Position Summary
The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) leads World Hope International's fundraising strategy and revenue growth, with primary accountability for major gifts, campaigns, and overall philanthropic income. The CAO also leads the development/advancement team, which includes officers overseeing individual donor segments, foundations, recurring giving program, annual fund, church partners, and events.
Responsibilities:
Leadership
- Partner with the CEO and Board of Directors to set fundraising strategy, annual revenue goals, and long-range development plans.
- Serve as a member of the Executive Team, contributing a fundraising and donor perspective to organization-wide strategy and planning.
- Work with teams to develop and oversee strategies for advancing WHI's profile and work with key audiences in the US, including church partnerships, major donors, mid-level donors, mass donors, and outreach to new audiences.
- Build and steward relationships with major donors, foundations, corporate partners, and other funding sources to advance WHI's mission.
- Identify and mitigate risks to sustainable revenue (donor concentration, funding gaps, campaign shortfalls) and bring action plans to leadership.
- Lead and manage the Advancement team
Fundraising & Revenue Generation
- Design and lead a comprehensive development plan covering individual giving, major and principal gifts, church, planned giving, and corporate and foundation support.
- Own annual and multi-year revenue targets; forecast income, track performance against goals, and adjust strategy as needed.
- Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a small portfolio of high-priority major donors and key institutional funders.
- Lead capital and special campaigns as needed, including case development, timeline, and campaign counsel.
- Develop and manage the Advancement department's budget, including return-on-investment reporting for fundraising campaigns and vendor spend.
- Oversee the organization's donor database/CRM (HubSpot), ensuring accurate gift tracking, reporting, and data-informed decision-making.
Marketing & Communications
- Oversee WHI's marketing and communications (both internally and with external third-party engagement, as applicable), translating fundraising priorities into clear briefs and campaign requirements.
- Ensure marketing and fundraising calendars are coordinated so that campaigns, appeals, and donor communications are consistent and well-timed.
Board & External Relations
- Represent WHI to donors, partners, and external audiences as a fundraising ambassador for the organization.
- Keep the Board informed and engaged in fundraising strategy, including board-level solicitation support and donor introductions.
- Represent WHI at donor events, conferences, and other external engagements as needed.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in nonprofit management, business, or a related field preferred.
- Ten or more years of experience supervising and developing development staff.
- Demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding annual revenue targets exceeding $5M.
- CFRE certification preferred.
- Experience preferred managing outsourced or in-house marketing, communications, or creative agencies - including setting KPIs, briefing vendors, and evaluating deliverables.
- Working knowledge of marketing and communications best practices sufficient to be an effective partner to an outside agency.
- Proficiency with donor CRM/database systems (HubSpot) and the Microsoft Office suite.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent WHI credibly to donors, board members, and partners.
- Business and financial acumen, including the ability to read financial statements, support departmental budgeting, and apply sound operational practices.
- Ability to travel regularly within the U.S. as needed for donor engagement and events; periodic international travel (e.g., one to two trips annually) to program countries to cultivate donors and represent WHI's work firsthand.
- Strong and practical alignment with and commitment to World Hope International's Christian mission and faith-based approach, with the ability to authentically represent that commitment to donors, churches, and partners.
- Evidence of meaningful service outside the workplace, such as faith-based involvement, board service, or other community leadership.
- High emotional intelligence, including humility, self-awareness, and the ability to navigate complex donor and interpersonal relationships with discernment and care.
- A gracious, relational, and service-oriented presence that builds trust and credibility with donors, board members, staff, and partners.
