Chief Development Officer

Who We Are:

The Atlanta Community Food Bank is working to end hunger in our community with the food, people and big ideas needed so that no one worries where their next meal is coming from. Since 1979, we've been providing food for a growing network of nonprofit partners - including food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters and senior centers. We currently serve more than 700 partners in 29 counties across metro Atlanta and north Georgia.

Where You'll Work:

Development / Executive Department

About the Role:

The Atlanta Community Food Bank is at a pivotal and exciting moment in its journey. Over the past several years, we have significantly expanded our fundraising capacity, generating nearly double the resources compared to pre-pandemic levels. We have also successfully completed two major capital campaigns in the last seven years, securing more than $70 million in capital investment to strengthen our mission and operations. Building on this momentum, we have adopted an ambitious three-year growth strategy to expand our impact even further.

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will play a central role in advancing this vision. As a key member of the senior leadership team, the CDO provides strategic direction for all fundraising, donor relations, marketing, and volunteer engagement activities that fuel the organization's mission to address food insecurity and hunger relief. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and working in partnership with the Board of Directors, the CDO develops and executes comprehensive multi-year and annual fundraising plans across major gifts, annual giving, institutional giving, planned giving, capital campaigns, government grants, events, and donor stewardship.

This leader also guides the organization's marketing and communications strategy to elevate brand awareness, engage stakeholders, and strengthen community impact, while overseeing volunteer services to ensure meaningful, mission-aligned experiences that deepen community engagement. The CDO manages and inspires the resource development, marketing, and volunteer services teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and results. By integrating fundraising, marketing, and volunteer engagement, the CDO ensures alignment with organizational priorities and positions ACFB for long-term growth, innovation, and sustainability.

What You'll Do:

Strategic and Annual Planning:

• Aligns fundraising and marketing strategies with organizational priorities, resulting in sustainable revenue growth and stronger community impact.

• Drives diversification of funding streams-including major gifts, planned giving, institutional partnerships, and campaigns-to reduce risk and increase long-term stability.

• Elevates ACFB's visibility and reputation through integrated marketing, enhancing donor engagement and community partnerships.

• Strengthens donor retention and lifetime value through compelling stewardship plans and cases for support.

• Oversees volunteer services, creating meaningful, mission-aligned experiences that engage the community and amplify organizational impact.

Risk and Financial Management:

• Ensures financial sustainability by meeting or exceeding annual revenue targets and managing the development and marketing budgets effectively.

• Improves fundraising efficiency and ROI through data-driven evaluation of performance metrics and trends.

• Anticipates and mitigates financial risks, maintaining steady revenue streams despite changing economic or philanthropic landscapes.

Oversee the Advisory Board and the Development Committee of the Advisory Board:

• Expands ACFB's network of champions by equipping Advisory Board and Committee members to actively cultivate donors and open new funding opportunities.

• Builds community trust and philanthropic engagement by representing ACFB with key stakeholders, funders, and partners.

• Strengthens governance and leadership alignment by providing clear reporting, insights, and guidance to the Board on fundraising progress and opportunities.

Leads a Successful Team:

• Forms teams with appropriate and diverse mix of skills, perspective, and experiences.

• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the development team, setting clear expectations and goals for performance and professional development.

• Drives clarity by setting goals, providing feedback, and supporting team member success.

• Serves as mentor; develops employees' skills, provides opportunity for growth.

• Recognizes employee successes.

• Supports employee career development; supports team members in acquiring and growing skills and shares expertise.

Key Competencies we look for in All our Food Bankers are:

• Customer Focus

• Decision Making

• Accountability

• The Ability to Navigate Change

What You'll Need: Skills and Experience your resume should demonstrate:

• Proven ability to lead and inspire a team, set strategic direction, and drive results in fundraising and development.

• Extensive knowledge in fundraising, including major gifts, capital campaigns, grants, donor relations, and fundraising events.

• Strong relationship-building skills with donors, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and board members to cultivate long-term partnerships and support.

• History in developing and implementing strategic fundraising plans aligned with organizational goals and priorities.

• Experience in financial analysis, budgeting, and financial oversight to ensure responsible resource allocation and financial sustainability.

• Knowledge of board governance best practices and experience in working with advisory boards, committees, and volunteer leadership.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking, presentations, and donor communications.

• Ability to collaborate effectively with internal teams, board members, volunteers, and external stakeholders to achieve fundraising goals and organizational objectives.

• Proficiency in data-driven decision-making, performance metrics, and fundraising analytics to assess progress, measure impact, and inform strategies.

There may be some Physical Demands and Travel:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Employee is routinely required to lift 25 lbs.

• Expected local travel time for this position is up to 25% per year