Chief Development Officer – Points of Light

Points of Light mobilizes millions of people to
take action that is changing the world. Through 145 affiliates
across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of
nonprofits and businesses, Points of Light engages 3.7 million
volunteers in 16.7 million hours of service each year. We bring the
power of people to bear where it’s needed most. 

Cast from the vision of one thousand points of light shared by
its founder, President George H.W. Bush, in his 1989 inaugural
address, Points of Light was founded in 1990 as an independent,
nonpartisan, nonprofit organization to encourage and empower the
spirit of service. The organization extends President Bush’s vision
that “any definition of a successful life must include serving
others.” Today, Points of Light continues to transcend politics and
borders to inspire millions of individuals worldwide to take
action. For more information, visit https://www.pointsoflight.org/ 

Reports to: Chief Executive
Officer  

Supervises: Three Senior Vice
Presidents (total of nine development
staff)

Department: Development 

Location: Points of Light is a
remote-first organization. Any U.S. location in the Eastern or
Central time zone in a market with a major airport. Washington, DC
preferred. 

Position Summary: The role of Chief Development
Officer (CDO) pursues corporate, nonprofit, and individual
partnerships and inspires them to support Points of Light’s bold
vision. These partnerships support and champion a better future—a
world where no one sits on the sidelines of change. To do this
work, the CDO creates, executes and evaluates all aspects of Points
of Light’s development strategy, including annual giving, major
gifts, sponsorships, government, corporate and foundation and
special campaigns.

Coming to this role in a period of strategic planning and
transition, the CDO has the opportunity to build best-practice
development systems to earn support for mission-driven and
impact-oriented programs. The CDO plays an active role in donor
relations, research and prospect cultivation and management to
achieve a revenue goal of $30M per year. They lead to ensure that
the enterprise can be responsive to marketplace opportunities,
while meeting established organizational and fundraising goals and
delivering an excellent donor experience. The CDO manages the
development team to execute operation plans and ensure achievement
of goals, while providing inspirational leadership, mentoring,
training and professional development.

As a senior member of the leadership team, the CDO will report
to the CEO and will serve as a key thought partner to a range of
stakeholders, including the Board of Directors, senior leadership
staff and the global team. The role supports coordination of all
key fundraising stakeholders as they grow resources for an
impactful vision in a period of strategic growth. 

Position Functions and Responsibilities
Include:

• Develop and lead execution of a comprehensive and multi-year
  fundraising plan that inspires supporters to advance Points of
  Light’s vision. Empower teams to grow a foundation of corporate,
  foundation and individual support. 
• Manage a portfolio of 50+ lead donors and partners. Hold a
  focus on sustaining and growing current funder relationships,
  pursuing new donor relationships and modeling best practices for
  others that maintain a fundraising portfolio.
• Assemble and mentor an impactful Development team. Recruit,
  train (in partnership with HR) and supervise members of the team as
  they grow in their careers and reach established goals.
  Thoughtfully guide professional development plans to demonstrate
  team growth. 
• Invest in systems and talent to formalize and maintain Points
  of Light’s pipeline of donors and funders. This element includes
  guidance of protocol that prioritizes donor activity, tracking and
  next steps in prospect engagement. 
• Work closely with the Chief Financial Officer and other members
  of the Executive Team to set and review annual revenue projections
  informed by a fundraising plan. 
• Partner effectively with Points of Light Marketing and
  Communications and Program team leaders to develop dynamic,
  current, and strategic donor engagement plans—fostering enduring
  relationships that propel our impact. 
• Guide the Points of Light Board of Directors in their
  fundraising and engagement roles with an emphasis on engaging their
  networks and soliciting or stewarding key donors. 
• Play a supporting role for the Resource Development Committee
  of the Board. Provide regular reports on key fundraising
  performance indicators, including revenue, donor engagement and
  retention and evaluation of current strategies. 
• Represent Points of Light to build widespread commitment for
  the organization’s programs and vision. Serve as a leading
  spokesperson to corporate, foundation and individual donor
  audiences. 
• Track peer and industry philanthropic trends to inform best
  practices and innovation within the organization. 
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

 Core Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Points of Light is seeking a development leader with a passion
  for good and a commitment to action. Bringing operational
  excellence, management skills and problem-solving capabilities is
  critical to this role. The candidate will have excellent account
  management skills with the proven ability to develop and grow
  high-yield relationships, with a parallel ability to set strategies
  to lead the development team as they achieve their aggressive
  revenue and partnership goals. 
• Operationally, the candidate will have strong systems and
  tracking skills including database management; knowledge of
  Salesforce is a plus. They will also lead processes that yield
  excellent donor engagement materials, including strategy documents,
  proposals and stewardship pieces.
• Foundationally, the leader will have superior organizational
  skills and an ability to manage and guide competing priorities for
  themselves and their direct reports. They will have experience in
  demonstrated success at fostering collaboration between development
  and program staff, building and sustaining a successful
  philanthropic culture. 
• We are seeking someone who can uniquely champion Points of
  Light’s mission and vision. Candidates will demonstrate a deep
  passion for civic engagement, equity, and social progress. Has an
  ability to represent Points of Light, inspiring partnerships, and
  guiding teams amid a period of rapid organizational
  growth. 

 Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred with an emphasis on business
  administration, marketing, or industry-related field. Master’s
  degree in a similar field is strongly preferred. 
• Minimum of 12 years of experience in the nonprofit fundraising
  industry or acting as a consultant on major fundraising
  projects. 
• Knowledge of best practices in development, including strategy
  planning and execution, forecasting and reporting and donor
  relationship management. 
• Strong team development skills. Has experience in providing
  mentorship, strategy and impact while maintaining a positive
  working culture for teams. 
• Experience engaging with Board leadership. Holds proven
  accountability for resourcing plans and has supported Board
  participation in fundraising. 
• Proven track record of inspiring and stewarding generosity,
  both through direct solicitation and by empowering other leaders as
  they grow and leverage their relationships. 
• Working Conditions: Up to 30% travel required.

Culture and Values: For more than 30
years, Points of Light has sought to honor and recognize social
impact, while looking toward the future as an innovative thought
leader in the social sector. We have a fast-paced, collaborative
environment. Our organization values innovation, dedication,
teamwork, and respectfulness. We enjoy thinking big, but also
working hard to deliver our best work. Our team is
solution-oriented, looking for someone who is always ready to
deliver on ways to solve challenges, internally and with external
partners.

What We Offer: Competitive compensation
and excellent benefits including a robust Paid Time Off (PTO)
program: 18 days of PTO, 13 holidays, and 1 floating holiday; plus,
we are closed for the week between December 25 and January 1.
Medical, dental and vision benefits offered, free life insurance,
along with long-term and short-term disability, a 403b program with
employer match and 1 day of volunteer time off per month.

Points of Light is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Committed to an Inclusive Workplace.