The client is seeking an innovative, intrapreneurial Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) to help accelerate cancer cures in this once-in-a-career leadership opportunity. The CAO will champion transformative approaches to philanthropy, building powerful partnerships and deploying fundraising strategies that may strengthen donor engagement across patients, researchers, philanthropists, corporations, civic leaders, and other stakeholders. The role will also focus on shaping entrepreneurial, rapidly growing advancement infrastructure to support the organization’s fundraising priorities.
The CAO will lead revenue generation through fundraising, development, and partnership initiatives in collaboration with executive, scientific, and board leadership. Key priorities include diversifying fundraising channels, launching a donor-centric and major-gifts-focused moves management program, maturing mid-level and annual giving efforts to grow the major gift pipeline, expanding corporate partnership revenue, and enhancing stewardship initiatives to improve donor retention. The role will also support brand awareness, co-create a national fundraising strategy with leadership, further evolve success beyond events toward major gifts, partner on high-level fundraising initiatives with senior leadership and committees, and assess opportunities for strategic geographic expansion.
Qualified candidates are mission-driven and passionate about cancer research and delivering on the client’s vision, with 15 or more years of experience in philanthropy, corporate growth and revenue generation strategy, or business development, including at least seven years in a multi-faceted leadership role. The CAO should have demonstrated success building and executing strategic revenue plans, expertise in donor cultivation and stewardship, strong leadership and relationship-building capabilities, excellent communication and organizational skills, experience partnering with diverse board and volunteer committees, and strong project management to manage multiple priorities. Experience using Salesforce or a similar customer relationship management tool is expected, along with data-driven decision-making, critical thinking, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.