Chief Development Officer

Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York is seeking a Chief Development Officer to lead fundraising strategy and execution across the chapter.

As a member of the executive leadership team, you will build an integrated plan to grow contributed revenue, diversify funding, and expand the donor base.

You will guide a 19-person development staff and work closely with the CEO, board, volunteers, and community leaders to advance the mission with donor-centered practices.

Qualifications

• Extensive nonprofit fundraising leadership with proven success in securing major gifts.
• Experience building donor-centered fundraising programs and ethical practices.
• Ability to lead and develop a multi-disciplinary team across regions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an integrated development plan to increase contributed revenue.
• Diversify funding streams and expand major gifts and donor base.
• Oversee a 19-person team across gifts, events, partnerships, and operations.
• Collaborate with CEO, board, volunteers to advance the mission.

Job description

The client is seeking a Chief Development Officer to lead fundraising strategy and execution for its Metro New York and Western New York chapter. The role is part of the executive leadership team and will shape, lead, and execute a comprehensive revenue strategy that strengthens a culture of philanthropy, grows philanthropic support, deepens donor engagement, and ensures the chapter has the resources to grant wishes at scale. The CDO will partner closely with the CEO, Board of Directors, senior staff, volunteers, donors, and community leaders to advance the chapter’s mission.

Key responsibilities include developing and implementing an integrated development plan to increase contributed revenue, diversify funding streams, expand the chapter’s base of major donors and individual supporters, and strengthen board fundraising participation. The CDO will provide executive leadership to a multi-channel fundraising program and oversee an overall team of approximately 19 team members covering major gifts, individual giving, corporate partnerships, foundation relations, planned giving, annual giving, donor stewardship, special events, community fundraising, research, development operations, and regional development activities. The role will focus on building a high-performing, collaborative, accountable, mission-driven development team across the chapter’s geographic footprint.

The ideal candidate is an experienced nonprofit fundraising executive with demonstrated success personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing significant gifts; leading staff teams; partnering with boards; and building systems that support sustainable revenue growth. The role typically requires a passion for the mission and a demonstrated commitment to ethical, donor-centered fundraising practices, along with progressive nonprofit fundraising experience. The CDO will be expected to balance long-term revenue growth with near-term fundraising performance, inspire staff and volunteers, steward transformational donor relationships, and embed a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.