Chief Development Officer

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to
curing spinal cord injury by advancing innovative research and
improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted
by paralysis. The Reeve Foundation is a pioneer in the field of
spinal cord injury (SCI) research and has funded millions of
dollars in the laboratories of key thought leaders around the
world. The Foundation is committed to building on the findings of
decades of research and developing therapies that bring meaningful
solutions to people with SCI. Its National Paralysis Resource
Center provides the most comprehensive knowledge, tools, and
services for individuals impacted by paralysis through dedicated
Information Specialists, a substantial Quality of Life Grants
Program, Peer & Family Support Program, Military and Veterans
Program, Racial and Health Equity initiatives and Advocacy
program.

 

Job Summary:

As a partner and advisor to the President & CEO, and the
Board of Directors, the Chief Development Officer (CDO) will
fulfill a vision for the organization’s revenue growth, build and
execute a development plan and evaluate outcomes using a
metrics-based approach.

The Chief Development Officer will be a seasoned fundraising
professional who will transform and reach a new and aspiring level
of philanthropic success – one that will propel the Reeve
Foundation on a sustainable path for accomplishment in the coming
years.

They will be both a strategic thinker who can help guide the
organization’s growth and a practical implementer who can cultivate
new relationships to build the visibility, impact, and financial
resources of the Foundation.  They will lead a team of 7
Development professionals responsible for cultivating Major Gifts
and Planned Giving, Direct Response (offline/online) campaigns,
Corporate and Foundation Support, Special Events, Team Reeve and
Data Analytics. 

They are also an integral member of the Leadership Team which
oversees and manages the day-to-day operations.  The Chief
Development Officer will embody the values and mission of the Reeve
Foundation and, as a result, inspire and motivate others internally
and externally to fulfill our mission.

 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBLITIES:

 

• Develop and lead a comprehensive development strategy to
  sustain and grow core support from approximately $7 million to $10
  million within three years, with an initial emphasis on expanding
  and diversifying philanthropic support from major donors,
  foundations, planned giving and new donors.
• Work closely with the President & CEO to lead the
  identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of
  foundation, corporate, and individual major donors to build lasting
  relationships and ensure ongoing support.
• Partner effectively with the Board of Directors, ensuring a
  close relationship to promote the organization’s development
  strategy and inspiring engagement, introductions, and stretch
  giving from each director; Serve as staff lead to the Board’s
  Development Committee, providing guidance and support.
• Oversee the growth of an individual major donor program that
  includes strategic donor stewardship, solicitation, and
  recognition.
• Over time, develop additional earned income revenue streams and
  build out the Development team with additional staff
• Handle budgeting and financial reporting for development
  activities.
• Establish partnerships across corporations and other
  organizations to yield new revenue and tap into industry
  networks
• Collaborate across departments to ensure deep understanding of
  programmatic objectives to expertly communicate Reeve activities
  and research advancements with donors
• Identify organizations and opportunities to populate a pipeline
  of prospects with an emphasis on generating multi-year, major gifts
  of six to eight figures
• Provide hands-on leadership, direction, mentoring and support
  to the existing Development team of 7staff members: update position
  descriptions as needed and ensure team/individual performance is
  measured against agreed-upon metrics. When appropriate, recruit
  professionals with proven ability to enhance the team’s
  capabilities.
• Participate in organizational planning and ongoing management
  of the Reeve Foundation. Work with other senior team members to
  maintain a unified strategy for daily operations.
• Work in concert with the Managing Director of SCI Ventures, a
  wholly owned subsidiary of the Reeve Foundation, the first venture
  philanthropy fund focused on innovative therapies for people living
  with paralysis.

 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• A four-year college degree and 10 years in a Senior Director,
  VP or Management Position or equivalent experience in related
  field
• Strong, comprehensive managerial experience within a
  foundation, not-for-profit, or complex organization; proven
  experience engaging board-level individuals
• A minimum of 10 years’ experience as an effective people
  manager with the ability to motivate staff to achieve results
• Ability to create and implement long-term strategic plans for
  fundraising activities, experience in managing budgets, creating
  forecasts and analyzing progress through established metrics
• Proven track record in building and executing a development
  plan and evaluation of outcomes with a metrics-based approach
• Experience managing major gifts, planned giving and other
  fundraising efforts; expert understanding of effective advancement
  models in a range of organizations.
• Exceptional English written and oral communication skills
• Intermediate level experience with a CRM system
• Experience working in research, medical, patient
  advocacy/healthcare preferred

 

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS:

• Experience working with a philanthropic venture fund

 

DESIRED ATTRIBUTES:

• Entrepreneurial, flexible and agile, able to adjust to
  different work styles and environments
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the
  ability to speak publicly with comfort
• Ability to effectively manage direct reports and demonstrate
  the ability to lead, motivate and direct staff
• Collaborate well to build partnerships
• Ability to think strategically and programmatically as well as
  successfully manage operations

Travel:

15-20% travel required

 

Physical Demands/Office Environment

This position is primarily a sedentary role but will have
periods of physical activity. The person in this position may need
to occasionally move about inside the office to liaise with
internal staff, access files, office machinery and a copy
machine/printer. In addition, this person will need to be able to
set up live events, including exhibit booths, stages for presenters
and displays.  They will need to be able to lift up to 15
lbs. 

As stated above, the position involves moderate
travel. 

The Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and all
qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment
without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin,
disability status, protected veteran status or any other
characteristic protected by law.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to
perform each essential job duty satisfactorily, with or without a
reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to
enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential
job functions.

The Foundation is committed to providing a work environment free
of harassment and discrimination that supports individual dignity
and respect. Accordingly, the Foundation maintains a strict policy
prohibiting sexual harassment, unlawful harassment and any type of
discriminatory treatment because of any “Protected
Characteristic