What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief Development Officer position at The Emerald Necklace Conservancy?

Chief Development Officer

Organizational Overview

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a growing nonprofit in Boston, MA with a mission to restore and improve the Emerald Necklace for all. The Conservancy is dedicated to stewarding the 1,100-acre linear park system in Boston and Brookline connecting over 15 diverse neighborhoods. Our vision : A thriving Emerald Necklace where people and parks care for each other, made possible through thoughtful parks care, people-driven programming and inclusive policy work.

Job Overview

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy seeks a dynamic and results-oriented fundraising leader with a track record of developing strong fundraising teams and achieving ambitious revenue targets. The Chief Development Officer will serve as an integral member of the senior leadership team. Reporting to the President and overseeing a team of 3 full-time staff plus consultants, the CDO will develop and manage a comprehensive development strategy that unites annual giving, major gifts, corporate, and foundation giving. The Conservancy has greatly increased its visibility and the CDO will work closely with the Chief Strategy Officer and the Director of Marketing and Communications to develop compelling messages to capitalize on this increased awareness. Building on our significant expansion in 2023 and 2024, including 7-figure commitments to endowment, the fundraising goal in FY2025 is over $6 million. The Director will have their own portfolio and will be responsible for actively engaging in the cultivation and solicitation of major individual and institutional donors and creating a pipeline to help ensure ongoing support.

The successful CDO will be an innovative leader, who brings vision, comprehensive development experience and creativity to this growing organization. Presence, passion and alignment with mission will be key attributes to working effectively with Board and staff leadership and to be able to serve as an effective ambassador and compelling spokesperson for the Conservancy.

This is a hybrid, full-time, exempt position; currently, Conservancy staff work in our Jamaica Plain office two days per week. This role will require donor meetings in the Emerald Necklace parks, off-site donor meetings and events and occasional evening and weekend hours.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

Work with the President, Board, and staff to develop and implement an annual, organization-wide development revenue strategy and growth plan that incorporates defined team tasks, metrics and benchmarks that align with the Conservancy's strategic objectives.
As a member of the senior management team, participate in overall organizational planning, execution of the Conservancy's strategic plan, and collaboration with other senior leaders in the fundraising and external relations process as
Ensure strong communication between the Development Department and other parts of the organization, particularly the Chief Strategy Officer and the Director of Marketing & Communications.
Supervise ( hire, set goals for, train, coach, evaluate ) the Development team, which includes a Major Gift Officer, Development Operations Manager, Development Operations Coordinator, and external grant consultant.
Monitor progress towards fundraising goals by quarter and annually, and ensure all goals are met or exceeded.
Develop departmental expense budgets to support team capacity and infrastructure to achieve all revenue goals.
Ensure CRM (Raiser's Edge) is used efficiently, including emphasis on prospect tracking, useful reporting and dashboards, and prompt gift acknowledgement.
Ensure the Conservancy's development program follows industry best practices and complies with legal and ethical standards.
Play an active role in team, departmental and all-staff meetings.

Fundraising-Individuals

Build and leverage key relationships and contacts within and outside of the Conservancy's network to increase the stakeholder base to meet or exceed annual fundraising goals.

Work with the Development team to identify, qualify and prioritize individual donor prospects through research, screening, and discovery meetings.

In collaboration with the President, successfully engage, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors and prospects, managing a personal portfolio of approximately 25 prospects.

Develop and manage the fundraising capacity of the Board in partnership with the President and Board Chair, supporting their efforts to serve as ambassadors, connectors, cultivators, and when appropriate, askers for the Conservancy.

Oversee a thoughtful expansion of annual fundraising to increase participation and total giving, including direct mail, email, web-based giving, and securing sponsorship for the Conservancy's signature events, Party in the Park (annual) and Emerald Evening (bi-annual).

Work closely with the Marketing and Communications team to develop impactful donor collateral including the annual report, appeal letters, and effective stewardship.

Fundraising-Institutions

Lead a grants management pipeline of 25 institutional supporters and collaborate with the external grants consultant to ensure the timely submission of all grant proposals and required reporting.

Oversee institutional giving, including identification of new funders and development and stewardship of relationships.

Work with the external grants consultant and program staff to conceptualize and draft compelling proposals for institutional funders.

Ensure the maintenance of detailed and accurate records of all funder communications and grants management updates in grants management database and Raiser's Edge.

Prepare and, where appropriate, lead key funder site visits and relay periodic programmatic updates.

Perform other responsibilities as directed or as necessary.

Key Qualifications

Skills & Experience

Minimum 8-10 years of demonstrated and successful experience in nonprofit fundraising and management within a medium to large sized nonprofit ($5 million budget).

Successful cultivation and solicitation of major gift donors, both individual and institutional with demonstrated success in securing six-figure commitments.

Motivated and goal-directed leader with the interpersonal skills needed to build relationships and secure support from diverse sources.

Experience managing and developing high performing staff, including experience coaching, evaluating, and building a team's capacity.

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

Strong relationship skills and demonstrated success at advancing an organization's goals through partnerships with trustees, volunteers, top prospects, and donors.

Strong work ethic, highly responsive and attentive to details; excellent analytical, organizational and time management necessary.

Proficiency in Raiser's Edge or similar donor management system and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word) necessary.

Education / Credentials

Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

CFRE credential helpful but not required.

Personal Attributes

Ability to maintain high standards of ethics, integrity, and professionalism, and to handle sensitive and proprietary financial information.

Must be able to work independently and as part of a team, bringing flexibility, a sense of confidence and humor, strong management skills, and an ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

Entrepreneurial spirit and an ability to thrive in a lean environment.

Other

An understanding of the Greater Boston philanthropic community preferred.

Genuine interest in parks, the environment, and urban communities.

Must be able to work weekends and evenings-both indoors and outdoors-and engage in limited travel as needed.

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