Chief Development Officer

Career Opportunity

Chief Development Officer

Department: Development
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
Employment Status: Full-time, Exempt
Location: Hybrid, Washington, DC

WACIF is entering an important period of growth and opportunity. With an ambitious strategic plan, expanding regional partnerships, a growing portfolio of programs and investments, and the continued development of the Anacostia Arts Center, we are seeking a Chief Development Officer to build the relationships and resources needed for what comes next.

Reporting to the CEO and serving on the Executive Team, the Chief Development Officer (CDO) will lead WACIF’s development and fundraising strategy. The CDO will expand and diversify WACIF’s funding base, deepen relationships with philanthropic and corporate partners, cultivate new sources of support, and ensure WACIF has the resources needed to pursue its strategic priorities.

This is a highly external role for a strategic and entrepreneurial leader who enjoys building relationships, opening doors, and creating opportunities. The CDO will work closely with the CEO, the Board of Directors, the Executive Team, and development staff to strengthen WACIF’s position as a leading community development financial institution and economic development partner in the region.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Development Strategy

• Develop and lead a multi-year development strategy with clear revenue goals, priorities, and success metrics.
• Expand and diversify WACIF’s funding base across foundations, financial institutions, corporations, government, individual donors, and other strategic partners.
• Identify emerging funding opportunities and new revenue sources that align with WACIF’s strategy and long-term direction.
• Partner with the CEO, CFO, and Executive Team to anticipate WACIF’s current and future resource needs and translate them into fundraising and capitalization priorities.
• Provide executive-level leadership on funding gaps, revenue concentration, emerging opportunities, and other issues that could affect WACIF’s ability to execute its strategy.
• Maintain a strong understanding of trends in philanthropy, community development, financial services, and economic development, and determine how WACIF should respond to emerging opportunities.

External Relationships and Fundraising

• Build and maintain senior-level relationships across philanthropy, banking and financial services, corporations, government, and the broader community and economic development ecosystem.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward WACIF’s highest-priority funders, donors, and prospective partners.
• Develop executive-level engagement strategies for WACIF’s most important current and prospective funders and partners.
• Identify opportunities to deepen existing relationships into larger, longer-term, or broader partnerships.
• Represent WACIF at external meetings, conferences, convenings, and other opportunities that strengthen the organization’s relationships, influence, and funding opportunities.
• Develop partnerships that bring funding, expertise, connections, and other resources to WACIF and to the entrepreneurs and communities we serve.

Fundraising Strategy & Performance

• Set strategy, priorities, and performance expectations for a robust pipeline of near and long-term funding opportunities.
• Establish fundraising targets and regularly assess performance against WACIF’s revenue goals.
• Make strategic decisions on major funding opportunities based on mission alignment, financial value, organizational capacity, and long-term potential.
• Set engagement strategies for WACIF’s highest-priority prospects and relationships, in coordination with development staff and members of the Executive Team to ensure disciplined execution across the broader pipeline.
• Guide positioning and strategy for major proposals, pitches, campaigns, and funding requests.
• Maintain executive-level visibility into revenue forecasts, pipeline health, funding risks, and significant opportunities.
• Hold the development function accountable for strong prospect management, stewardship, reporting, forecasting, and CRM discipline.

CEO & Board Partnership

• Advise the CEO on fundraising strategy, major prospects, strategic partnerships, and external relationship development.
• Determine where CEO involvement can have the greatest impact and position the CEO for high-value conversations with current and prospective funders and partners.
• Lead the Board’s fundraising efforts and help Board members leverage their networks, relationships, and influence to advance WACIF’s priorities.
• Identify specific opportunities for Board members to open doors, cultivate prospects, and participate in solicitation efforts.
• Provide the Board with clear visibility into fundraising performance, key opportunities, emerging risks, and areas where Board engagement can make a difference.

Executive & Team Leadership

• Actively participate in organizational strategy, financial planning, and major decisions that affect WACIF’s future.
• Lead and develop development staff by establishing clear expectations, accountability, and decision-making authority.
• Ensure the development team has the talent, resources, systems, and organizational support necessary to achieve its goals.
• Create a development culture centered on relationships, collaboration, accountability, creativity, and results.
• Partner across WACIF to ensure that development priorities reflect organizational strategy and that WACIF’s impact and ambitions are translated into compelling opportunities for investment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, development, philanthropy, institutional advancement, or a related field, with significant leadership responsibility.
• A demonstrated record of securing significant philanthropic and institutional support and growing organizational revenue.
• Experience developing and leading multi-year fundraising strategies
• Strong experience working with foundations, corporations, financial institutions, government funders, major donors, and other institutional partners.
• Demonstrated success in developing new funding relationships and expanding existing partnerships.
• Experience cultivating and engaging senior-level decision-makers and turning relationships into meaningful investments and partnerships.
• Experience leading major fundraising initiatives or capital campaigns.
• Strong financial and business judgment and the ability to align development strategy with organizational priorities and long-term resource needs.
• Experience working effectively with a CEO, executive leadership team, and the Board of Directors.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop senior talent and build high-performing teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and make a compelling case for investment.
• An entrepreneurial mindset, curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to recognize opportunities and advance them.
• A commitment to WACIF’s mission and an understanding of the roles that capital, entrepreneurship, and strong communities play in creating economic opportunity.

About the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF)

The Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF) advances equity and opportunity in the Washington, D.C. area’s underserved communities by providing financial capital, business advisory services, and strategic networking support to underinvested entrepreneurs. Since its inception in 1987, WACIF has deployed more than $50 million in capital, served more than 3,500 entrepreneurs with business advisory services, and helped create or retain more than 20,000 local jobs. To learn more about WACIF’s work, visit .

COMPENSATION

Competitive salary commensurate with experience. Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA, FSA, DCA, Life & Disability coverages available. 401(k) retirement plan (employer matching contribution eligible); paid time off (increased with tenure), paid holidays and sick leave days, transportation benefits, and education assistance benefits (professional development, tuition reimbursement, and student loan repayment).

Salary Range: $130,000 – $185,000

WACIF is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds.

WACIF provides a flexible and hybrid working environment with the opportunity to work remotely.