Chief Advancement Officer

Job Title: Chief Advancement Officer

Department: Advancement

Location: Ideally based in or near Washington, DC, Oakland or LA, CA;
New York, NY, Seattle, WA; or Chicago, IL. This position can be remote and requires an ability to travel.

Reports To: Chief Development and Marketing Officer

Supervises: 4‑6 direct reports

Sierra Club’s Mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.

Context:
As America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, our 134‑year old organization is committed to protecting every person’s right to get outdoors; to working to complete America’s transition to a clean energy economy; to safeguarding the health of our communities; and to protecting wildlife and preserving our wild places. This work is powered by our approximately 700 staff across the country, a network of 64 local chapters that are led and fueled by thousands of volunteers, and our more than 3.4 million members and supporters.

We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with three labor unions representing more than half of our employees. Sierra Club completed a successful billion dollar comprehensive revenue campaign in 2025, which has fueled our grassroots power, organizational capacity, and big wins for the environment.

Scope:
The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) will lead Sierra Club’s advancement strategy during a period of organizational evolution and new leadership. The role focuses on securing long‑term financial sustainability by growing diversified, mission‑aligned restricted and unrestricted funding from institutional funders and individual donors giving $25,000+ annually.

As a Leadership Team member, the CAO will provide both strategic vision and leadership to grow sustainable revenue and advance Sierra Club’s mission. They will oversee and integrate multiple major revenue streams, including: individual major and principal gifts, institutional grants, board giving, and capital and comprehensive campaigns.

This leader will also manage staff leading grant writing and donor stewardship in support of national and chapter activities, and will guide fundraising for multiple funding structures, including the 501(c)(3) (via Sierra Club Foundation fiscal sponsorship) and 501(c)(4), and political action related entities. The CAO collaborates closely with Finance, Program, Communications, Membership Growth, Chapter Fundraising, Field, and Green Ventures and Partnerships to align on key initiatives and ensure the coherence and effectiveness of advancement narratives and priorities.

• Strategy development and implementation
  . Develop and execute a multi‑year advancement strategy that integrates with other donor and supporter programs across Sierra Club and incorporates clear annual and long‑term revenue plans with measurable targets, accurate forecasting models, and fundraising performance metrics across advancement functions.
• Department leadership
  . Lead a sophisticated, nationwide advancement team responsible for sustaining and growing $65M+ in annual revenue, while identifying and developing new opportunities tied to the organization’s strategic priorities. Develop and lead a high‑performing, inclusive advancement team, fostering accountability, collaboration, and professional growth. Model and promote a culture of trust, empowerment, collaboration, support, transparency, and resource sharing.
• Cultivation of donor relationships
  . Personally manage and expand a portfolio of principal donors, including the organization’s most high‑profile individual and institutional relationships. Build deep collaboration with campaigns, chapters and key stakeholders to expand support from major donors and institutional funders.
• Fundraising Leadership
  . In partnership with the Sierra Club Foundation, other fundraising leaders, and Finance, oversee the strategy, compliance, and execution of 501(c)(3) fundraising and related charitable…