The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will be responsible for leading and scaling a comprehensive fundraising strategy that reflects the organization’s mission, values, and growth goals. Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the CDO is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and will be responsible for expanding and diversifying NCOA’s funding streams—across federal government, foundation, corporate, and individual sectors. This leader will drive innovation, strengthen development infrastructure, and build strategic relationships that fuel the organization’s social impact.

The Chief Development Officer’s responsibilities will also include planning, development, and implementation of NCOA’s communication and business development strategies and activities. The CDO leads business development efforts, strategic growth objectives; capture management; proposal management; heavily engages in the building of strategic partnerships and relationships in collaboration with the Executive team; and develops and leads the work of dispersed fund development efforts carried out under department leads. 

Positions at this level are the top leaders in the organization and require advanced knowledge and experience as well as advanced management capabilities. Incumbents are required to exercise independent judgment on decisions that impact the organization and hold their direct reports accountable for the execution of functional and operational strategy. Incumbents generally have ten or more years of experience in their discipline and a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent, as well as substantive experience at this level. Graduate-level degrees may be considered in lieu of experience.

COMPETENCIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• Strategic Thinking - Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; understands organization's strengths & weaknesses; analyzes market and competition; identifies external threats and opportunities; adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on solving conflict; maintains confidentiality; listens to others without interrupting; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.
• Relationship Building and Stewardship - Ability to establish and nurture long-term, trust-based relationships with high-net-worth individuals; skilled in personalized communication and demonstrating impact to maintain donor engagement.
• Innovation - Displays original thinking and creativity; Meets challenges with resourcefulness; Generates suggestions for improving work; Develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.
• Visionary Leadership - Displays passion and optimism; inspires respect and trust; mobilizes others to fulfill the vision; provides vision and inspiration to peers and subordinates.
• Business Acumen - Understands business implications of decisions and profitability; demonstrates knowledge of the market and competition; aligns work with strategic goals.
• Cost Consciousness - Works within approved budget; develops and implements cost saving measures; contributes to profits and revenue; conserves organizational resources.
• Managing People - Includes staff in planning, decision-making, facilitating and process improvement; takes responsibility for subordinates' activities; makes self-available to staff; provides regular performance feedback; develops subordinates' skills and encourages growth; solicits and applies customer feedback (internal and external); fosters quality focus in others; improves processes, products, and services.; continually works to improve supervisory skills.
• Delegation - Delegates work assignments; matches the responsibility to the person; gives authority to work independently; sets expectations and monitors delegated activities; provides recognition for results.
• Ethics - Treats people with respect; works with integrity; upholds organizational values.
• Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment; supports and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in decision-making process; makes timely decisions.
• Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plans for additional resources; sets goals and objectives; organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; develops realistic action plans.
• Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a multi-year development strategy aligned with NCOA’s strategic plan and mission impact goals.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO, Board, and Executive Team on resource development priorities and opportunities.
• Build a culture of philanthropy across the organization, fostering collaboration between programs, communications, and development.

Federal Government Resource Development

• Strengthen and expand federal funding relationships with agencies such as the Administration for Children & Families (ACF), Administration for Community Living (ACL), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Labor (DOL), and others.
• Oversee cross-functional efforts to secure new federal grants and cooperative agreements, ensuring alignment with NCOA’s mission and capabilities.

Foundation and Institutional Giving

• Cultivate and steward deep partnerships with national and regional foundations, positioning NCOA as a strategic thought partner and trusted grantee.
• Identify new institutional funding prospects, working with the program and policy teams to develop compelling cases for support.

Corporate Engagement

• Build and grow national corporate partnerships that advance shared value, including sponsorships, cause marketing, employee engagement, and thought leadership collaborations.
• Partner with the communications team to elevate NCOA’s brand and visibility among corporate audiences.

Individual Philanthropy

• Lead the growth of NCOA’s individual giving program, including major gifts, planned giving, mid-level donors, and digital fundraising.
• Personally manage a portfolio of high-net-worth donors and prospects, engaging the CEO and Board as needed for cultivation and solicitation.

Team and Infrastructure Development

• Lead and mentor a high-performing development team, ensuring clear goals, accountability, and professional growth.
• Oversee development operations, including CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce), donor analytics, and stewardship practices.

• Other duties as assigned. 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

Experience

• Minimum 7-10 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, ideally in a national nonprofit or similar-sized organization.
• Demonstrated success leading diverse revenue portfolios of $10M+ annually.
• Proven track record in securing major gifts, multi-year grants, and strategic corporate alliances.
• Experience navigating federal funding streams and partnerships.
• Experience working directly with executive leadership and Board members to support fundraising goals.

Skills and Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong execution skills and results orientation.
• Exceptional relationship builders with high emotional intelligence and communication skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.
• Passion for NCOA’s mission and advancing an agenda that ensures all age well in America.
• Commitment to inclusion in all aspects of development work.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Frequently required to sit or use a standing desk. 
• Occasionally required to walk. 
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. 
• Frequently required to talk or listen. 
• Occasionally required to bend, lift, or climb stairs.
• Occasionally required to lift light weights (less than 25 pounds). 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

 NCOA is an equal opportunity employer

About National Council on Aging (NCOA)

Founded in 1950, we are the oldest national organization focused on older adults. We are the national voice for every person’s right to age well. Working with thousands of national and local partners, we provide resources, tools, best practices, and advocacy to ensure every person can age with health and financial security.

Connections working at National Council on Aging (NCOA)