Chief Development Officer

Overview:

The U.S. Soccer Foundation helps young people embrace an active/healthy lifestyle and cultivate critical life skills through soccer. The Foundation’s programs are the national model for sports-based youth development in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1994, the Foundation has impacted thousands of children through its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives, which offer safe environments where kids and communities thrive. For more information, visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org. The Foundation’s headquarters are in Washington, DC.

About the Role:

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is an innovative, results-oriented leader with exceptional inter-personal skills and ability to influence. The CDO will develop, implement and deliver on a comprehensive multi-year fundraising plan and lead the development team to maximum performance levels in all areas of responsibility.  

The CDO will actively manage a donor portfolio, including existing high level corporate partnerships, individuals, and foundation contributions, as well as government grants. This individual will identify, cultivate and develop new funding and revenue opportunities, while building strong internal cross-department collaboration to ensure effective stewardship of funders and partners.  

The CDO will drive the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s overall fundraising effort, including support for our flagship programs Soccer for Success and Safe Places to Play.  The successful candidate will foster a fundraising culture throughout the organization, motivating team members and board members to connect donor interests, passions and values with opportunities at the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

As a member of the organization’s Executive Leadership Team, the CDO will be engaged in broader organizational strategies and initiatives, and is expected to work collaboratively across the range of Foundation stakeholders specifically, with the communications and programs teams.

About the Team:

At the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the Development department supports the mission and vision of the organization through the engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors, corporate partners, and foundations. The department oversees the entire development enterprise, unifying all elements of the fundraising operation, driving innovation and outreach across multiple channels, maximizing impact, and achieving significant, sustained revenue growth. 

Responsibilities:

• With support of the President/CEO and senior executive team develop, implement a comprehensive, multi-year development strategy to include corporate sponsors, individual gifts and foundation/government grants.
• Cultivate new sources of revenue by acquiring new sponsors and expanding or upgrading the existing donor base, with an increased focus on corporate funding and major gifts; in particular, building new sources of unrestricted funding.
• Develop and implement a stewardship program that cultivates deeper ties with donors.
• Build and grow a sustainable major gift funding stream, developing and stewarding relationships with a national network of high-net-worth donors.
• Oversee the development and execution of all fundraising and grant proposals.
• Oversee research of funding sources and trends with an eye toward positioning the Foundation at the front of major funding changes or trends.
• Ensure tracking and monitoring of all donor information, leveraging data to improve performance and efficiency; provide/present statistical analysis to board and senior leaders.
• Serve in a principal role, representing the Foundation in business meetings, speaking engagements and other public activities.
• Work with the Marketing & Communications team to develop annual communications and marketing efforts.
• Drive a culture of philanthropy across the organization by sharing strategic expertise, resources and tools that support and empower staff to identify and develop new opportunities and partnerships.
• Establish strong relationships with President/CEO, staff, board, volunteers, donors and the general community while adhering to the highest ethical standards and to demonstrate commitment to continued professional growth and development.
• Monitor and report regularly on the progress of the development program.
• Travel, as necessary, to build relationships (estimate: 40%).

About You

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; CFRE certification preferred.
• A minimum 10 years of professional experience, at least 3 years of leadership experience in a nonprofit organization; demonstrated success in a development function (managing and forging relationships with multiple donor sources at multiple levels). Relevant corporate sales and management experience considered, but direct nonprofit experience is required.
• Evidence of success and proven expertise securing and managing a wide range of fundraising streams, with particular emphasis on securing corporate partnerships and philanthropic gifts from major donors.
• Proven ability to set and articulate a fundraising strategy, build and execute a development plan, and utilize a metrics driven approach to evaluate outcomes.
• Proven track record of implementing fundraising initiatives to significantly expand and steward existing donor relationships.
• Effective leadership skills including organization, prioritizing goals and actions, allocating resources and ensuring maximum performance and results.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and build long-term relationships.
• Flexible and adaptable; a leader who can positively impact both strategic and tactical fundraising initiatives.
• Professional and Resourceful; the ability to work independently and collaborate, to take initiative, and to manage multiple tasks and projects at a time.
• Proven ability to build strong, lasting relationships across levels and functions with an appreciation for and the ability to understand and work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• A commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in all aspects of work.
• Passion for the US Soccer Foundation’s mission.

Salary:

The salary for this position is competitive. Benefits include generous medical and dental insurance plans; 401(k) retirement plans with employer match; professional development; mobile data plan reimbursement; commuter benefits; and generous vacation.

Required Materials & References:

Please follow the instructions on the job posting to submit required materials. For the Reference section, please submit a minimum of two (2) references, with at least one being supervisory in nature. Please note your reference’s name, title, organization/company, and contact information.