Chief Development Officer

The Aplastic Anemia Aplastic Anemia: (ay-PLASS-tik uh-NEE_mee-uh) A rare and serious condition in which the bone marrow fails to make enough blood cells - red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The term aplastic is a Greek word meaning not to form. Anemia is a condition that happens when red blood cell count is low. Most… & MDS International Foundation (the Foundation) is the world's leading nonprofit health organization dedicated to supporting patients and families living with aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes myelodysplastic syndromes: (my-eh-lo-diss-PLASS-tik SIN-dromez) A group of disorders where the bone marrow does not work well, and the bone marrow cells fail to make enough healthy blood cells. Myelo refers to the bone marrow. Dysplastic means abnormal growth or development. People with MDS have low blood cell count for at… (MDS), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: (par-uk-SIZ-muhl nok-TURN-uhl hee-muh-gloe-buh-NYOOR-ee-uh) A rare and serious blood disease that causes red blood cells to break apart. Paroxysmal means sudden and irregular. Nocturnal means at night. Hemoglobinuria means hemoglobin in the urine. Hemoglobin is the red part of red blood cells. A… (PNH), and related bone marrow failure bone marrow failure: A condition that occurs when the bone marrow stops making enough healthy blood cells. The most common of these rare diseases are aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Bone marrow failure can be acquired (begin any time in life) or can be… diseases.

The Position: The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will design and implement a comprehensive development program that builds visibility, impact, and financial resources, and puts the Foundation in a position for growth. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Development Officer will serve as a key member of the senior leadership team and an active participant in all strategic decisions affecting the Foundation. Based in Rockville, MD, and supervising a team of four, the Chief Development Officer will be a key member of the Foundations overall development team.

The right candidate will possess an ability to scale up existing development systems, forge new relationships with individuals, corporation, and foundations. He or she will create a funding strategy that adapts to the Foundations expanding growth targets, and proactively evolve this funding approach over time.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Actively work with the CEO and other members of the leadership team to develop and execute a development strategy that includes individual, corporate, foundation and government funding;
• Oversee research of funding sources and trends to help position the Foundation and recommend strategies in consideration of the limited human and financial resources available at present at the Foundation;
• Manage and update a prospect matrix and development plans for all donors;
• Liaise with the program departments to identify new funding opportunities and ensure proper reporting on current grants;
• Advise on an annual calendar of fundraising events just as grassroots friend-raisers across the county;
• Create and lead enactment of a strategic online fundraising plan across all donor groups;
• Develop and implement a stewardship program aimed at cultivating deeper ties with existing and prospective individual, corporate and foundation donors;
• Review and approve all foundation and grant proposals including all program and grant-related budgets;
• Present statistical analysis of fundraising successes to Board and senior leadership team at regular intervals.

Requirements:

The Chief Development Officer will have a minimum of ten years of experience with increasing responsibilities in nonprofit organization development (health/disease organization, preferred), including experience in a leadership role. He or she will have a proven track record of providing strategic thought and conceptualized systematic approaches towards development activities, achieving substantial revenue and fundraising targets, and will have a wide-ranging knowledge of the many types of fundraising strategies applicable to the work of the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation.

Additional requirements for the position are:

• Bachelors degree (Masters degree preferred);
• The ability to understand the uniqueness of raising funds for a rare disease and to work with the Foundations organizational structure and find pathways to success working constructively with professional colleagues, using available resources to maximum benefit;
• The ability to become an articulate and genuine spokesperson on behalf of AA&MDSIF, its mission, and its values towards patient education and research funding;
• The ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and build long-term relationships over time;
• The ability to work with volunteers and manage grass-roots fundraising activities;
• Experience in all segments of fundraising individual, foundation, corporate, government and the various methods such as online (including email, website, and crowdfunding), planned giving and annual campaigns;
• Experience mentoring a development team and institutionalizing the roles and practices required to expand the teams capacity for raising funds, including systems and processes that ensure donor satisfaction and growth;
• The ability to work both independently without close oversight, but also as a team player;
• An entrepreneurial spirit to towards new approaches in engaging donors and raising revenue;
• The ability to travel as needed.

Salary is commensurate with experience and includes a comprehensive benefit package including fully paid health insurance and 403(b) plan. The position is fulltime, but with some flexible work options. The Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.