Chief Development Officer

Since 1924, Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been the leading private, nonprofit animal welfare organization in the greater Houston region. Receiving no governmental funding, we rely upon the community’s financial support to achieve our goals of improving and protecting the lives of animals in our community and alleviating their suffering and abuse.Primary Responsibilities:Reporting to the President and CEO, the Chief Development Officer (CDO) is responsible for advancing strategies and activities for fundraising successes of Houston SPCA via highly sophisticated and multi-faceted fundraising endeavors. The CDO is also responsible for our organization’s external communication and marketing efforts with media, community officials, our Houston and national community, and key influencers.Essential Functions of the Role:Manage and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy to meet the organization’s financial goals and support its mission.Lead and mentor a team of fundraising and communications professionals, providing guidance, support, and professional growth opportunities.Identify and cultivate relationships with individual donors, foundations, corporations, and other entities to secure major gifts and grants.Utilize a variety of fundraising techniques, including online giving platforms, social media, mailings, events, and planned giving programs, to maximize community engagement and giving.Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with current and prospective donors, ensuring personalized and strategic engagement.Advance our planned giving program, for both short-term and long-term fundraising success.Develop and implement stewardship initiatives to recognize and appreciate donors at all giving levels, ensuring ongoing donor satisfaction and loyalty.Collaborate with programmatic staff to provide donors with meaningful updates and impact reports on how their contributions support the organization’s initiatives.Collaborate with the senior management team to develop and implement long-term fundraising and development plans aligned with the organization’s strategic goals.Ensure accurate and timely recording of fundraising data for effective and insightful reporting to support informed decision-making and fundraising effectiveness.Stay abreast of emerging trends, best practices, and regulatory requirements in nonprofit fundraising to ensure compliance and optimize fundraising strategies.Foster a collaborative and results-oriented work environment that encourages creativity, innovation, and accountability.Direct the development and execution of fundraising events, coordinating efforts with other departments and volunteers.Administer our websites, social media accounts, IVR, and other similar mediums for successful and continual communications with our constituents.Direct our marketing and public relations strategy that will allow the organization’s leadership to cultivate and enhance meaningful professional relationships with targeted, high-level external audiences, including the media and key influencers.Lead and enrich an integrated communications plan to advance the organization’s brand identity, broaden community awareness of mission and programs, and increase the visibility of programs across the community and with key-stakeholder audiences.Direct press releases and other community communications.Develop speeches, videos, presentations, talking points, and similar communication vehicles for management, staff, and Board members.Coordinate community communications during times of natural disasters, as part of our disaster response for animals in our region.Develop responsible financial budgeting and benchmarking that challenges the organization to increase fundraising and communication results, while exercising strong fiscal responsibilities over expenditures. Provide regular forecast updates. Meet budgeted goals for both revenues and expenditures.Protect all confidential information, including information concerning donors, clients, animals, coworkers, and other external/internal parties.Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.Knowledge, Skills, and Preferred Qualifications:Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, business administration, marketing, or a related field. An advanced degree is preferred.Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit fundraising, including a record of successfully securing major gifts.Extensive experience managing development, communications, and marketing functions for nonprofit organizations.Strong media and community communications skills.Strong understanding of fundraising principles, techniques, and best practices.A demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic fundraising plans, including donor acquisition, cultivation, and stewardship strategies.Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (especially strong writing skills), with the ability to engage and inspire a wide range of stakeholders, including high-net-worth individuals, corporate sponsors, and community partners.Proven leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate, mentor, and develop fundraising professionals.Strong data management, mining and supervision skills. Experience in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge preferred.Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple projects and priorities effectively.Knowledge of animal welfare is highly desirable.This job description is not designed to encompass all activities, duties, responsibilities, or skills that are required of the individual. Other duties than those listed herein may be assigned.

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