Chief Development Officer

Chief Development Officer | Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York

New York, NY – with responsibility for supporting the full Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York chapter footprint, including Metro New York, Long Island, Buffalo, Rochester, and surrounding communities.

Organization Overview

Make-A-Wish is the largest wish-granting charity in the world with 57 chapters throughout the United States and its territories, and 40 international affiliates on six continents. Make-A-Wish America, the national office, is located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Founded in 1983, Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York has granted the wishes of over 21,000 children with critical illnesses. The organization serves children in the five boroughs of New York City, on Long Island, and in 17 counties in the Buffalo and Rochester areas.

Over 600 volunteers make wishes possible for the children the chapter serves.

Right now, there are more than 1,000 children in the communities the chapter serves waiting for their wish to be granted. Every one of these kids needs a wish to give them strength and help them heal.

Wish kids are not necessarily terminal. In fact, the majority of children who receive a wish overcome their medical conditions or learn to live with them and go on to lead strong, vibrant lives.

A wish is not simply a wish. In the fight against a critical illness, a wish serves as a catalyst for renewed strength and encouragement for every child and family on their journey. In fact, wishes have proven physical and emotional benefits that can give children with critical illnesses a higher chance of survival. And wishes not only help these children – they also have far-reaching, positive impacts on their families and communities.

Position Summary & Context for Recruitment

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is responsible for leading all fundraising strategy and execution for Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York. This includes developing and implementing an integrated development plan that increases contributed revenue, diversifies funding streams, deepens donor engagement, strengthens Board fundraising participation, and expands the chapter’s base of major donors and individual supporters.

The CDO serves as a senior member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for shaping, leading, and executing a comprehensive revenue strategy that advances the chapter’s mission: Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. This leader will partner closely with the CEO, Board of Directors, senior staff, volunteers, donors, and community leaders to strengthen a culture of philanthropy, grow philanthropic support, strengthen donor relationships, and ensure the chapter has the resources needed to grant wishes at scale.

The CDO provides executive leadership to the chapter’s multi-channel fundraising program and oversees an overall team of approximately 19 team members responsible for major gifts, individual giving, corporate partnerships, foundation relations, planned giving, annual giving, donor stewardship, special events, community fundraising, research, development operations, and regional development activities. The role is responsible for building a high-performing, collaborative, accountable, and mission-driven development team across the chapter’s geographic footprint.

The role requires a leader who can balance long-term revenue growth with near-term fundraising performance, inspire staff and volunteers, steward transformational donor relationships, and embed a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is an experienced nonprofit fundraising executive with demonstrated success personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing significant gifts; leading staff teams; partnering with boards; and building systems that support sustainable revenue growth.

While Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will align with the following:

• Passion for the Make-A-Wish mission and a demonstrated commitment to ethical, donor-centered fundraising practices.
• 15+ years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience, especially in the Metro New York City area, including significant leadership experience in major gifts, individual giving, campaign fundraising, corporate partnerships, or comprehensive development programs.
• Demonstrated success personally cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding major gifts and multi-year commitments.
• Track record of success within the New York City philanthropic community – including individual donors, family offices, private foundations, and corporate philanthropy leadership – and the presence, confidence, and social fluency to build new relationships at the highest levels of this giving landscape. Comfort making direct, ambitious asks is essential.
• Experience managing and developing high-performing fundraising teams, including setting goals, coaching staff, creating accountability, and building collaborative team culture.
• Proven ability to partner effectively with a CEO, Board of Directors, senior leadership team, volunteers, donors, and external stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of moves management, donor pipelines, prospect research, portfolio management, stewardship, revenue forecasting, and development operations.
• Experience operating successfully within a federated, chapter, affiliate, or similarly complex structure, including navigating shared systems and collaborative revenue relationships with a parent organization.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to translate mission impact into compelling donor engagement.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution skills, sound judgment, high emotional intelligence, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and the ability to build authentic relationships across communities, cultures, and regions.
• Demonstrated judgment in aligning philanthropic partnerships with organizational values.
• Experience with CRM and donor database systems; ability to use data to guide strategy, assess performance, and improve fundraising outcomes.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree, CFRE certification, MBA, or equivalent professional experience preferred.
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout Metro New York and Western New York and to attend evening and weekend donor meetings, Board activities, and chapter events as needed.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commitment Statement

Make-A-Wish is committed to championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, fostering an organization that is accessible and welcoming to all. Our vision to serve every eligible child is not only an aspiration; it is a strategic intent. In order to reach every eligible child, we need to continually evaluate and evolve along with our demographic environment. It is only through our mosaic of different cultures, perspectives and experiences that we can grant life-changing wishes to every eligible child.