WEPOWER - Chief Development Officer

WEPOWER; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

WEPOWER is seeking an experienced development leader to spearhead fundraising initiatives, focusing on institutional grants and major gifts to support a $3M+ annual budget.

You will forecast progress, cultivate donors, and manage reporting in EveryAction. Collaborate across teams to craft persuasive materials, engage the board’s Development Committee, and build a high-performing development team capable of meeting ambitious fundraising goals.

Qualifications

• Nonprofit fundraising experience with grants and major gifts.
• Demonstrated success securing funds for annual budgets of $3M+.
• Proven ability to develop donor pipelines and major gift strategies.
• Strong data-driven approach to setting and tracking goals.

Responsibilities

• Build and optimize fundraising plans focusing on institutional grants and major gifts.
• Forecast progress toward fundraising goals and adjust strategies as needed.
• Cultivate and steward donor relationships to grow and retain the base.
• Use donor research tools to identify and close prospects.
• Track donor activity and reporting in EveryAction for ongoing engagement.
• Collaborate with staff to create compelling fundraising materials.
• Support Board's Development Committee to expand opportunities.
• Lead partnerships with partners and teammates in funder meetings.
• Oversee relationship management systems and grant reporting against the budget.
• Develop a high-performing development team with quality grant submissions.

Skills

Fundraising

Grant writing

Donor cultivation

Donor research

Budget forecasting

Board relations

Tools

EveryAction

Job description

• Build and optimize comprehensive fundraising plans, especially with a focus on institutional grants and major gifts, in partnership with the Chief Executive Officer
• Track and analyze development data to set and assess progress towards ambitious yet achievable goals and benchmarks that align with annual budget projections
• Consistently forecast progress toward fundraising goals and pivot when necessary to achieve annual goals
• Cultivate, develop, and steward strong, trusting partnerships with donors to increase and retain the donor base.
• Use donor research tools to identify, pitch, and close prospective donors
• Ensure consistent cultivation, follow-up, and reports for ongoing donor engagement by efficiently tracking and monitoring donor activity in EveryAction
• Work closely with staff to create compelling, effective, and reusable fundraising materials that clearly explain WEPOWER's impact and vision
• Work with the CEO to manage the Board's Development Committee effectively to increase fundraising opportunities
• Leverage the expertise of partners and teammates effectively in funder meetings by coaching them on how to represent their work effectively
• Own the project management and systems for relationship management and funder reporting, ensuring grant requirements are met and tracked against the budget
• Build a high-performing development team, ensuring quality submission of grants and grant reports

The ideal candidate will have:

• A background in fundraising for nonprofits with demonstrated success cultivating and securing grants and/or major gifts for annual budgets of $3M or more
• A track record of securing major gifts from high net-worth donors
• Strong examples of setting, adjusting, and achieving fundraising growth goals
• Experience communicating and amplifying compelling stories that drive people to commit to the mission and vision of the organization
• Excellent relationship-building skills with a deep understanding and comfort with cultivating authentic relationships with funders or donors
• A clear approach for donor research to identify new opportunities and tailor pitches accordingly
• An analytical mindset with a track record of using data to identify what is working and what isn't working
• Deep commitment to racial equity, with self-awareness around privilege, bias, and oppression
• Experience developing donor management systems with a CRM, ensuring compliance with external and internal requirements with high attention to detail (WEPOWER uses EveryAction)
• Experience working with a board of directors to drive fundraising outcomes