Chief Development Officer

The Tulsa Flyer is seeking a Chief Development Officer (CDO) to oversee fundraising, external communications, and partnerships for an independent, community-centered, nonprofit news startup.

The CDO will be a strategic leader at the Tulsa Flyer as the key architect behind the organization’s fundraising strategy and systems in support of a $4.5m annual expense budget. They will build and lead a high-performing fundraising team, establish robust systems to support best-in-class fundraising practices, manage external vendors (e.g. marketing/communications consultants), and cultivate meaningful relationships with major donors, foundations, and organizational partners. The CDO reports to the CEO, manages a full-time development manager, and works closely with an audience and membership director on individual donor campaigns.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced fundraiser, with a track record of raising significant funding from both major donors and institutional funders, an entrepreneurial mindset, and ability to work in a startup environment.

This is a unique opportunity to join an innovative, community-driven organization in its early stages and to play a critical role in building its base of support across Tulsa and establishing its long-term sustainability and ongoing community impact.

This role is based in our downtown Tulsa office and is expected to work in person on a regular basis.

About the organization:

The Tulsa Flyer is a startup nonprofit organization that has raised $14 million so far in service of a vision to give everyone in Tulsa the local news they need to live more informed and more connected lives. The newsroom produces high-quality journalism while engaging with residents to produce and distribute reporting, employing an innovative model for local journalism that is directly responsive to local information needs. In addition to a team of editors and beat reporters, the Tulsa newsroom has best-in-class community engagement expertise, multimedia production, dedicated capacity for service journalism and research, and a program that trains citizens as government watchdogs called the Tulsa Documenters.

At the Tulsa Flyer, we value learning, curiosity and diverse perspectives. We are dedicated to equitable hiring and follow best practices to create an inclusive hiring process.

Essential Functions:

• Reporting to the CEO, the CDO will collaborate with a senior leadership team and board of directors to lead all aspects of the Tulsa Flyer’s fundraising efforts. Beyond securing contributions, the CDO will build critical infrastructure that will help solidify Tulsa Flyer’s future as a vital, sustainable force for community impact in Tulsa. The CDO will have one direct report to start, in addition to support from external vendors, and will have the following responsibilities:
• Develop multi-year revenue targets and corresponding structured goals to fully fund the Tulsa Flyer’s ~$4.5M annual budget and to grow operational reserves.
• Partner with the CEO to conceive and implement a comprehensive development strategy and infrastructure for long-term organizational sustainability.
• Lead prospecting, relationship building, proposal processes, and stewardship for major donor and institutional grants, including and specifically focused on new funders and those who are outside of traditional journalism funding spaces.
• Create a comprehensive foundation and individual donor operations plan that maintains and fosters strong relationships through personalized outreach, events and activities.
• Lead the development of fundraising materials including donor correspondence, and maintain primary responsibility for developing campaign messages, project plans, talking points and donor materials.
• Manage relationships with external partners, including marketing and communications consultants.
• Establish strategic partnerships with community partners to advance revenue goals, elevate brand awareness, and deepen community relationships.
• Brief and prepare the CEO and other key staff to advance development goals and secure funding.
• Build and oversee a development team, and coordinate with the editorial team as necessary to communicate our impact to stakeholders.
• Build a culture of philanthropy that inspires all staff to support fundraising stewardship in keeping with editorial policies. Ensure the organization’s policies on gift acceptance and donor disclosure are met.
• Refine, oversee and maintain a meticulous donor relationship management database.
• Lead in planning and executing donor gatherings.
• Work with the CEO to enlist and support the Tulsa Flyer’s board of directors in philanthropic outreach.
• Monitor all revenue received and provide statistics, analysis and reports to leadership.
• Represent the Tulsa Flyer publicly at industry events as needed.

Consider applying if you have some of these skill sets:

• Mission-oriented: You are driven by your commitment to Tulsa, its communities, and its people. You believe in and champion the vital importance of a strong local news and information ecosystem as foundational to healthy, resilient communities.
• Fundraising expertise: You have demonstrated success leading fundraising efforts in a nonprofit setting, including prospecting, relationship building, proposal writing, and stewardship, with specific experience in major gifts and individuals.
• Major gifts & individual giving: You have specific experience working directly with major donors and individuals to secure donations and cultivate long-term relationships in support of a mission-driven organization.
• Strategic planning & leadership: You have a proven ability to create, refine, and implement multi-year development strategies, design organizational structures, and translate big-picture goals into actionable work plans.
• Team building & management: You are an experienced manager of high-performing teams, with a track record of hiring and staff development with an emphasis on equitable practices, delegation, goal setting, performance feedback, and coaching.
• Systems & data management: You have experience managing and refining CRM systems (e.g. ActiveCampaign, Salesforce, Bloomerang, etc.) for development, ensuring strong data collection, analysis, and maintenance practices.
• Coaching skills: A dedication to developing others, delegating skillfully, providing actionable feedback, and leading by example while embodying organizational values.
• Entrepreneurial mindset: You are ready to work in a startup environment, you are solutions-oriented, and you are energized by joining an organization that is building its infrastructure and impact from the ground up.
• We value a wide range of experiences and backgrounds. If our mission resonates with you and you believe you have the potential to thrive in this role, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t meet all of the listed qualifications.

Compensation and Benefits

Benefits: Full health benefits, including employee’s medical premium covered 100%; paid leave including the last week of the year for all staff, and 401K with a 4% match

Training: $2,000 annual stipend toward outside training and professional development opportunities

We’re committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and communities we serve. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. Tulsa Flyer is dedicated to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. We encourage people of all races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran status, sexual orientations, and marital statuses to apply.