Chief Development Officer; CDO

Chief Development Officer

The Shelter for Abused Women & Children

Location:

Beau Venturi Home – Naples, FL

Reports to:

Chief Executive Officer

Employment Type:

Full-time, Exempt, Salary, On-site (In-person)
Direct Reports:
The Shelter’s Development Team & The Shelter Options Shoppe Team
Salary: DOE

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is the strategic leader responsible for advancing The Shelter’s fundraising efforts and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our mission. This role drives both capital and operational funding through thoughtful campaign leadership, meaningful donor engagement, and the expansion of endowment and planned giving initiatives.

By cultivating strong relationships with donors, volunteers, trustees, and community partners, the CDO helps secure the resources necessary to support survivors of domestic violence and their children. This position plays a critical role in strengthening a culture of philanthropy, empowering teams, and ensuring all development initiatives reflect The Shelter’s values, integrity, and commitment to excellence.

• 36-hour workweek
• Generous 200 hours of paid time off, including vacation, holidays, birthday, and sick time
• Medical, mental health, dental, and vision coverage
• Employer-matched 401(k) retirement plan
• Flexible Spending Account and dependent care options
• Employee Assistance Program
• Staff appreciation events and wellness-focused initiatives, including fitness incentives

Full details regarding benefits, policies, and procedures are provided upon hire.

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent professional experience
• Minimum of five (5) years of fundraising experience
• Completed CFRE Certification

• Applies sales and marketing knowledge effectively (preferred)
• Brings creativity, energy, and strategic thinking to all work
• Demonstrated management experience with staff and volunteer leadership
  
  Communicates clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing
• Engages diplomatically and effectively with donors and community supporters
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to peace in homes and the broader community
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and related technologies
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail
• Possesses strong knowledge of the local community and its constituencies
• Proven success in planning and executing fundraising events
• Able to think on their feet and manage multiple priorities simultaneously

The Chief Development Officer provides oversight, coordination, and strategic leadership for all aspects of The Shelter’s development and fundraising activities, ensuring the achievement of annual and long-term budget goals while expanding community awareness and donor engagement. This role leads capital and operational campaigns, develops and manages campaign budgets, monitors solicitation progress, prepares Gift Agreements, and produces reports for the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors.

The position designs and oversees donor relations protocols, including acknowledgements, named fund reporting, cultivation, and stewardship events, while executing data-driven donor identification and solicitation strategies. The Chief Development Officer oversees the development of presentation materials, expands the Case for Support, and maintains Gift Acceptance Policies and Procedures to ensure strong governance and accountability.

In partnership with the Communications Manager, the role ensures Shelter branding and philosophy are maintained across all communication channels, including donor collateral, segmented appeals, impact reporting, website content, social media, e-newsletters, and public relations efforts.

The CDO maintains expert-level knowledge of donor databases and reporting systems, leveraging data to support donor cultivation and fundraising performance. This role also leads the growth of endowment and planned giving programs.

The CDO oversees the planning and execution of signature fundraising events and donor appreciation experiences, supports third-party fundraising events benefiting The Shelter, and directs the full grant lifecycle,…