About Horton’s Kids: Horton’s Kids is a community-based organization committed to driving positive change for over 600 children and families in Southeast DC by providing comprehensive academic, social-emotional, health, and wellness support. Our organization is deeply rooted in the communities we serve.

We partner with communities in Southeast DC, where children and families with immense potential face the daily reality of historical disinvestment and systemic racism. Our approach involves working directly with families to access resources and services to overcome unjust obstacles and reach their full potential.

Horton’s Kids operates three Community Resource Centers, each playing a vital role in our mission. At the heart of our operations is Horton’s Kids Community Resource Hub or “Horton’s Hub”, serving as our largest location and headquarters. This multifunctional space serves as both our administrative offices and the central hub for our programming and distribution efforts.

Job Description: The Chief Development Officer (CDO) position is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned development professional to achieve fundraising success within one of the area’s most dynamic nonprofits. Horton’s Kids has a 35-year history of programmatic success and an accompanying loyal, robust and active group of Board members, donors and volunteers.

The Chief Development Officer is responsible for envisioning, leading, and implementing the Horton’s Kids annual and long-range strategy for fundraising from a variety of sources, including foundations, corporations, individuals, local and federal government, and events. The current annual fundraising budget is $4.15 million dollars, which is raised primarily through individual donors, corporate and foundation support. The 3-year strategic plan includes growth in revenue to $4.5 million by FY27.

The Chief Development Officer reports directly to the Executive Director, is the direct supervisor of the Senior Director of Individual Giving and Corporate Partnerships Manager, manages consultants who provide administrative, writing, research, event planning and communications support, engages a high-level portfolio of donors and funders, oversees donor strategies, and serves as a liaison to the Board of Directors. The Chief Development Officer is also a member of the Executive Leadership Team at Horton’s Kids which works to provide strategic leadership, planning and oversight for all aspects of operations across the organization.

Primary Responsibilities: 

Planning and Leadership (30%)

• Establishes a multi-year development operational plan with benchmarks to meet and exceed annual and long-term development goals.
• Strategically designs, implements and manages the annual development plan and timeline. • Leads a team of fundraising professionals and unites them around a concrete plan of action and common vision of success.
• Clears roadblocks and assists fundraising team members with strategy development and implementation, especially around moves management.
• Provides clear expectations for job performance and offers ongoing feedback and guidance to help team members develop and progress in their careers.
• Provides guidance and direction to staff/contractors responsible for strategy development and execution.
• Reports regularly to the ED, CFO and the Board on fundraising progress against goals, pipeline activity and other pertinent developments.
• Interfaces with finance staff to complete monthly reconciliation activity between departments.

Fundraising (35%)

• Personally manages a portfolio of ~40 top individual, corporate, and foundation donors and funders ($25,000+ in annual support) as well as some high-value new prospects.
• Leads strategy, support, and oversight of fundraising team members:
  Manager of Institutional Giving (to be hired): grants calendar, prospects lists, research, and writing
  • Corporate Partnerships Manager: portfolio of corporate donors ($1,000+) and prospects.
  • Senior Director of Individual Giving: portfolio of individual mid-level ($1,000+) and major donors ($5,000+).
• Partners with the Executive Director of her donor portfolio and priority prospects.
• Leads Senior Director of Individual Giving and Corporate Partnerships Manager in the execution of Horton’s Kids’ two signature fundraising events, Give Thanks & Give Back and Home Runs for Horton’s Kids, with contracted support for elements of event production.
• Strategizes and facilitates the growth of priority donor initiatives including the major donor group, and corporate partners major giving program in partnership with the Senior Director of Individual Giving and the Corporate Partnerships Manager.
• Ensures all contracted grant writing and events production services are productive.
• Strengthens, nurtures, sustains and grows the annual donor base through direct mail, email and social media efforts, in partnership with the Senior Director of Individual Giving and Development and Communications Coordinator.

Communications & Marketing (20%)

• Serves as a public representative of the organization to enhance awareness and commitment to Horton’s Kids mission.
• With writing support, develops concise, compelling organizational messaging and ensures all organizational representatives are well-versed in this language.
• Sets strategy for PR and oversees all media relations.
• Supports the Development and Communications Coordinator in driving an annual calendar of communications pieces, including e-newsletters, brochures, annual report, website content, and social media.

Board Leadership (15%)

• Leads the Board Development Committee with four quarterly meetings, and any additional communication needed to move strategies forward in the Development Plan.
• Acts as a liaison with the Board of Directors. Support Board meetings, retreats, and events to promote maximum engagement, efficiency, and productivity.
• Provides necessary training and support to Board members and other key volunteers engaged in various facets of the stewardship process.
• Acts as lead strategist for business and philanthropic relationships.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of success leading and managing development efforts within an organization of comparable size/complexity.
• Bachelor’s degree in related industry (i.e. business, communications, marketing, sociology, etc.) is required along with knowledge of funding in the Metropolitan D.C. region.
• Proven record of accomplishment of achieving revenue targets and/or a quota of over $2.5M annually.
• First-hand experience cultivating and securing five- and six-figure gifts from various donor types.
• Financially astute with the ability to develop budgets and effectively manage/leverage financial resources and read financial reports.
• Direct experience soliciting and closing gifts from diverse sources, including major, 5-6 figure gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies.
• Direct experience leading strategy and development of fundraising events.
• Direct experience growing organization brand awareness among external audiences.
• CFRE credentials.
• Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge CRM.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Deeply committed to our mission and values – Commitment, Compassion, Connectedness, Equity, Integrity
• Pro-active and organized, with strong time management skills
• Extensive, hands-on experience with a donor database system
• Strong verbal communications skills (as evidenced by public speaking experience) and demonstrated ability to write clearly and persuasively
• Strong interpersonal, supervision, administration and project management skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs
• Ability to work with diverse groups of people
• Sound judgment, professionalism and a positive attitude

Salary: $130,000 – $150,000 annually, based on experience.

Benefits: Horton’s Kids offers a generous benefits package including vacation hours, comp time, holiday breaks, sick time, parental leave, flexible hours and telework options, 3% employer-matched retirement, mobile phone allowance, health & wellness benefit, employer-paid health benefits including vision and dental, and more.

Remote Work Opportunity: Currently, Horton’s Kids administrative staff work remotely two days per week. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays are mandatory days in the office at our facility at 2233 Hunter Place SE.

Any offers made to candidates will be contingent upon undergoing standard screening requirements including an FBI background check, DC background check, Child Protection Register check. Must be 18 or older to apply. Horton’s Kids, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.