About the Role
NLSLA is entering a new chapter. Our longtime President and CEO retires at the end of 2026, and our new Executive Director joined in September 2026. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role will be a key member of NLSLA's executive team and will shape how the organization grows for years to come. The organization's operating budget is $38 million, 4% of which is privately funded.
The Chief Development Officer's (CDO's) central charge is to build a strong, diversified private fundraising program, with a focus on private foundations, major gifts, and law firm and corporate partnerships. The CDO will set clear goals, build the plan the department works from, and lead a team of four to measurable results. This role calls for a strategic planner, a systems thinker, and a leader who can inspire staff, board members, and funders alike. This role will lead the evolution of NLSLA's philanthropic strategy during a period of organizational transition and growth, building a sustainable culture of philanthropy that expands private support while ensuring that government funding sources are sustained. In close partnership with the Executive Director, the CDO will build a culture of philanthropy at NLSLA.
In this role, you would report to the Executive Director. This position is exempt.
What You'll Do
Resource Development Strategy and Planning
• Partner with the Executive Director to set one clear, ambitious annual fundraising goal tied to NLSLA's strategic priorities. Unrestricted sources of funding are the priority, to strengthen the organization's financial flexibility.
• Develop and own an annual Resource Development Plan with measurable outcomes for each revenue stream, and use it to guide staff time and investment.
• Track progress against goals and key performance indicators, report results to leadership and the Board, and adjust strategy as needed.
• Work with the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer to set ambitious revenue growth goals, prioritizing funding sources based on NLSLA's organization-wide strategic needs and competitiveness for funding.
• Propose the Development Department's annual expense budget, manage it throughout the year, and work with the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer to address variances.
• Ensure the team has effective prospect pipelines, gift range charts, and grant calendars for each revenue priority.
• Stay current on fundraising best practices and sector trends, build professional networks that advance NLSLA's goals, and use evaluation to drive continuous improvement in the department's results.
• Serve as a visible external ambassador for NLSLA, cultivating relationships with philanthropic leaders, foundation executives, corporate partners, bar associations, and community stakeholders.
Major Gifts and Individual Giving
• Build and oversee a major gifts program, including individual relationship goals and cultivation plans.
• Carry a personal portfolio of major donors and prospects, and make direct, face-to-face solicitations.
• Partner closely with the Executive Director on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of top donors.
• Strengthen donor retention and stewardship, including annual giving and legacy giving.
• Establish and grow a planned giving program, including identifying and cultivating legacy prospects.
Foundations, Corporations, and Grants
• Lead NLSLA's private foundation and corporate giving strategy, including prospect research, funder relationships, and a pipeline of new prospects.
• Collaborate with the Executive Team and grants administration to align private funding priorities with organizational needs.
• Participate in the grants administration systems to ensure a timely, high-quality proposal and reporting process.
• Write or edit complex and high-priority proposals that connect specific programs to NLSLA's broader mission.
Law Firm and Pro Bono Partnerships
• Develop law firms and corporate legal departments as a core source of financial support, sponsorship, and partnership.
• Work with the Director of Pro Bono to build a pathway from pro bono engagement to philanthropic giving.
Board Engagement
• Serve as the primary staff partner to the Board's Development Committee and its Chair.
• Develop strong working relationships with Board members, support their individual fundraising commitments, and provide the guidance, tools and opportunities needed for meaningful participation in resource development.
• Equip Board members to open doors, cultivate prospects, and participate in solicitations.
Communications and Brand
• Oversee NLSLA's communications function in collaboration with the ED, ensuring that organizational messaging advances NLSLA's mission, public visibility, community engagement, and fundraising priorities.
• Guide creation of consistent messaging, a client-story pipeline with informed consent, and materials for foundations, major donors, and law firms.
• Work with leadership to build an efficient content approval process that meets Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and other funder compliance requirements.
Events
• Assess and redesign NLSLA's signature event and donor stewardship events to maximize net revenue and donor acquisition and strengthen long-term giving relationships.
• Manage the event budget and outside event consultants to meet net revenue and engagement goals.
Department Leadership and Operations
• Design the department's structure and lead hiring, including writing job descriptions, partnering with HR on recruitment, and interviewing candidates.
• Define clear, distinct roles and accountabilities for each team member.
• Define how the team makes decisions and organizes its work, and communicate practices and procedures clearly.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of four development and communications professionals.
• Conduct performance evaluations, coach staff through performance challenges, and share performance trends with the leadership team.
• Foster a supportive, inclusive team culture, and create ways to recognize accomplishments and progress toward goals.
• Ensure effective development systems, including the donor database (DonorPerfect), gift processing, acknowledgments, and documented procedures.
• Ensure ethical fundraising practices and accurate gift handling, in coordination with Finance.
Organizational Leadership
• Serve as a member of NLSLA's executive team and contribute to organization-wide planning and decision-making.
• Contribute to NLSLA's next strategic plan, bringing donor, funder, and sector trends to inform organizational direction.
• Communicate fundraising goals across the organization and foster an organization-wide culture of philanthropy by engaging leadership, staff and board in understanding the importance of private fundraising and their respective roles in advancing this mission.
• Represent NLSLA with donors, partners, and the community.
Other
• Performs other duties as assigned reasonably related to the position and generally within the same level and classification as core responsibilities.
• This position is designated as hybrid. The Chief Development Officer is expected to work on-site a minimum of two (2) days per week, with remaining time eligible for remote work as business needs allow. Additional on-site presence is required when job duties call for it, including donor and funder meetings, Board and committee meetings, events, and site visits. Any out-of-state work is prohibited unless prior approval is obtained from HR.
• Travel to NLSLA program offices, courthouses, donor meetings, events, and other locations throughout Los Angeles County is required. Occasional evening and weekend work is expected.
Requirements
What You'll Need
• At least 10 years of relevant experience and at least 7 years of experience supervising staff.
• A track record of setting ambitious fundraising goals, building plans to reach them, and delivering measurable results.
• Demonstrated success securing major gifts and foundation grants, including personally soliciting five- and six-figure gifts.
• Experience partnering with an executive director and engaging board members in fundraising.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to influence staff, board members, and funders.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, including budget management and use of data to guide decisions.
• Proficiency with donor databases (DonorPerfect preferred) and Microsoft Office.
• Develop and utilize fundraising dashboards, donor analytics, and performance metrics to drive decision-making and maximize return on fundraising investments.
• Strong strategic planning and systems thinking skills, with the ability to design processes, assign clear roles, and choose tools that help a team work efficiently.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and develop staff, including designing roles, hiring, and guiding a team through change, with a track record of building accountable, collaborative teams.
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential donor, client, and personnel information, and in representing NLSLA's standards with staff, board members, and funders.
• High self-awareness and emotional intelligence, with a commitment to ongoing growth as a leader and an ability to build trusting relationships across differences.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel, business communication platforms, and web-based case management platforms.
• Passion for NLSLA mission and demonstrated commitment to advocating for the legal rights of low-income individuals.
• Passion, empathy, and compassion for supporting people from different lived experiences.
Bonus Points
• Experience fundraising for legal services, legal aid, or another heavily government-funded organization, including familiarity with Legal Services Corporation (LSC) requirements.
• Established relationships with Los Angeles foundations, law firms, or philanthropic leaders.
• Experience building law firm partnerships or connecting volunteers to philanthropy.
• Experience leading or supporting a communications function.
• Experience with capital campaigns.
• Prior experience as a senior or executive leader
• Relevant degrees or certifications, such as the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification.
• Are bilingual in Spanish, due to the high number of Spanish-speaking residents in the community, or in any of the other Los Angeles threshold languages, which is highly valued in our community outreach efforts.
Why You'll Love Working with Us
At NLSLA, we believe in supporting our staff as they grow in their careers and live balanced lives. We offer:
• Competitive Salary: $160,000-$178,000, based on experience.
• Generous Time Off: 18 paid holidays, 2 to 5 weeks of vacation depending on seniority, and 12 days of sick leave. Exempt employees are eligible for compensatory time in accordance with company policy.
• Comprehensive Benefits:
o Medical, dental, and vision insurance with a variety of plan options.
o Basic Life and AD&D Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance.
o 403(b) retirement plan with employer contributions and options for voluntary contributions.
o Monthly bilingual supplement for qualified employees. Demonstration of bilingual proficiency is contingent upon successfully passing a language proficiency examination. Note: Qualified employees with bilingual proficiency are expected to provide in-language assistance when feasible to support language access and in furtherance of NLSLA's mission. This expectation applies whether or not the employee receives the bilingual supplement.
• A Culture of Inclusion: We are committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive work environment where everyone can thrive.
• Perks: Technology reimbursement to help you stay connected and equipped to do your best work.
