About Children’s Home Society 

Children’s Home Society of North Carolina (CHS) is one of the premier nonprofit child and family services organizations in both the state and country. At CHS, our mission is to promote the right of every child to a permanent, safe, and loving family. We believe our people are the reason behind our success. 

Children’s Home Society has continued to evolve since our founding more than a century ago to an organization with a $37M budget that employs 325+ individuals. With offices in cities across North Carolina and remote work opportunities, we are continuing to grow a workforce that is equitable, diverse, and inclusive, and estimated to grow to 450-500 employees within the next four years. Being a member of the CHS family means joining a team committed to championing family well-being and sharing a belief in the power of family to transform lives and communities. 

Children’s Home Society offers a network of services and support throughout North Carolina to help establish and sustain healthy, loving family relationships. For 120 years, CHS has provided a broad spectrum of programs and services including adoption, foster care, parenting education, family preservation, and teen responsibility. 

As North Carolina’s leader in transforming families and communities so children can thrive, we are seeking an innovative and experienced Chief Development Officer to lead our development, philanthropy, and fundraising efforts. 

Want to know more about CHS? Visit https://www.chsnc.org/.  

About The Opportunity 

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) serves as a strategic partner to the President & CEO, providing leadership for the planning and implementation of development, philanthropy, and fundraising programs. The CDO oversees fundraising, donor development, stewardship, and recognition activities, and builds and supports the culture of philanthropy throughout the organization. The CDO supervises a team of nine staff located across the state, promoting a performance-based culture within the philanthropy department to ensure fundraising goals are achieved and providing the appropriate level of oversight to ensure that all related efforts are delivered with excellence and are consistent with the mission, vision, and values of CHS. 

Key Functions and Duties 

CHS seeks a Chief Development Officer with deep experience leading philanthropy strategy; planning and executing campaigns; leading a high performing team; and building and stewarding relationships with high wealth individuals and sophisticated institutional funders. Major responsibilities of the CDO are outlined below. 

Development 

• Lead the agency’s overall fundraising strategy including annual giving, major and planned gifts, and capital campaigns  

• Actively engage with and manage a portfolio of major gift prospects, including personal cultivation, solicitation, closing of gifts, and stewardship  

• Support the CEO in his work with donors and supporters, managing engagement of prospects for major priorities and conferring on strategies  

• Coach staff in successful donor cultivation, solicitation, closing of gifts, and stewardship  

• Support board members and other leading volunteers in development activities and provide staff leadership for related committees and groups  

  Leadership  

• Lead and develop a highly effective team of people who make successful and lasting contributions through their relationship-building and engagement activities  

• Provide ongoing leadership, management, evaluation, and professional development of development staff 

• Serve as an active member of the Executive Leadership Team  

• Participate as a strategic contributor to setting direction for CHS 

• Maintain fiscal oversight of all development-related investments and functions 

  Board of Trustees 

• Represent Philanthropy and Development at CHS Board of Trustees meetings 

• Coordinate and support the CHS Board of Trustees on matters related to philanthropy 

  The Chief Development Officer is also tasked with recruiting, developing, and leading a team capable of supporting CHS performance and growth strategies while fostering an engaging, positive work environment. In this capacity, the CDO is expected to: 

• Adhere to agency policies and applicable laws 

• Interview, hire, and train employees 

• Plan, assign and direct work 

• Appraise performance 

• Reward and discipline employees 

• Address complaints and resolve problems 

• Maintain and enforce confidentiality 

• Be responsible for staff engagement and experience as an employee of CHS 

  Experience, Skills, Competencies, and Attributes 

  The Chief Development Officer will have a commitment to and passion for the mission and values of Children’s Home Society, as well as myriad experience, skills, competencies, and attributes from those below. 

  Skills and Proficiencies 

• Experience overseeing fundraising departments and significant development operations and initiatives  

• Successful experience with annual and major gift programs and strategies including identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gift donors; campaign planning and execution; representing a best-in-class organization as the lead development/fundraising executive 

  Experience 

• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience 

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive supervisory experience  

• Strong leadership and team building skills; great team leader/player  

• Ability to design and implement effective cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies at the individual, team, and organizational level  

• Experience with goal setting, budget/fiscal management, evaluating staff, selecting team members, working with board members and volunteers  

• Track record of successfully coaching individuals in key staff and leadership positions  

  Abilities 

• Communicate with excellence (written, verbal, and interpersonal) 

• Demonstrate sound judgement, decision-making, and the ability to consult with others to make the best decisions 

• Demonstrate passion for the organization and its mission and services 

• Inspire others around the work of the organization 

• Ability to travel domestically on behalf of the work of CHS 

• Ability to work unusual hours and weekends when needed on behalf of the work of CHS 

  Education, Licenses, & Certifications 

• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree preferred. Professional training and relevant certifications in fundraising preferred.  

• Maintain a valid North Carolina driver’s license, adequate auto insurance, and have access to an operating vehicle in order to attend to CHS business. 

  Schedule Expectations 

  This position is a salary exempt job that will require some weekends and evening work, along with working our standard scheduled week. The ability to work flexible hours is required to meet business needs. If working remotely, the CDO will be required to be available by telephone and email during specified hours as required. Some travel is required to conduct business-related activities. 

  How to Apply 

  To apply, click on the link to the Chief Development Officer – Children’s Home Society of NC position profile at www.ArmstrongMcGuire.com/apply. You will see instructions for uploading your compelling cover letter, resume, salary requirements, and professional references. Please provide all requested information to be considered. In case of any technical problems, contact talent@armstrongmcguire.com. No phone calls, please, and no applications will be accepted by email or directly from third-party posting sites. Due to integration issues, applications submitted through 3rd party sites such as Indeed and LinkedIn may not be received. 

  Salary is commensurate with the requirements of the position and CHS’s operating budget. Benefits include medical, dental, life, short and long-term disability insurance, a flexible spending plan, 403(b) retirement plan, accrued vacation and sick time, paid parental leave, and 11 paid holidays. 

  Equity, diversity, and inclusion is a priority for CHS and we are committed to building a culture governed by equity, leading with compassion, driven by results, honoring differences, and never settling. CHS is actively recruiting a diverse pool of candidates for this position.  

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