and culture. This content explores what guides the moral leadership of individuals behind social movements, illuminates overlooked histories, reveals the inner workings of cultural institutions, and captures the changes that have unfolded in our nation during times of struggle.

Founded and led by the Kunhardt family—award-winning producers of documentaries that have introduced generations of audiences to artists and cultural, political, and civil rights leaders, Life Stories brings a deep commitment to integrity, historical truth, artistry, and public purpose. Personal accounts from John Lewis, John McCain, Gloria Steinem, Warren Buffett, Joan Baez, Bryan Stevenson, Dolores Huerta, David Brooks, and George Takei, as well as historical portrayals of former U.S. presidents and hundreds more inspire audiences with the different paths they’ve taken to lead meaningful lives. By experiencing these stories and engaging in conversation about them, Life Stories’ audiences find the passion and purpose in their own lives and deepen their understanding of humanity—particularly in times of collective change.

In this age of rapidly evolving technology and fractured media landscapes, the need for reliable information that preserves and expands understanding of ourselves and the world is vital. Life Stories serves as a hub for trustworthy historical information and accessible learning experiences used by educators, historians, archivists, and students across the country to explore themes of democracy, justice, civil rights, and social change. Through curated teaching resources, partnerships with schools, libraries, nonprofits, and community organizations, Life Stories is fostering critical thinking, historical inquiry, and civic dialogue both in and beyond the classroom. Life Stories’ educational programming reaches 25,000 students annually, and their films and interviews have been viewed more than 20-million times on their website and YouTube channel. To reach a larger audience they have formed thoughtful partnerships with groups like 826 Digital who reach young writers, and are working with Edovo, a platform that will distribute their content to close to one million, currently incarcerated men and women to help inspire reflection, upskilling, and personal growth.

Life Stories is at an exciting inflection point. Having fully transitioned from a hybrid production model to full nonprofit operations in 2024, the organization is building toward long-term sustainability while remaining agile, mission-driven, and creatively ambitious. Major support from a few well-known philanthropists to establish a reserve fund has helped create and deliver award winning work. As a recipient of a Bloomberg Digital Accelerator grant, Life Stories is building an intuitive, tech-forward platform with features like AI-powered search and metadata tagging that will make content more discoverable and contextualize interviews within broader historical narratives. Users will be able to search, engage, and interact with the archive in meaningful and customizable ways. The new platform will make it possible for Life Stories to scale beyond its foundational model, driving exponential audience engagement and equipping more arts, civic, and educational institutions with powerful storytelling and learning tools.

Provide thought partnership to Executive Directors and Board on philanthropic vision and revenue planning, with an eye toward long-term sustainability.

Identify, cultivate, and successfully solicit, and steward a portfolio of principal and major individual donors, foundations, and institutional partners capable of making gifts in the six- and seven-figure range.

Design and implement a multi-pronged fundraising approach to support Life Stories’ general operations, visual storytelling, educational initiatives, and strategic priorities with planning and execution support from the Development Associate.

Develop compelling cases for support and oversee the creation of donor-facing materials, including proposals, reports, and communications that reflect Life Stories’ mission and impact in close collaboration with the Development Associate.

Collaborate closely with Executive Directors and the Life Stories team to align fundraising efforts with production and programmatic timelines, release and communications strategies, impact reporting and long-term organizational goals.

Oversee and partner with the Development Associate on development efforts including conducting donor and prospect research, maintaining CRM systems, and tracking cultivation and stewardship activities to ensure timely follow-up and personalized engagement.

Coach and collaborate with existing staff members, to strengthen internal capacity and create consistency in donor outreach, stewardship, and engagement.

Develop donor engagement strategies that are appropriate to Life Stories’ work, such as convenings that invite dialogue about content and/or the creative process. This may include salon-like gatherings, public screenings, and select behind-the-scenes conversations.

Serve as a public ambassador and spokesperson for Life Stories, representing the organization in philanthropic circles, at convenings, and with key stakeholders.