Chief Development Officer and President of the NPR Foundation

Overview

Chief Development Officer and President of the NPR Foundation (CDO) will lead the strategic design and execution of a comprehensive national fundraising program consistent with NPR’s reputation for innovation and excellence. The CDO will supervise a small team of direct reports while providing direction and oversight for an overall, geographically distributed development staff of 40 across the areas of Individual Giving, Institutional Giving, Planned Giving, Collaborative Philanthropy, Digital Philanthropy, Donor Relations, Operations, and Database Analytics. The CDO will embody the highest standards of professionalism in developing fundraising systems and in executing high-touch frontline fundraising: as an influential member of the executive management team; as an effective partner to NPR’s President and CEO, NPR Foundation Board of Trustees, NPR Board of Directors, and the NPR Network; as a mentor and role model for a team of development professionals and support staff; and as a lead ambassador to high-level partners and donors. The CDO will serve as the catalyst in strengthening a culture of philanthropy intended to permeate all areas of NPR, leading efforts to build and sustain relationships that advance NPR and its Member Stations’ ability to provide high-quality, independent content that plays a critical role in the lives of the American public and of people around the world. The CDO will develop processes and relationships to ensure that fundraising strategies are mutually beneficial to NPR and its Member Stations, accomplishing both national and local goals and lifting the entire NPR system to new levels of giving.

NPR has a compelling case for public and private support driven by its journalistic excellence, the urgency of safeguarding and sustaining independent journalism, and the brimming energy surrounding the 2024 appointment of new President and CEO Katherine Maher. This highly favorable platform for fundraising is complemented by ongoing efforts to strengthen NPR and Member Stations’ collective reach by launching collaborative programming and a new initiative to bolster local and regional journalism, aligning well with an organizational priority of advancing collaborative NPR-Member Station fundraising efforts. In many respects, NPR is exceedingly well positioned to engage both nationally and regionally focused philanthropic support and expand the donor base.

While NPR will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will have the following qualifications / experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic design and execution of a comprehensive national fundraising program and donor development operations across multiple channels and segments.
• Oversee a distributed development staff of 40, with focus across Individual Giving, Institutional Giving, Planned Giving, Collaborative Philanthropy, Digital Philanthropy, Donor Relations, Operations, and Database Analytics.
• Develop and implement fundraising systems, benchmark best practices, and creative strategies to expand NPR’s donor base and philanthropic revenue.
• Partner with NPR’s President and CEO, NPR Foundation Board of Trustees, NPR Board of Directors, and the NPR Network; mentor and lead a team of development professionals and support staff; represent NPR to high-level partners and donors.
• Cultivate a culture of philanthropy across NPR and Member Stations, aligning national and local fundraising goals to strengthen the NPR system.
• Build processes and relationships to ensure mutually beneficial fundraising strategies for NPR and its Member Stations.

Qualifications

• Mission & Values Alignment: commitment to NPR’s mission, public radio, and high-quality journalism; values-driven, self-aware, and dedicated to personal and professional growth.
• Fundraising & Campaign Leadership: 15+ years of progressive experience securing major and planned gifts from individuals, families, foundations, and corporations; experience with stewardship, development operations, and large-scale campaigns; deep experience with digital fundraising, data analytics, market segmentation, and testing; affiliate-structured organization experience preferred.
• Management & Operational Excellence: 10+ years of management experience overseeing staff and fundraising operations; track record of change leadership and productive performance management; strong business and fiscal management skills.
• Philanthropy Expertise: knowledge of fundraising best practices, donor motivations, and evolving trends; ability to coordinate executive partnerships, branding, donor engagement, and deployment of senior colleagues and trustees.
• Strategic Planning & Execution: success in developing and executing complex fundraising strategies that engage diverse stakeholders and secure six to eight-figure gifts; ability to move prospects through the development pipeline.
• Marketing & Communications: strategic marketing and communications experience to support fundraising goals and engage audiences.
• Board & Volunteer Leadership: experience in inspiring and coordinating board members and volunteers to build a philanthropic network.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: ability to analyze data to inform prospect engagement, measure success, and adapt strategies.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: strong organizational and project leadership skills; able to work across teams and adjust strategies to meet objectives.

NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive place to work that welcomes diverse perspectives, with consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

NPR has retained the DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice of DSG Global to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) may be submitted via the following link and/or directed to the leader of the search team:

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.

Global Managing Partner and Practice Founder, DSG Fundraising & Advancement

DSG Global

The Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue, 49th Floor, New York, New York 10174

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