Chief Development Officer - Tenders Global

Chief Development Officer

The Trustees of Reservations

tendersglobal.net

About The Trustees of Reservations

Founded in 1891 by a group of visionary volunteers, The Trustees
of Reservations (The Trustees) is the nation’s premier conservation
and preservation organization. The core mission of The Trustees is
to protect special places across Massachusetts for future
generations to enjoy in perpetuity. To date, The Trustees has
helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 27,000+ acres on
more than 120 reservations that are currently open to the public.
 

 With exceptional ecological, historical, and scenic value,
The Trustees’ portfolio of properties encompasses seashore,
woodlands, farmlands, gardens, as well as art and historical
museums. The Trustees team provides loving care of the
reservations, builds creative new programs to engage people, and
shares its expertise with neighbors and partners across the
state.

 About Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity
at The Trustees

Our commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity
(DBIE) is deeply embedded in The Trustees’ mission to protect and
share Massachusetts’ iconic places – for the simple reason that
nature and culture can soothe the soul and improve all our lives.
Not for some. But for everyone. Forever. The Trustees’ overarching
DBIE vision is to create inclusive spaces of belonging for staff,
members, volunteers, and communities across the organization and
120 plus properties. Realizing this vision, bringing to life the
essence of creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome
is a journey. A journey for us as an organization and for each of
us as individuals. As we share our aspirations for what we can
achieve on this journey, we also acknowledge this is a long-term
commitment that requires continuous learning, growth, and
improvement.

 For more information on The Trustees, please visit
its website.

The Opportunity

The Trustees seeks an exceptional leader for the role of Chief
Development Officer (CDO). Reporting to the President & CEO
(CEO), the role provides cutting-edge, strategic leadership on
Trustees development activities with an emphasis on building
enduring partnerships. The role includes the following areas:
 

  • Annual Fund
  • Major Donors
  • Corporate
  • Foundation
  • Public and Institutional Giving
  • Legacy and Planned Gifts
  • Governance
  • Strategic Plan and Campaigns

At this pivotal time, following a period of rapid growth fueled
by a successful 5 year comprehensive $217 million campaign, the
largest in its history, and with new leadership and an environment
of positive change, The Trustees are elated about this opportunity
to continue to build out the leadership team.

As a key member of the executive team, the Chief Development
Officer will continue to diversify and increase The Trustees’ broad
base of support across all philanthropic areas. The successful
Chief Development Officer must strategically lead and foster new
levels of donor engagement while continuing to build an
organization-wide culture of philanthropy.

By way of background, In FY 2023 the Development Team at The
Trustees raised $45,111,101 broken down as follows:

  • Annual Fund: $5,287,875
  • Additional Operating: $1,878,870
  • Events: $1,345,025
  • Planned Gifts: $8,613,046
  • Capital Projects: $17,996,434
  • Restricted Gifts: $9,989,851
  • The Chief Development Officer manages an overall staff of
    approximately 22, with the following  direct reports:

  • Director Annual Fund
  • Director Governance and Signature Events
  • MD Institutional Development
  • MD Philanthropy Arts and Culture
  • Senior Director Individual Giving
  • The Trustees seeks an innovative Chief Development Officer who
    will not only build strategic partnerships but has deep experience
    in major gifts fundraising and managing relationships with current
    and prospective high-net-worth individual donors. They will also
    have a sophisticated understanding of building a high-impact,
    sustainable multi-year campaign.

    Given the mission of The Trustees, we are highly attracted to
    individuals with a track record and passion in the conservation
    arena. The successful candidate will not only be a student of
    modern philanthropy but also be able to effectively leverage
    complementary development functions through strategic,
    forward-thinking integration. The Chief Development Officer will be
    a proven servant leader, manager, mentor, and collaborative
    colleague who is comfortable leading major initiatives and
    supporting the leadership of others. They will have a track record
    of effectively managing organizational change.

    In partnership with the President and CEO, CFO, Board
    Development Committee, and senior leadership team, the CDO will set
    annual and campaign fundraising goals for The Trustees. They will
    construct development strategies and execute plans aligned with The
    Trustees overall Strategic Plan, with a focus on sustaining annual
    giving revenue levels and markedly increasing individual major
    gifts. Collaborating with the CEO, and senior leadership team, as
    well as program leaders they will identify and refine giving
    priorities and translate those priorities into compelling
    opportunities for philanthropy and persuasive proposals.

    The successful candidate will have experience personally
    managing a portfolio of current and prospective individual donors
    at the highest levels of giving capacity, moving them through the
    stages of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. They will
    provide strategic guidance and mentorship to development staff, as
    appropriate, in managing their portfolios of current and
    prospective donors, especially high-net-worth individual donors,
    and corresponding initiatives for identification, cultivation,
    solicitation, and stewardship. This includes reviewing gift
    proposals and working with staff to identify the best manner of
    engaging new prospective donors. The CDO will provide weekly
    development updates to the CEO, present quarterly results to board
    governance and work closely with the Chief Financial Officer to
    plan cash flow and restricted endowments. Additionally, the CDO
    will ensure alignment of giving prospects with volunteer leadership
    opportunities, committees, activities, and/or events that are
    appropriate to their current or potential interest.

    Candidate Profile

    Strategic Fundraising Leadership

    As we embark on a comprehensive Strategic Plan with the focus of
    launching a new campaign, The Trustees seeks an exceptional
    fundraising leader who is deeply analytical with a strategic
    orientation and a knack for building strong relationships. The
    successful CDO will manage the Development Team to create and
    promote effective cultivation and solicitation opportunities that
    involve the CEO, members of the senior leadership team, Board, or
    other governance leaders, as well as other senior constituents.

    With a core emphasis on building meaningful partnerships, the
    CDO will manage connections between prospective and current donors
    and governance leaders, including prioritizing the latter’s role
    and involvement in development activities. These will include
    implementing key communications, preparing reports, briefings, and
    other materials in support of this engagement.

    Serving as the catalyst in strengthening a culture of
    philanthropy intended to permeate all areas of the organization,
    the successful CDO will achieve objectives by the following:

    • Providing a rigorous commitment to new major donor prospect
      identification.
    • Ensuring high-quality, individualized, and meaningful
      stewardship of donors, coordinating with colleagues throughout The
      Trustees and/or personally stewarding donors as needed.
    • Managing the design and implementation of fundraising plans for
      a future comprehensive capital campaign, (including a feasibility
      study), other special campaigns, which may include strategic
      initiatives and capital projects.
    • Creating an overall strategic plan for events and other
      activities in support of constituency engagement. Maximize events
      and the visitor experience so they are highly valued by major
      constituents, produce desired outcomes, and appropriately relate to
      major gift strategies.
    • Developing and maintaining an understanding of The Trustees’
      programmatic campaigns and priorities to effectively promote the
      organization.
    • Maximizing content delivery from program sources to the
      Development team, ensuring consistent, compelling, and coordinated
      messaging in all fundraising and direct marketing channels.
    • Working closely with the Finance Department to ensure the
      highest levels of customer service and compliance when it comes to
      gift processing and acknowledgement.  Ensuring accurate
      allocation in line with donor intent and maintain oversight of
      multi-year gifts and endowment reporting.
    • Regularly report on fundraising targets and forecasts.
    • Collaborating with Marketing and Communications colleagues to
      contribute to an integrated and effective external engagement
      strategy, ensuring alignment across all messaging platforms to
      support the involvement between The Trustees and its evolving donor
      base.

    Team Development and Management

    The successful CDO will be an exceptional manager, mentor, and
    coach. They will oversee the hiring, training, managing, mentoring,
    professional development, and evaluation of a talented development
    staff. It will be anticipated that they will do the
    following: 

    • Set appropriate annual production goals and monitor progress on
      a regular basis with the goal of maximizing staff performance
      regarding prospect identification, strategy development,
      cultivation, solicitation, stewardship activities, volunteer
      engagement, and events, among other potential performance
      indicators.
    • Oversee growth, maintenance, and enhancement of the development
      team’s technological proficiency and tools including the new CRM
      platform. Maximize utilization of technologies to streamline
      operational processes; spearhead creative technology initiatives
      that touch new audiences and potential donors.

     Exceptional Collaborator and
    Communicator

    The ideal CDO will have outstanding communication skills, both
    written and verbal. Simultaneously, they will demonstrate unique
    collaboration talent. It is anticipated that they will do the
    following: 

    • Regularly prepare detailed and transparent reports and analyses
      on the Development Department activity for the CEO, and for broader
      dissemination, as appropriate. In collaboration with the CFO,
      establish and monitor fundraising benchmarks.
    • Analyze development activities and benchmark with peer
      institutions to ensure that The Trustees are on track and employing
      best practices.
    • Travel as needed to support The Trustees priorities, including
      personal cultivation and solicitation, strategic communications,
      and special events.

     Commitment to Inclusion and Fostering
    Belonging

    Humanistic and thoughtful in all interactions; as a senior
    leader of The Trustees, the successful CDO will promote diversity,
    equity, and inclusion at all levels of the organization and in all
    dimensions of the Development program. The CDO will be a strong
    culture champion, building bridges, promoting a strong work ethic,
    and generating a sense of belonging for all.

    The CDO will partner with the CEO on Board of Directors’
    engagement, leveraging the talent and resources of members and
    facilitating their appropriate roles as fiduciaries and long-term
    stewards of The Trustees.

    The CDO will need to work with the Board of Directors and
    governance committees as needed.

    The CDO will be not only highly collaborative and results
    oriented but known as an inclusive leader of the highest integrity
    with a strong work ethic. They will build long-standing
    relationships, instilling confidence, and engendering much trust
    with all parties. The CDO will be an exceptionally passionate
    fundraising ambassador known for fostering a warm, engaging,
    productive, and fun environment.

    Compensation & Benefits

    Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The
    salary range for this role is $280,000 – $340,000 with a generous
    benefits package. 

    Contact

    Maureen Alphonse-Charles and Shelby Woods of Koya Partners, the
    executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search,
    have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest
    in this role, please submit your materials by filling out the Talent Profile. All inquiries
    and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

    Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group is committed to
    providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with
    disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a
    disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please
    email [email protected]. If you are
    selected for an interview, you will receive additional information
    regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview
    process.

    The Trustees is a proud equal opportunity employer and does not
    discriminate against any protected status including, but not
    limited to, age, race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, nation of
    origin, religion, or disability status and strongly encourages
    applications from people of color, persons with disabilities,
    women, and LGBTQ applicants. We aspire to reflect and effectively
    serve the residents and communities of Massachusetts, who are at
    the core of our mission. Our commitment to advancing the
    organization’s vision for this work may be found
    here: Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion and Equity

    About Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group

    Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the
    nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven
    leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive
    focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that
    the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and
    measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits &
    NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local
    communities and around the world.

     Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by
    Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting
    Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational
    leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in
    its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of
    experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the
    dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.

     Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group
    via the firm’s website.

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