Chief Development Officer Jobs Lead Growth. Advance Mission.
Search Chief Development Officer jobs with nonprofits, foundations, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, associations, cultural institutions, and other mission-driven employers across the United States. Find senior fundraising and advancement opportunities where your leadership can strengthen revenue, relationships, philanthropy, and long-term organizational impact.
Current Chief Development Officer Jobs
Explore current CDO, Chief Development Officer, fundraising, advancement, and senior development leadership opportunities from mission-driven employers across the United States.
Build the Resources That Power Mission and Impact
Chief Development Officers are senior nonprofit leaders responsible for building the relationships, revenue strategies, fundraising programs, and development teams that provide organizations with the resources needed to advance their missions.
Depending on the organization, a CDO may oversee major gifts, annual giving, institutional giving, grants, corporate partnerships, planned giving, campaigns, donor engagement, advancement services, development operations, events, communications, or other revenue and relationship-building functions.
The best Chief Development Officer roles combine strategic leadership with genuine relationship building. CDOs partner with CEOs, Executive Directors, boards, program leaders, donors, foundations, corporations, volunteers, and communities to create sustainable philanthropic support.
Foundation List helps experienced fundraising and advancement professionals discover Chief Development Officer jobs and other senior nonprofit development opportunities nationwide.
Where Chief Development Officers Lead
Organizations across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors rely on development leaders to build sustainable revenue and deepen relationships with the people and institutions that support their work.
Nonprofit Organizations
Lead comprehensive fundraising programs for local, regional, national, and international nonprofit organizations.
Education
Build advancement and philanthropy programs for schools, colleges, universities, educational organizations, and academic institutions.
Healthcare
Lead fundraising for hospitals, healthcare foundations, health systems, community health organizations, and medical institutions.
Arts & Culture
Develop philanthropic support for museums, theaters, performing arts organizations, cultural institutions, and creative nonprofits.
Social Impact
Build revenue for organizations focused on human services, advocacy, community development, environmental action, justice, and social change.
Foundations & Philanthropy
Lead development, donor relations, partnerships, or advancement initiatives within foundations and philanthropic organizations.
What Does a Chief Development Officer Do?
The Chief Development Officer typically serves as the senior executive responsible for fundraising strategy, donor relationships, philanthropic revenue, development operations, and the people and systems that support organizational growth.
Revenue Areas a Chief Development Officer May Lead
The precise fundraising portfolio varies by organization. Larger institutions may have dedicated leaders for each revenue stream, while a CDO at a growing nonprofit may oversee nearly every area of development.
Cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors making significant gifts.
Broad-based donor programs supporting recurring and annual philanthropic revenue.
Institutional funding from private, family, community, and corporate foundations.
Sponsorships, partnerships, employee giving, and other corporate relationships.
Legacy and estate gifts designed to create long-term philanthropic impact.
Major campaigns supporting facilities, endowments, program expansion, or strategic growth.
Strategic fundraising events supporting revenue, visibility, engagement, and stewardship.
Systems, analytics, research, data, reporting, and infrastructure supporting fundraising.
What Employers Look for in Chief Development Officers
CDO searches often require both strategic and relationship-based leadership. Employers want executives who understand fundraising at an enterprise level while also being comfortable personally engaging donors, boards, executives, and community stakeholders.
The strongest candidates can demonstrate fundraising outcomes, team leadership, sophisticated communication, strategic planning, financial awareness, and the ability to build sustainable development programs over time.
Demonstrated success generating philanthropic support and growing fundraising programs.
Ability to develop authentic relationships with high-capacity donors and prospects.
Experience building, managing, developing, and aligning strong fundraising teams.
Confidence communicating with donors, executives, boards, partners, and community leaders.
Experience planning or executing major campaigns can be particularly valuable.
Ability to connect fundraising priorities to organizational mission, strategy, and growth.
Ability to use pipelines, metrics, reporting, and data to improve fundraising performance.
Ability to communicate why the organization's mission matters and inspire philanthropic investment.
How Do You Become a Chief Development Officer?
Most Chief Development Officers build their careers through progressively larger fundraising, advancement, philanthropy, donor relations, or nonprofit leadership roles.
Build Fundraising Expertise
Develop experience in major gifts, annual giving, grants, donor relations, campaigns, or development operations.
Own Revenue Goals
Take direct responsibility for fundraising goals, donor portfolios, revenue strategies, and measurable development outcomes.
Lead Development Teams
Manage fundraising professionals, multiple revenue streams, budgets, systems, and organization-wide advancement initiatives.
Lead Advancement Strategy
Move into CDO, Chief Advancement Officer, Vice President of Development, or comparable executive fundraising leadership.
Chief Development Officer Compensation
CDO compensation varies substantially based on organization size, annual fundraising goals, team size, geography, campaign expectations, donor portfolio, and the overall scope of the role.
What Do Chief Development Officers Earn?
There is no single salary range that accurately represents every Chief Development Officer position. Compensation can differ significantly between a growing community nonprofit and a large university, healthcare system, national nonprofit, cultural institution, or major philanthropic organization.
Organizations commonly consider fundraising scope, annual revenue goals, organizational budget, management responsibilities, geography, campaign complexity, donor relationships, and executive experience when setting compensation.
Candidates should evaluate the entire opportunity, including base salary, health benefits, retirement contributions, paid time off, professional development, flexibility, organizational resources, fundraising expectations, and the size and experience of the development team.
Related Fundraising & Advancement Job Titles
Organizations use different titles for senior fundraising executives. Searching related titles can help experienced development professionals discover more leadership opportunities.
Related Nonprofit Leadership Jobs
Explore other executive and fundraising career paths throughout the mission-driven sector.
Hiring a Chief Development Officer?
Reach experienced fundraising, development, advancement, and nonprofit leadership professionals nationwide through Foundation List.
Whether your organization needs to expand major gifts, build a comprehensive fundraising strategy, prepare for a campaign, strengthen institutional giving, grow philanthropic revenue, or build an exceptional development team, Foundation List can help you promote your Chief Development Officer opportunity to mission-driven candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chief Development Officer Jobs
Where can I find Chief Development Officer jobs?
Foundation List features Chief Development Officer jobs and other fundraising, advancement, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership opportunities across the United States. Candidates can search current openings from nonprofits, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, foundations, associations, and other mission-driven employers.
What does a Chief Development Officer do?
A Chief Development Officer generally leads an organization's fundraising and development strategy. Responsibilities may include major gifts, annual giving, institutional giving, campaigns, planned giving, corporate partnerships, donor stewardship, development operations, fundraising communications, and leadership of the development team.
Is a Chief Development Officer the same as a Development Director?
The roles can overlap, but Chief Development Officer is typically a more senior executive title. A CDO often leads organization-wide fundraising strategy, manages multiple development functions, participates in executive leadership, and works directly with the CEO and board. Development Director responsibilities vary widely and can also be highly senior depending on the organization.
What qualifications are needed to become a Chief Development Officer?
Employers commonly seek significant fundraising experience, a record of generating philanthropic revenue, leadership experience, strong donor relationship skills, strategic planning ability, communication skills, and experience working with executives and boards. Major gift, campaign, institutional giving, and team leadership experience can be particularly valuable.
Does a Chief Development Officer personally fundraise?
Often, yes. Even when a CDO leads a large development department, many organizations expect the executive to maintain relationships with major donors, participate in significant solicitations, support the CEO and board in fundraising, and personally represent the organization with key supporters.
What is the difference between development and advancement?
The terms are often used interchangeably, although advancement can describe a broader function that includes fundraising, alumni relations, communications, community engagement, or other external relationship functions. Usage varies significantly among nonprofits, universities, schools, healthcare institutions, and other organizations.
Are there remote Chief Development Officer jobs?
Yes. Some CDO positions are remote or hybrid, particularly within distributed and national organizations. Other positions require significant onsite leadership, community presence, donor meetings, events, or travel. Candidates should review each posting carefully for work-location requirements.
What should a Chief Development Officer resume include?
Strong CDO resumes should communicate measurable fundraising results and leadership scope. Useful information may include dollars raised, growth in philanthropic revenue, major gifts secured, campaign results, donor retention, team size, fundraising goals, institutional partnerships, board engagement, and development systems or strategies improved.
How can employers post a Chief Development Officer job?
Employers can create a Foundation List employer account and post a Chief Development Officer, Development Director, fundraising, advancement, or other nonprofit position directly to the national job board.
Search Chief Development Officer Jobs Nationwide
Discover current Chief Development Officer, advancement, philanthropy, and senior fundraising opportunities with mission-driven organizations across the United States.