About this role
Job title: Chief Development Officer
About the Role The Marshall Project seeks a Chief Development Officer who will sit on the executive leadership team and lead the organization's fundraising strategy. The CDO will guide growth in funding through major gifts, foundations, and a digital membership program, while building donor stewardship and data infrastructure to support expansion across national and local markets.
What You'll Do
- Guide and direct all fundraising efforts, including major gifts from individuals and foundations and a digital membership program
- Build a growth plan engaging national donors and those in cities and regions where TMP seeks to establish news operations
- Oversee a donor stewardship program, events, board relations, and top donor engagement
- Develop foundational donor data infrastructure in Salesforce to enable segmentation, tracking and reporting
- Review marketing materials and top-level grant proposals and reports, articulating a persuasive case for support
- Lead and develop a team of fundraising professionals spanning major gifts, mid-level supporters, membership, grant-writing, and operations
- Assess and shape the development team's structure, including hiring, role scope and capacity gaps
- Establish clear performance metrics, annual goals and accountability, and foster professional development
- Create a collaborative, mission-aligned culture; ensure deadlines are met and donors are engaged
- Partner with the CFO to set budgets and fundraising goals; collaborate with editorial/product/audience teams to reach donors
- Work with the CEO on board meetings and development activities, and deepen board engagement
- Represent TMP at industry conferences and events to share experiences with a dynamic cohort of nonprofit journalism organizations
What We're Looking For
- At least 12 years of experience in development and fundraising
- Proven experience building and leading fundraising teams (major gifts, foundations, membership, grants)
- Strong track record in donor stewardship, events, and board engagement
- Experience leading fundraising growth across national and local markets
- Entrepreneurial, strategic, transformational leader with excellent communication and management skills
- Experience developing donor data infrastructure and using CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce)
- Ability to collaborate across editorial, product, audience, and finance teams and to work with the CEO and board