Chief Development Officer
- Compensation
- $115K–$135K
- Location
- Austin, TX, US
- Work setup
- Hybrid
- Seniority
- C level
- Employment
- Full time
- Experience
- Not specified
- Category
- Not specified
- Posted
Must have
- Seven or more years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience, including significant leadership responsibility; experience in arts, education, youth development, or the cultural sector is prefer
- Proven success securing significant individual gifts, growing a donor pipeline, and executing fundraising strategies across multiple revenue streams.
- Experience leading and developing teams and working effectively with executives, Board members, donors, volunteers, community leaders, and colleagues across an organization.
- Strong knowledge of donor cultivation and stewardship, prospect management, fundraising metrics, development operations, and CRM systems.
- Excellent relationship-building, communication, storytelling, writing, presentation, planning, and analytical skills.
- A strategic, proactive, collaborative, ethical, and adaptable leadership style, with emotional intelligence and sound judgment.
- Ability to attend occasional evening and weekend donor, program, community, and fundraising activities.
Full description
Position Title: Chief Development Officer (CDO)
Position Type: Full-time
FLSA: Exempt
Work Location: Hybrid (must be based in the Austin metropolitan area)
Start Date: Open Until Filled
Salary Range: $115,000-$135,000
Reports to: Executive Director
ABOUT CREATIVE ACTION
Creative Action is a nationally recognized youth arts education organization in Austin, Texas. Through school-based, after-school, teen, and community programs, we use the arts to build community and foster Creative Artists, Critical Thinkers, Confident Leaders, and Courageous Allies.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
Creative Action seeks an accomplished, collaborative, and relationship-centered fundraising leader to serve as Chief Development Officer. Reporting to the Executive Director and serving on the senior leadership team, the CDO will lead a comprehensive development program, grow philanthropic support, strengthen donor relationships and fundraising systems, and build an organization-wide culture of philanthropy. The CDO will be both a strategic leader and an active fundraiser—personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors while leading the development team and engaging the Board as fundraising partners. The CDO will also collaborate closely with Creative Action's Capital Campaign Director and Executive Director to coordinate donor strategy, prospect assignments, communications, and stewardship. The Capital Campaign Director will retain primary responsibility for campaign strategy and execution.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Fundraising Strategy and Donor Development
- Develop and lead annual and multi-year fundraising strategies across major gifts, annual giving, institutional support, corporate partnerships, special events, planned giving, and other philanthropic opportunities.
- Build and actively manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects, personally leading cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of significant gifts.
- Set clear revenue goals, forecasts, metrics, and accountability practices; use results and donor data to strengthen performance, retention, and the prospect pipeline.
- Partner with the Executive Director on funding priorities, donor strategy, and management of the Executive Director's portfolio.
Leadership and External Engagement
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing development team with clear roles, goals, and expectations.