Chief Advancement Officer

Now Hiring: Chief Advancement Officer

Lead Philanthropy. Elevate Impact. Help Advance the Search for a Biological Cure for Diabetes.

The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) is seeking an accomplished and visionary Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) to lead the organizations advancement strategy and help accelerate its mission to discover a biological cure for diabetes.

DRIF is one of the worlds leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to funding and advancing groundbreaking diabetes research. Through strategic philanthropy, donor engagement, scientific collaboration, and public awareness, the Foundation supports the work of the Diabetes Research Institute while inspiring hope for millions of individuals and families affected by diabetes.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Chief Advancement Officer will lead an integrated advancement enterprise spanning fundraising, marketing, communications, and donor engagement .

This is a high-impact executive opportunity for a relationship-driven fundraising leader who can combine strategic vision with hands-on donor engagement, build high-performing teams and systems, and translate a compelling scientific mission into sustainable philanthropic growth.

What Youll Do

Executive Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and contribute to organizational strategy and long-term planning.
• Partner closely with the CEO, Board of Directors, and executive leadership to establish advancement priorities and growth strategies.
• Develop an integrated, multi-year advancement strategy that aligns fundraising, marketing, communications, and constituent engagement.
• Establish key performance indicators and metrics to evaluate fundraising, marketing, and advancement performance.
• Foster strong collaboration across departments to ensure advancement efforts support broader organizational goals .

Fundraising Leadership

Lead a comprehensive fundraising program across multiple revenue streams, including:

• Major and principal gifts
• Annual giving
• Planned giving
• Corporate partnerships
• Foundation relations
• Capital and comprehensive campaigns
• Signature events
• Donor stewardship

You will:

• Develop and execute a diversified, multi-year fundraising strategy designed to increase philanthropic revenue and long-term sustainability.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward high-capacity donors and strategic partners.
• Partner with the CEO and Board members on major donor cultivation, solicitation, and relationship management.
• Build and manage a strong, balanced donor pipeline.
• Establish fundraising forecasts, revenue goals, and performance measures.
• Monitor fundraising performance and identify opportunities for continued growth.

Marketing & Communications

Lead DRIFs marketing, branding, communications, and public visibility efforts in close partnership with fundraising leadership.

• Develop an integrated communications strategy that strengthens mission awareness and supports philanthropic objectives.
• Ensure consistent and compelling messaging across digital, social media, print, public relations, and external communications.
• Oversee brand positioning and thought leadership initiatives.
• Partner with executive leadership on public speaking, media engagement, and executive visibility opportunities.
• Use powerful, donor-centered storytelling to communicate scientific progress and demonstrate the impact of philanthropic investment.
• Strengthen DRIFs national visibility and position the Foundation as a leading voice in the pursuit of a biological cure for diabetes.

Advancement Operations & Infrastructure

Build the systems and infrastructure necessary to support sustainable advancement growth.

• Develop scalable processes for pipeline management, donor stewardship, campaign execution, reporting, and revenue forecasting.
• Evaluate and optimize advancement technology and donor management systems.
• Use fundraising analytics, prospect research, pipeline reporting, and market intelligence to inform strategy and revenue decisions.
• Develop advancement budgets and monitor financial performance.
• Establish policies and processes that promote operational excellence and accountability.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Advancement team.
• Provide strategic leadership across fundraising, events, marketing, communications, and donor engagement.
• Assess future staffing needs and recommend organizational structures that support continued growth.
• Build a collaborative, mission-driven, and performance-oriented culture.

Board & Volunteer Engagement

• Partner with the Board of Directors to advance fundraising priorities and organizational growth.
• Engage Board members in donor cultivation and philanthropic strategy.
• Support Board development and Advancement Committee activities.
• Prepare clear, compelling reports and presentations communicating fundraising progress, donor engagement, and organizational impact.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role will be measured by your ability to:

• Grow major and principal gift revenue.
• Strengthen and effectively manage DRIFs donor pipeline.
• Increase Board engagement in fundraising.
• Expand national awareness and visibility of DRIFs mission.
• Build scalable advancement systems that support sustainable revenue growth.
• Develop a high-performing, collaborative Advancement team.
• Strengthen the connection between scientific progress, donor engagement, and philanthropic impact.

What Were Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree required.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in nonprofit advancement, philanthropy, development, or a related field.
• Proven success leading comprehensive fundraising programs across multiple revenue streams.
• Demonstrated experience securing and closing transformational and principal gifts .
• Experience overseeing integrated marketing and communications functions.
• Proven ability to build fundraising infrastructure, systems, and high-performing teams .
• Experience working effectively with executive leadership, governing boards, and volunteer leaders.
• Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong strategic planning, organizational leadership, and financial management capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree or CFRE certification preferred.
• Experience in healthcare, academic medicine, biomedical research, or disease-focused nonprofit organizations.
• Knowledge of diabetes research, healthcare philanthropy, or scientific advancement organizations.
• Experience leading comprehensive or capital campaigns.
• Experience with Blackbaud Raisers Edge NXT or similar donor management platforms .
• Experience leading national fundraising and brand awareness initiatives.

The Ideal Candidate

You are a visionary strategist, accomplished fundraiser, and collaborative executive who thrives at the intersection of mission, relationships, and growth.

You bring:

• A strategic mindset and the ability to turn long-term vision into measurable advancement results.
• A strong track record of cultivating and securing transformational philanthropic support.
• A relationship-first approach to working with donors, Board members, executives, and partners.
• The ability to connect compelling storytelling and communications with fundraising strategy.
• A builders mentality and enthusiasm for developing systems, infrastructure, and high-performing teams.
• A deep commitment to mission-driven work and the ability to inspire others around DRIFs pursuit of a biological cure for diabetes.

Why Join DRIF?

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact at the executive level of an organization working to advance one of the most important goals in diabetes research: a biological cure.

As Chief Advancement Officer, your leadership will directly influence DRIFs ability to engage donors, grow philanthropic support, elevate its national presence, and help fund the scientific progress that can transform the lives of people living with diabetes.

Competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.

This role may require additional hours during peak periods, as well as travel for meetings, conferences, site visits, and other organizational activities. The position also requires the ability to reliably commute to offices and work-related meetings and perform the physical requirements associated with the role.