Chief Development Officer

Job Description

Job Description

Chief Development Officer

 

St. Luke’s Community House is seeking an energetic, dynamic, and results-driven Chief Development Officer (CDO) to join our senior leadership team. The Chief Development Officer will be instrumental in driving revenue growth, strengthening donor relationships, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of St. Luke’s mission. The ideal candidate is a self-motivated professional with proven expertise in cultivating relationships, a deep passion for our cause, and a well-established network within the Nashville community.

Position Summary

 

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) leads and manages St. Luke’s fund development, communications, and marketing program. The CDO is responsible for developing and executing strategies to meet St. Luke’s fundraising goals, including annual giving, major gifts, corporate support, special events, and grants. The CDO will also manage the organization’s marketing strategies to drive increased engagement with donors, volunteers and partners, and market the organization’s programming to clients.

 

Relationships and Contacts

 

Within the organization: Initiates and maintains frequent and close working relationships with members of the board of directors, senior management team, program directors, and other St. Luke’s team members.

Outside the organization : Initiates and maintains frequent and close working relationships with community partners and other nonprofit organizations, as well as all other St. Luke’s supporters and constituents.

 

Position Responsibilities

Development

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy that includes individual giving, major gifts, grants, corporate partnerships, and special events.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with current and potential donors, ensuring consistent communication and engagement with St. Luke’s mission.
• Research and identify new funding opportunities to support St. Luke’s programs.
• Collaborate with program teams to align fundraising initiatives with organizational priorities.
• Plan and execute successful fundraising events and campaigns.
• Prepare compelling grant proposals, reports, and presentations for prospective funders. Manage relationships with foundations, corporations, government agencies, and United Way, alongside the CEO.
• Provide leadership in growing the donor base, increasing retention rates, and upgrading donor contributions.
• Stay current on fundraising trends and best practices, adapting strategies as needed to meet organizational goals.
• In coordination with the CEO, leverage Board and other key volunteers to expand the donor base of the organization.
• Work closely with program teams to provide opportunities for donors to see the mission in action and create more donor-volunteers.
• Supervise two (2) full-time development staff, including Development & Marketing Manager and Development & Board Coordinator.

 

Communications and Marketing

• Working alongside the Development & Marketing Manager, create and execute comprehensive marketing plans to promote St. Luke’s mission, programs, and events.
• Oversee all digital marketing efforts, including website management, social media channels, and email campaigns.
• Ensure the Development team is collaborating with program teams to highlight success stories, program updates, and impact reports for external audiences.
• Build and maintain relationships with community partners, corporate sponsors, and other organizations to enhance visibility and collaboration.
• Identify opportunities for partnerships that align with marketing and communications strategies.
• Safeguard St. Luke’s brand, ensuring that all materials are aligned with the nonprofit’s mission, values, and voice.
• Represent St. Luke’s as needed at community events, special events, churches, corporate fairs, and other donor-facing opportunities.

Administrative

• Accountable for team keeping information about assigned donors up to date within the Raiser’s Edge database, consistent moves management in RE NXT and creating an active pipeline of asks in the system.
• Ensure department adheres to guidelines for data integrity, gift processing, acknowledgments, and recognition.
• Conduct monthly reconciliation reports with the Chief Financial Officer.
• Update development dashboard metrics bi-monthly for Board of Directors meetings and executive leadership.
• Generate accurate donor reports and mailing lists from Raiser’s Edge NXT database system.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

 

General Responsibilities

 

• As a member of the senior management team, implement on a shared responsibility for the vision, mission, and culture of the organization, and be involved in strategic planning, evaluation, and professional development initiatives, as well as support fellow members of senior leadership in their perspective areas.
• Upholds the confidentiality and professionalism expected of all staff and lives the values of the organization: Community, Dignity, Respect, Integrity, Sustainability.
• Adheres to the policies and procedures of St. Luke’s Community House.
• Represents St. Luke’s in a consistent, persuasive, and professional manner.

 

Minimum Requirements

 

Education and Experience

 

• A minimum of a bachelor's degree.
• 8 - 10 years of successful donor-facing fundraising, communications, marketing, and event management.
• History of success managing multiple projects in a professional setting with little supervision of the day-to-day.
• History of managing a high-performing team.
• Experience in managing a development team preferred.

Skills Required:

• Demonstrated success in identifying, soliciting, and securing donations from individuals, corporations, and/or foundations in Nashville.
• Nonprofit fundraising and marketing experience with a track record of success.
• Proficient business writing and intermediate knowledge of fundraising protocols.
• Raiser’s Edge user with moderate to advanced skills, or similar fundraising database skills.

 

Other Desired Qualifications:

• Outgoing, enterprising, persuasive, and engaging.

• Show executive presence, strategic thinking, and good judgment.
• Embody professionalism, responsibility, maturity, confidentiality, and accountability.
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and function as a positive team member.
• Demonstrate creative problem solving and a can-do approach.
• Relate well to varied clientele, donors, staff, and volunteers.

• Easily adaptable to changing demands/deadlines/priorities.

 

Physical Requirements

 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to communicate with peers/public, clients, and/or vendors.
• Job performance will require the ability to move throughout the building as well as sit or remain stationary for extended periods of time.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to talk or hear, sit, stand, walk, reach, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, taste, or smell.
• Ability to move 25 pounds.

Other Requirements

 

Position requires the incumbent to have a valid driver’s license, vehicle insurance and a clear driving record for the last three years. In addition, the candidate must be able to pass a drug test and have a clear background check.

 

Benefits

 

We offer very competitive benefits, including paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, as well as a 401(k)-retirement plan. Employees are eligible for discounted onsite childcare.

St. Luke’s Community House is an equal opportunity employer.