About Us 

For 120+ years, United Way of Salt Lake (UWSL) has served and strengthened the greater Salt Lake community.

Since 2001, UWSL has worked to address the root causes of poverty by building partnerships with schools and communities that improve education outcomes for all.

In 2011, UWSL narrowed its focus to have greater impact – connecting people to basic needs services through 211, and improving education outcomes from cradle to career through Promise Partnership Utah.

Today, UWSL is a nationally recognized organization working as part of Utah’s Promise to achieve transformational results for kids and families.

Our Mission

Mobilize the people, resources, and partnerships needed for every Utahn to have their basic needs met, and for every child to succeed in school.

Our Vision

100% of Utah kids and families thriving.

United Way of Salt Lake (UWSL) and Utah’s Promise (UP) are seeking a Chief Development Officer (CDO)

to lead the efforts for all development activities at the organization.

We are looking for a dynamic, organized, passionate, skilled, disciplined, equity-centered, and strategic leader to manage and maintain excellent relationships with a growing Engagement team, an engaged Board of Directors, and a growing portfolio of major gifts, planned gifts, annual, foundation, and corporate donors.

This opportunity is ideal for a goal-driven leader who loves to promote mission driven work to prospects and donors, enjoys coaching and developing team members, delivers exceptional stewardship/customer service, and understands the importance of a robust fundraising infrastructure and disciplined execution of strategies.

This role will elevate the organization’s vision and secure resources to further the innovative work of UWSL/UP. Driven by a passion for relationships and impact, they will lead the organization in achieving and exceeding ambitious goals. This position is an integral part of the executive team. It will be a strategic partner to the CEO in the creation, development, and execution of a comprehensive fundraising and revenue-generating program, including major gifts, planned giving, annual appeals, new donor cultivation, grant writing, foundation and corporate stewardship, and planning fundraising/cultivation events.

Alongside a professional fundraising team of 10 (with two direct reports) striving to meet and grow its annual fundraising goal of approximately $12-$15 million, the CDO will be a collaborative leader and supportive coach. The Engagement Department comprises the Donor/Community Engagement and Development Operations teams. The Chief Development Officer will also partner often with other talented staff, especially on projects that intersect with donors, such as the annual report, events, and donor communications.

Position Profile 

The CDO will have proven experience as a fundraising and organizational development specialist, with several years of management experience in a non-profit organization and savviness in cultivating five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts. They will approach the work with a disciplined fundraising lens emphasizing continuous improvement.

A successful candidate will have a strategic vision, the ability to develop a plan, and the capability to guide the organization in implementing the plan. The position requires an experienced, highly creative, self-motivated leader who can effectively communicate the organization’s philanthropic value proposition and develop strategies that will continue accelerating philanthropy and growing and diversifying the support funding base. They will have a problem-solving mindset that allows them to see and proactively solve challenges as they emerge. A successful candidate will understand the tension that sometimes exists at the intersection of equity and philanthropy and can operate on the continuum of donor and community-centered fundraising.

Role & Responsibilities 

Fundraising

1. Support the organization’s priorities using a donor and community-centered fundraising approach to work with donors and community leaders to contribute financial resources and innovative ideas.
2. Create and implement an annual strategic fundraising plan that supports the vision, including individual giving, annual fundraising, grants, corporate giving, events, major gifts, and legacy giving.
3. Maintain a portfolio of major gift donors through the donor cycle of identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors, including individual and institutional donors.
4. Collaborate with the CEO to refine donor strategies and ensure key donor relationships are managed.
5. Inspire donors, partners, and the community to action through impassioned and eloquent storytelling. Provide leadership that supports the professional growth of the Engagement team.
6. Oversee gift processing through policies, systems, and procedures built on ethical standards for soliciting and reporting.
7. Utilize data to drive decision-making, create donor segmentation, and enhance predictive financial modeling for the organization in collaboration with the CFO.
8. In coordination with staff members, carry out donor meetings, cultivation activities, and special events.
9. Partner with the VP of Strategic Communications and Marketing to regularly communicate with donors and community members.
10. Identify and implement opportunities for donor recognition, stewardship, and appreciation.

Leadership

1. Establish and model collaborative, inclusive behaviors that build a culture of philanthropy.
2. Set and achieve fundraising goals, make connections, and cultivate relationships.
3. Work with the CEO and CFO to develop and implement financial strategy by creating, approving, and implementing ambitious yet reasonable budgets.
4. Monitor progress against the organization’s annual and strategic plans.
5. Provide regular updates and analysis on revenue sources.
6. Provide fundraising leadership to the Board, including attending Board meetings, leading the corporate engagement committee, preparing and giving reports, and providing opportunities for the Board to engage in fundraising efforts.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this full-time, exempt position is $130,000 – $160,000. UWSL provides a wide range of benefits to its employees including:

• Competitive medical, dental, vision insurance
• 6% retirement match
• Life, accidental death, long-term, and short-term disability insurance options
• Flexible Spending Account
• HSA contribution that doesn’t require a match
• Free on-site gym & bike storage
• Paid parking or public transportation subsidy
• Two weeks paid office closure (between Christmas and NYE and the week of July 4th)
• Generous PTO
• Paid parental leave
• Onsite coffee shop & café
• Paid time to volunteer

Who are you?

• You lead with powerful charisma based on quiet confidence, compassion, and humility. You can read a room, have high self-awareness, and can accept responsibility and criticism.
• You are hungry to evaluate what is needed and to put systems in place for fundraising efficiency and success. You are disciplined in implementing your plans.
• You do the hard work, look inward, and ask the important questions. You lean in, even when it’s uncomfortable. You advocate for people in the organization at all levels.
• You are a skilled communicator. You are good at building relationships. You are comfortable in a room full of strangers or speaking to crowds. You enjoy making asks and know how to win hearts and minds by connecting people to mission.
• You love to win and share credit. You realize wide engagement in process trumps fast results. You know how to manage up and partner with a CEO. You learn from others, enjoy coaching those around you, and truly care about the people you work with.

Additional Skillset & Attributes

•  Five+ years of leadership experience managing development teams and partnering with the CEO to achieve impact.
• Proven record of closing gifts of
• $100,000+ and managing a donor portfolio.
• Demonstrated success in developing and managing relationships with donors, board members, corporate supporters, and community members.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills – ability to articulate and align mission, vision, and values to donors and donor prospects.
• The maturity, integrity, professionalism, and experience to earn the trust and confidence of our team, donors, board members, and community partners.
• Knowledge of nonprofit governance and experience working with, or on, boards.
• Experience using donor databases and CRMs for donor tracking and research.
• Strong financial acumen with ability to develop and manage budgets.
• Strategic thinker who sees the big picture and can also operate in the details.
• Proven skills to support a great team, set an example, and mentor others.
• Strong project management skills with ability to delegate, meet deadlines, and follow through.
• Commitment to UWSL/UP’s DEI goals and an interest in participating in shared learning activities.