Chief Development Officer

United Way of Greater Newark; Newark (NJ); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

20 PTO days and 8 sick days

Retirement benefits (5% match)

Hybrid schedule

Paid holidays

Job summary

United Way of Greater Newark in Newark, NJ seeks an accomplished Chief Development Officer to lead fundraising strategy and donor engagement. You will supervise a team of three, oversee corporate partnerships, major gifts, and individual giving, and partner with the CEO to drive sustainable growth across education, health, and financial stability initiatives.

You will craft compelling proposals, manage donor stewardship, and report on progress with monthly, quarterly, and annual dashboards,

Qualifications

• Experience leading major gifts and donor programs.
• Strong understanding of CRM systems and data-driven fundraising.
• Proven ability to lead teams and manage stakeholder relationships.
• Excellent storytelling and proposal development skills.
• Ability to plan and execute events and donor stewardship programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy focused on individuals, major gifts, and corporate partnerships.
• Lead donor lifecycle management, stewardship, and recognition programs.
• Collaborate with the CEO and Board on financial planning and growth.
• Oversee corporate partnerships, employee giving, and campaigns.
• Supervise a team of three and coordinate with marketing and events teams.
• Create donor materials, proposals, and reports for stakeholders.

Skills

Fundraising

Major Gifts

Donor Relations

CRM

Storytelling

Team Leadership

Corporate Partnerships

Event Planning

Communication

Job description

DRG is pleased to partner with United Way of Greater Newarkto conduct this search.

BACKGROUND

The Organization

Since 1923, United Way of Greater Newark’s (UWGN) mission has been to disrupt the cycle of poverty by convening, collaborating, and investing in strategies to improve outcomes for children and families in Essex and Hudson Counties. UWGN empowers residents in 14 municipalities (Essex and Hudson counties) to live healthier lives with access to quality education and opportunities for economic advancement through our three pillars of educational equity, health equity, and financial stability. Through its leadership and partnerships, UWGN serves as a conduit for government, funders, and corporations to make positive impact. The organization purposefully partners, gains support, and leverages its relationships to invest back into the community it serves.

UWGN envisions a future where every individual and family in our footprint can live with dignity, security, and opportunity, supported by a network of empowered leaders and organizations committed to building and sustaining thriving communities.

FY 2025 Impact

• $865,588 granted to partner organizations
• 310 community and corporate volunteers

The Position

UWGN is seeking a passionate, entrepreneurial individual to serve as the Chief Development Officer (CDO). The CDO will report to and partner with the President & CEO on fundraising efforts and lead a culture of philanthropy at the UWGN. The CDO will be responsible for creating, planning, and managing a comprehensive annual and multi-year development and fundraising strategy to deepen and sustain organizational growth.

The CDO will play a key role in supporting existing organizational relationships and cultivating new opportunities with a focus on individual donors, major gifts, and corporate partnerships. The CDO will manage, retain, and grow a portfolio of existing and new donors, overseeing stewardship and recognition and collaborating with organizational leadership on relationship management strategies. The CDO will also be instrumental in storytelling, conveying the mission of UWGN to a variety of stakeholders, and creating content for development initiatives (including proposals, donor collateral, campaigns, and reports).

Finally, the CDO will collaborate across the organization to organize and execute development initiatives. They will supervise a team of three, and oversee marketing and events, volunteer engagement, and database administration in addition to resource development.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Fundraising Strategy and Implementation

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy and program with a focus on increasing individual giving (family foundations, individuals, and major donors).
• In partnership with the CEO and Board of Directors, lead and manage key relationships and donor lifecycles, including stewardship and recognition.
• Work in collaboration with the CEO on annual and long-term strategic financial planning to ensure organizational growth and sustainability.
• Develop a robust Corporate Partners program that enhances current and future corporate relationships through employee giving, volunteerism, and corporate support of UWGN initiatives.
• Outline concrete fundraising metrics and benchmarks, track ongoing goals to accurately measure growth and determine areas of opportunity. Report on progress on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Work closely with the CEO and Database Administrator on transitioning the organization to a new CRM, ensuring that the system is adopted and used by all team members.
• Leverage and integrate development strategies using UWGN’s media and digital platforms, including the website, newsletters, and social media.
• Ensure alignment between fundraising best practices and the organization's mission and values.

Individual Giving and Major Gifts Strategy

• Research, identify and cultivate individual giving and major gift opportunities. Conduct outreach and participate in meetings, follow-up, and track next steps.
• Partner with the CEO and board to solicit major gifts and develop tailored proposals in alignment with donors’ interests and organizational priorities.
• Develop and implement annual and long-term strategic plans toward receiving both unrestricted and restricted funds from individuals and foundations.
• Manage the organization's donation management system and other aspects of donor stewardship and communication.
• Report monthly on metrics relating to individual donor acquisition, retention, and engagement.
• Maintain an annual fundraising planning calendar, including grant opportunities, reporting and required benchmarks.

Leadership and Team Management

• Represent UWGN at select public events and speaking engagements on a local, regional, and national level, as needed.
• Participate in board meetings, present strategic plans, provide detailed status updates and analysis, and robust donor reports.
• In partnership with the marketing team member, create and maintain a suite of fundraising materials to include, but not limited to, organization and program materials, case-making materials, promotional decks, and reports.
• In partnership with events team member, plan and execute development events to include cultivation events and annual fundraisers.
• In partnership with staff, create and implement strategies to engage affinity groups including Women’s United and Young Professionals United, with the goal of increasing membership, participation, and revenue.
• Lead and mentor a team of three, fostering a culture of accountability, results, collaboration, and communication.

Additional Qualifications

• Commitment to and excitement for UWGN’s mission.
• A desire to network and build meaningful and trust-based relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and constituents.
• Demonstrated leadership experience; a desire to foster and implement a culture of philanthropy for an organization.
• At least 10 years of development experience and a proven track record of raising at least $1-2M annually from a diverse stream of contributed revenues.
• Extensive experience with individual giving, major donors, and corporations. Track record of increasing existing donor bases and securing major gifts ranging from five to six figures.
• Excellent understanding of development principles, techniques, and strategy, including annual giving, major giving, event planning, and community/workplace campaigns.
• An excellent storyteller, with the ability to successfully and effectively tell the story of UWGN to an array of stakeholders.
• Strong fluency with CRM’s and best practices around data collection and maintenance. Experience in building a data-driven team culture.
• Ability to utilize, leverage, and evolve data to convey stories and impact to a variety of audiences.
• Experience with board management and working with development committees.
• Entrepreneurial self-starter that takes initiative, prioritizes, ideates, and implements multiple projects effectively in a collaborative and fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and oral communication skills and effective networking.

WHO WE ARE

UWGN currently operates with a hybrid schedule where team members come into the Newark, NJ office two days per week (Tuesday and Wednesday).

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Benefits:

• health insurance after 90 days of employment.
• 20 PTO days and 8 sick days.
• Federal holidays and ‘summer Fridays.’
• Closed the week of Christmas.
• Full-time employees are eligible for retirement benefits.
• 5% match by UWGN.