Thetrustees

Chief Development Officer

Boston, Massachusetts, United States · Exec · Full-time

Sponsorship not specified$258k-$332kDetected 69 days ago

Strategic CommunicationsSalesforceCRMPipeline ManagementForecastingCustomer SupportLeadershipCommunicationCollaborationMentoringAdaptability

About the role

In partnership with the President and CEO, CFO, Board Development Committee, campaign leadership, and senior leadership team, you will set annual, campaign, and long-term fundraising goals for The Trustees.
Help evolve The Trustees' fundraising approach toward storytelling and impact-centered engagement, ensuring donors clearly understand the tangible outcomes of their philanthropic investment.
Ensure high-quality, individualized, and meaningful stewardship of donors, coordinating with colleagues throughout The Trustees and/or personally stewarding donors as needed.

Responsibilities

As a member of the executive team, you'll help lead the organization through a period of strategic and cultural evolution-strengthening collaboration across teams, fostering an organization-wide culture of philanthropy, and helping programmatic and functional leaders translate their expertise into compelling philanthropic opportunities.
You'll partner across the organization to shape fundraising priorities and create compelling investment opportunities that resonate with donors and reflect the impact and relevance of The Trustees' mission.
This role requires a strategic and adaptable fundraising leader with a strong track record of securing transformational and unrestricted support, cultivating new donor relationships, and navigating complex organizational environments.
You will have significant team management experience and the ability to lead culture change and inspire success.
Personally manage and solicit a portfolio of the organization's highest-capacity donors, securing transformational and unrestricted gifts in partnership with the CEO and Board leadership.
Drive the identification and cultivation of new major donor prospects and philanthropic audiences, broadening The Trustees' network of support and deepening donor engagement statewide.
Partner with and mobilize the Board of Trustees to advance fundraising goals, equipping members to effectively engage, cultivate, and solicit donors.
Collaborate with Marketing and Communications colleagues to ensure consistent, compelling, and coordinated messaging across all fundraising and engagement channels.

Requirements

Skills and Experience: 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in fundraising and development, including significant experience leading complex, multi-faceted fundraising organizations and strategies.
Proven track record of securing transformational and unrestricted gifts from high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, corporations, and institutional funders.
Strong ability to identify, cultivate, and engage new donor audiences, expanding philanthropic networks and pipelines.
Experience partnering effectively with executive leaders, boards, and cross-functional teams to shape strategic fundraising priorities and translate organizational initiatives into compelling philanthropic opportunities.
Exceptional strategic thinking skills with the ability to assess trends in philanthropy, donor behavior, financial markets, and the external landscape to inform fundraising strategy and organizational decision-making.
Exceptional written communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling donor communications, fundraising proposals, strategic narratives, and impact-driven messaging tailored to diverse audiences.
Systems thinker with the ability to understand the interconnectedness of teams, functions, donor engagement strategies, and
Develop and maintain a strong understanding of The Trustees' programs, strategic priorities, and external landscape to effectively position the organization with donors and partners.

Compensation

$258,125-$331,875 Please note that new employees are placed in the range between $258,125 and $295,000 to allow for an equitable starting salary process and continual salary growth during an employee's time at the Trustees.

Benefits

Job Classification: Full-Time, Exempt Job Location Type: Hybrid Location: Boston, MA Start Date: Flexible, but this role is anticipated to begin in Fall 2026 What You'll Do:

Company info

Founded in 1891 by a group of visionary volunteers, The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) is Massachusetts' premier conservation and preservation organization.
The Trustees' preserves, for public use and enjoyment, of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts.
Our are open to all, and we thrive by involving as many people as possible in all that we do.
We aim to protect special places for future generations to enjoy in perpetuity, and have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 27,000+ acres on more than 120 reservations that are open to the public.
As a non-profit conservation organization, we are funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and our 85,000 Member households.
We encourage you to learn more about The Trustees on our website, www.thetrustees.org.
Salary: $258,125-$331,875 Please note that new employees are placed in the range between $258,125 and $295,000 to allow for an equitable starting salary process and continual salary growth during an employee's time at the Trustees.
Job Classification: Full-Time, Exempt Job Location Type: Hybrid Location: Boston, MA Start Date: Flexible, but this role is anticipated to begin in Fall 2026 What You'll Do: Your Impact: The Trustees is entering a transformational chapter in its history through the implementation of For Everyone, Forever, our bold strategic plan to save, steward, and share Massachusetts' special places for generations to come.
As Chief Development Officer (CDO), you will play a critical leadership role in shaping the future of philanthropy at The Trustees-building the relationships, strategies, and culture necessary to sustain and grow support for our mission statewide.
While The Trustees is currently engaged in the largest fundraising effort in the organization's history, this role is about far more than leading a campaign.
It is an opportunity to help evolve how The Trustees connects mission to philanthropy by building a fundraising strategy that deepens engagement, expands philanthropic support, and inspires new audiences and institutions to invest in our work.

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