Chief Development Officer

About the role

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance will lead and execute a bold revenue growth strategy, building a high-performance culture of philanthropy that drives accountability, donor-centricity, and measurable results.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the CEO, Executive Team, and Board to set bold development goals and drive a clear, results-focused revenue vision and strategy.
• Shape and strengthen the infrastructure, talent, and systems required to support sustained revenue growth.
• Champion and embed a culture of philanthropy, modeling fundraising leadership internally and externally through volunteer teams.
• Proactively cultivate and maintain high-trust relationships with executives, board members, donors, funders, corporate partners, and key stakeholders to expand engagement and investment.
• Lead and execute a comprehensive development strategy to scale revenue from $21M to $60M within three years, translating vision into clear annual targets, measurable KPIs, and disciplined execution plans.
• Direct the development team in building actionable growth plans, managing robust pipelines, and delivering consistent revenue performance.
• Continuously evaluate all fundraising initiatives, analyze ROI, and recalibrate strategies to maximize growth and unlock new revenue opportunities.
• Partner directly with the CEO to lead and accelerate execution of the $100M Project Cure CRC campaign, driving principal gift strategy and campaign momentum.
• Serve as the organization’s senior fundraising strategist, advising the Executive Team on best practices, market intelligence, and scalable growth models.
• Proactively identify, cultivate, and secure high-impact grants, sponsorships, investments, and philanthropic partnerships to diversify and expand revenue streams.
• Personally manage and grow a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, securing six and seven-figure gifts through strategic cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Translate strategic priorities into clear annual revenue plans, quarterly benchmarks, and individual performance goals, driving disciplined execution across the organization.
• Lead, coach, and motivate a high-performing development team grounded in results, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee revenue performance across all fundraising pillars, proactively addressing gaps, reallocating resources, and accelerating high-performing initiatives.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated success scaling revenue in a complex nonprofit or mission-driven organization, ideally leading significant multi-year growth initiatives.
• Track record of personally securing and closing six and seven-figure gifts, with deep experience managing high-capacity donor portfolios.
• Experience leading comprehensive fundraising campaigns, preferably $25M+
• Strong ability to translate bold vision into measurable goals, performance dashboards, pipeline discipline, and revenue accountability.
• Experience leading, mentoring, and holding accountable high-performing fundraising teams while remaining actively engaged in frontline fundraising.
• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with CEOs, executive teams, and boards to advance fundraising priorities and engage volunteer leaders in revenue generation.
• Broad knowledge of corporate partnerships, foundation giving, individual major gifts, community fundraising/peer-to-peer fundraising.
• Proven ability to embed a culture of philanthropy across an organization, aligning systems, talent, and incentives to drive sustained growth.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust, align diverse stakeholders, and drive results across executives, board members, staff, volunteers, donors, and external partners, fostering shared ownership of ambitious revenue goals.