Chief Fundraising & Strategy Officer

The Gathering Place; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Gathering Place in Cleveland seeks a Chief Development Officer to lead all fundraising efforts, overseeing major gifts, annual giving, corporate/foundation relations, grants, events, planned giving, and donor stewardship. You will partner with the CEO and Board to advance mission and sustainability.

The ideal leader is strategic, relationship-focused, and committed to compassionate fundraising for families impacted by cancer. Strong leadership, collaboration, and communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Significant experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, advancement, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors.
• Experience developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to build authentic relationships with donors, Board members, volunteers, community leaders, staff, and organizational partners.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Experience with donor databases/CRM systems and fundraising reporting.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion, integrity, and sound judgment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with organizational priorities and financial goals.
• Establish fundraising goals, strategies, metrics, and reporting systems to monitor progress and identify growth opportunities.
• Partner with the CEO and senior leadership on revenue planning and philanthropic priorities.
• Identify opportunities to diversify and strengthen contributed revenue.
• Develop and manage the annual development budget and fundraising projections.
• Build and manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors through identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Develop meaningful, long-term relationships with donors and prospects supporting those impacted by cancer.
• Create personalized cultivation and stewardship strategies for key donors and prospects.
• Oversee annual fundraising campaigns, donor appeals, renewals, and stewardship initiatives.
• Develop strategies for acquiring new donors and deepening relationships with existing supporters.
• Ensure donors receive timely acknowledgment and communications demonstrating impact.
• Collaborate with communications and program staff to translate impact into donor communications and stories.
• Build relationships with corporations, foundations, and community partners; identify funding and sponsorship opportunities.
• Oversee grant strategy, proposals, reporting, and stewardship in collaboration with staff.
• Develop sponsorship opportunities connecting corporate partners with the organization’s mission.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Donor relations

Strategic leadership

Communication skills

Relationship building

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

The Gathering Place in Cleveland seeks a Chief Development Officer to lead all fundraising efforts, overseeing major gifts, annual giving, corporate/foundation relations, grants, events, planned giving, and donor stewardship. You will partner with the CEO and Board to advance mission and sustainability.

The ideal leader is strategic, relationship-focused, and committed to compassionate fundraising for families impacted by cancer. Strong leadership, collaboration, and communication are essential.