Chief Advancement Officer

Position Summary

The Chief Advancement Officer leads and grows a comprehensive, mission-driven philanthropic program for Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church and School (OLG). The role builds a culture of stewardship, oversees all fundraising functions (annual giving/offertory, major and planned gifts, endowment, grants, capital campaigns, and cultivation-focused events), and ensures excellent donor care and advancement operations. Note: This role does not lead or perform Marketing or Communications functions (e.g., branding, media, website, social, parish/school publicity).

Key Responsibilities

1) Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute a multi‑year advancement plan aligned to OLG’s mission and priorities (parish and school).
• Set annual goals, KPIs, calendars, and budgets for all fundraising programs.
• Recruit, supervise, and coach advancement staff; provide professional development and clear performance expectations.
• Serve as staff lead to the Pastor and Endowment and Stewardship Committees; prepare agendas, reports, and action plans.
• Maintain and enforce gift acceptance, counting, and recognition policies.

2) Annual Giving & Offertory

• Design and manage parish offertory enhancement and sustained giving programs.
• Oversee the annual fund for parish and school, including pledge drives, recurring giving, and targeted appeals.
• Coordinate volunteer ambassadors and ministry/parent leaders for peer‑to‑peer outreach and testimony.

3) Major Gifts & Campaigns

• Build and manage a robust major‑gift pipeline (identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, steward).
• Create individualized cultivation plans and visit goals for top prospects and donors.
• Develop and maintain own portfolio of annual giving prospects.
• Partner with Pastor/Head of School on leadership asks; coordinate feasibility studies and—when authorized—capital/endowment campaigns.

4) Planned Giving & Endowment

• Launch and grow a planned giving program (bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable trusts, etc.).
• Steward and report on endowment and restricted funds in coordination with Finance.
• Grow our legacy society to recognize planned‑gift donors.

5) Grants & Institutional Funding

• Oversee grants pipeline: prospecting, proposal strategy, compliance, reporting, and renewals.
• Ensure timely, accurate submissions and post‑award stewardship.

6) Capital Campaign Management and Complete Work as such

7) Donor Stewardship & Advancement Operations

• Ensure prompt gift processing, acknowledgments, and adherence to donor intent.
• Maintain an accurate CRM/database (gift coding, soft credits, moves management, prospect research).
• Produce dashboards on revenue, pipeline health, retention, and ROI for Pastor, Principal, Finance Council, and Endowment Committee.
• Safeguard donor confidentiality and data integrity; ensure GAAP/IRS and diocesan compliance (letters, receipts, restrictions).

8) Events & Volunteer Leadership (Cultivation‑Focused)

• Plan and execute cultivation and gratitude events (leadership receptions, donor briefings, small salons).
• Recruit, train, and support volunteers/committee members for stewardship and endowment activities (not publicity).

9) Mission Integration & Collaboration

• Embed a spirituality of stewardship across parish and school; train clergy, staff, and volunteers on Catholic development best practices.
• Collaborate with leaders on funding priorities, cases for support, and donor impact reporting—without taking on marketing/communications work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or CFRE preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive fundraising experience with success in annual giving and major gifts; capital campaign experience preferred.
• Experience in a Catholic parish/school or faith‑based nonprofit strongly preferred; understanding of Catholic teaching and parish life.
• Proven team leadership, volunteer management, and committee facilitation skills.
• Strong financial acumen (budgets, forecasting, fund restrictions) and operational discipline.
• Proficiency with donor CRMs and prospect research tools; strong data and reporting skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; high integrity, discretion, and donor‑centric judgment.
• Ability to work evenings/weekends as needed for pastoral and school schedules.

Core Competencies

• Mission Alignment & Pastoral Sensitivity
• Relationship Building & Listening
• Strategic Thinking & Execution
• Solicitation Confidence & Presence
• Data‑Informed Decision Making
• Process/Policy Rigor & Compliance
• Coaching & Team Development

Email cover letter, resume and references to stevebonello@olgparish.org