Growth-Focused Chief Development Officer

Thrive Scholars; Los Angeles (CA); Remote; USD 225,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid vacation and professional dev

Job summary

Thrive Scholars seeks a disciplined, entrepreneurial Chief Development Officer to lead its fundraising engine and power growth. Reporting to the CEO, the CDO will shape strategy, oversee a national program, and drive a diversified revenue stream through major gifts, foundations, and corporate partnerships.

With contributed revenue of roughly $18 million and a target of $25 million, the CDO will lead a 12-person team, develop scalable playbooks, and champion AI-enabled fundraising while engaging

Qualifications

• Measurable fundraising results with a track record of growth
• Proven leadership of multi-site or national teams
• Strong pipeline management and forecasting discipline
• Experience cultivating national foundations, corporations, and major donors
• Experience building corporate partnerships that combine philanthropy with engagement
• Ability to partner with CEO, Board, and senior leaders for fundraising strategy
• Willingness to travel up to 40% of time
• Proficiency with CRM tools, preferably Salesforce, to manage pipeline and report results
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Fluency with AI tools to sharpen fundraising strategy and efficiency
• Solid understanding of nonprofit budgets and revenue forecasting

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute annual and multi-year fundraising plans with the CEO
• Diversify revenue by securing new funders and revenue streams
• Personally cultivate and close major gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations
• Grow Thrive's corporate partnerships and donor base across regions
• Ensure fundraising activities meet legal and policy requirements and provide reporting to CEO/Board
• Lead and manage a ~12-person development team with clear goals and accountability
• Use Salesforce and data to forecast revenue and inform decisions

Skills

Fundraising results

Team leadership

Pipeline discipline

Major funders

Corporate partnerships

Board engagement

Travel readiness

CRM / Salesforce

Communication

AI fluency

Financial forecasting

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Thrive Scholars seeks a disciplined, entrepreneurial Chief Development Officer to lead its fundraising engine and power growth. Reporting to the CEO, the CDO will shape strategy, oversee a national program, and drive a diversified revenue stream through major gifts, foundations, and corporate partnerships.

With contributed revenue of roughly $18 million and a target of $25 million, the CDO will lead a 12-person team, develop scalable playbooks, and champion AI-enabled fundraising while engaging