Chief Development Officer

About CorpsAfrica:

Founded in 2011, CorpsAfrica provides the opportunity for young Africans to serve as volunteers in their own countries, along the lines of the Peace Corps model. We train highly motivated college graduates and send them to live for up to one year in rural, high-poverty communities in their own countries to facilitate small-scale, high-impact projects identified by local people. To date, CorpsAfrica has hosted more than 1,000 Volunteers in ten countries – Morocco, Senegal, Malawi, Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, The Gambia, and South Africa.

Having successfully proven the power and effectiveness of the model, CorpsAfrica has begun to receive significant funding from large donors. Of note, CorpsAfrica is implementing a 5-year $60M commitment from the Mastercard Foundation to expand the program into 11 countries, recruit and train more than 1,600 young African volunteers, and ultimately impact 800,000+ lives by 2027.

Overview of the Position:

At a time of tremendous growth and opportunity, CorpsAfrica is seeking a Chief Development Officer to set and lead a comprehensive fundraising effort to sustain and grow a $16M annual operating budget. Reporting to the CEO, this hire will serve as a senior leader of the Global Support Office, build and manage a global fundraising team, and ensure the grants and unrestricted revenue needed to scale the model and amplify our impact.

CLASSIFICATION: Full-time, exempt

SALARY AND BENEFITS: The compensation range is $150,000 - $200,000. CorpsAfrica offers a comprehensive benefits package, including employer-paid medical/dental/vision/life insurance, 401(k) with employer match, and generous paid time off to US-based employees. A comparable benefits package is available to African-based employees.

LOCATION: The preference is the DC metro area, but there’s some flexibility to be based in Kenya, or one of our other offices in Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, or Uganda. The position may require up to 50% travel, depending on the selected applicant’s home base. The organization offers a flexible telecommuting policy.

REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer

Specific Responsibilities:

• In close partnership with the CEO and senior leadership, design and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy that drives growth and sustainability, with ambitious goals to increase revenue year-over-year in renewals and new gifts.
• Maintain and grow a portfolio of existing major foundations and individual funders, leveraging the CEO, staff, and board in donor stewardship and retention. Take ownership of developing donor-specific strategies, meeting preparation, and follow-up.
• Oversee the research, qualification, and management of a robust pipeline of new donor prospects. Perform due diligence, conduct outreach, and design cultivation tactics that reflect an understanding of the prospect’s interests and fit with CorpsAfrica.
• Supervise and coach a global development team (with 3-4 direct reports) responsible for grant writing, events, major individual gifts, communications, grassroots fundraising, government grants, and development operations.
• Oversee seamless back-office operations, including high Salesforce utilization and consistent processes for donor data and moves management tracking, pipeline management, and reporting. Ensure donor recognition and stewardship are conducted on time.
• In collaboration with the Director of Global Communications and external vendors, oversee the creation of compelling written and online appeals, pitch decks, reports, and other donor-facing materials that leverage impact data, results, and stories.
• Play a hands-on role in increasing the Board’s fundraising capacity, recruiting new board members, and participating regularly at board meetings. Leverage board members' time and relationships strategically in donor cultivation and stewardship. Provide staff support for the Board development committee.
• Serve as a spokesperson and elevate CorpsAfrica's visibility and engagement within key networks and communities in the global development space (e.g., UN General Assembly, Clinton Global Initiative, Skoll World Forum.)
• As an executive member of the Global Support Office, contribute to guiding overall organizational strategic direction, decision-making, prioritization, and goals, as well as setting and modeling cultural competency and humility as a member of a multicultural team that works across the US and Africa.

Qualifications:

• An enthusiastic advocate for CorpsAfrica's mission and values, inspired to grow a successful Pan-African program that recruits and trains young people to serve in their own countries and other countries through the exchange program. A person who thrives on a multicultural team that values collaboration, listening and capacity building, monitoring and evaluating, accountability and transparency, and – above all – a commitment to locals helping locals.
• A seasoned development professional with a proven track record of securing significant gifts. The ideal candidate will have 12 to 15 years of progressively responsible experience in major gift fundraising, with demonstrated success in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding both institutional, corporate, and individual donors at six-figure levels and above. Strong connections and relationships to key foundations that align with CorpsAfrica’s fundraising priorities are essential. Experience in fundraising for a global organization is highly valued.
• A data-driven and numbers enthusiast. Ability to set goals and hold the team responsible for KPIs; regularly monitor and adjust course to ensure the organization’s annual fundraising goals are met.
• A people person with a warm, energetic, and authentic personality that translates to building lasting relationships with a range of personalities, skilled at working the room at cultivation and stewardship events, a natural networker with the ability to deepen existing relationships and develop new ones.
• A “big picture” thinker with the ability to implement tactically. A fundraising with intellectual curiosity and hands-on in translating strategy into tangible activities and goals. Integrate fundraising best practices with creative thinking and approaches.
• A compelling writer, presenter, and communicator. Skilled in analyzing, breaking down, and communicating ideas in ways that inspire others to action. Leverage data and stories to create narratives that articulate the “why” behind an organization’s mission and impact. Proposal writing experience is required.
• An empathetic leader who leverages individuals’ strengths and fosters collaboration. Experience in managing and coaching direct and indirect reports for high performance and accountability. Manage "up/down/across" to ensure all players operate in unison.
• A well-organized and resourceful doer. Experienced in leading and prioritizing multiple projects and workstreams, with pride in the work product and high attention to detail. Proficiency in donor relationship management and technology to track data for the full donor lifecycle. Salesforce experience is helpful.

To Apply:

If this opportunity speaks to you, please send 1) a cover letter that explains why CorpsAfrica's work excites you and why this role is a fit for you, 2) your résumé, and 3) a fundraising-related writing sample (e.g. a grant LOI, donor appeal, annual report) through JazzHR. Interviews will be extended to qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The deadline to apply for the position is January 19, 2025.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, CorpsAfrica encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, physical ability or any other legally protected basis.