Chief Development Officer job description.
A Chief Development Officer leads an organization's fundraising, resource development, and strategic growth initiatives, most commonly within nonprofit or mission-driven organizations. They build donor and partner relationships, set development strategy, and oversee the team responsible for meeting revenue and growth targets.
The Chief Development Officer job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Chief Development Officer Reports to: Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director
A Chief Development Officer leads an organization's fundraising, resource development, and strategic growth initiatives, most commonly within nonprofit or mission-driven organizations. They build donor and partner relationships, set development strategy, and oversee the team responsible for meeting revenue and growth targets.
- Develop and execute the organization's fundraising and development strategy
- Cultivate relationships with major donors, foundations, and corporate partners
- Lead and mentor the development and fundraising team
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Develop and execute the organization's fundraising and development strategy
- Cultivate relationships with major donors, foundations, and corporate partners
- Lead and mentor the development and fundraising team
- Set annual fundraising goals and monitor progress against targets
- Oversee grant writing, campaigns, and donor stewardship programs
- Report development performance and forecasts to the CEO and board
- Represent the organization at external events and partner engagements
- Ensure compliance with fundraising regulations and ethical standards
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in development or fundraising
- Proven track record of securing major gifts or large-scale funding
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; advanced degree a plus
- Strong relationship-building and public speaking skills
- Experience leading development within a comparable-sized organization
- Established donor or funder network
- CFRE or equivalent fundraising credential
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Chief Development Officer job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Chief Development Officer job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The executive band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- Is this role specific to nonprofits?
- It's most common in nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, though some for-profit companies use the title for leaders of strategic growth or partnership functions.
- How does this role differ from a Development Director?
- A Chief Development Officer typically sits at the executive level with organization-wide strategic authority, while a Development Director often manages day-to-day fundraising operations under that leadership.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Chief Executive Officer
The CEO sets and executes the company's strategy, is accountable to the board, and represents the organisation externally.
Development Director
A Development Director leads fundraising and donor relations strategy for a nonprofit or institution, overseeing campaigns, grants, and major gift efforts.
Chief Growth Officer
A Chief Growth Officer owns an organization's revenue growth strategy across marketing, sales, and product initiatives.
This Chief Development Officer job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.