The SAFE Alliance is seeking a Chief Development Officer to lead a transformational phase of philanthropic growth and organizational impact.
This is not a maintenance role. This is a build, scale, and lead role.
The SAFE Alliance (SAFE) is one of the largest nonprofit organizations in Central Texas, operating at the intersection of crisis response, prevention, housing stability, and long-term healing. With an annual operating budget of approximately $30M and philanthropy as a critical revenue driver, SAFE is poised for its next phase of growth.
The Chief Development Officer will partner directly with the CEO, Board of Directors, and Executive Leadership Team to build a high-performing, accountable development function that can sustain and expand SAFE's impact across the region.
This leader will be responsible for both delivering near-term revenue results and building the long-term systems and strategy required to scale philanthropy.
SAFE has strong community credibility, mission urgency, and programmatic scale. The organization is already operating at meaningful size and impact-but the development function has not yet reached the level of discipline, infrastructure, and performance required to sustain the next phase of growth.
This role exists to close that gap.
The next phase of SAFE's trajectory requires more than incremental improvement. It requires building a development function that is both high performing in the near term and structurally sound for long-term scale. That means delivering revenue today while putting in place the systems, processes, and expectations that make growth repeatable.
This role is designed to:
Build a disciplined, data-informed, and scalable fundraising engine from a partially developed foundation
Expand major and principal gift capacity while strengthening donor strategy and execution
Establish the systems, tools, and processes required for consistent performance and accountability
Activate the CEO and Board more fully in fundraising through shared ownership of relationships
Align development, marketing, communications, and external engagement into a cohesive external strategy
Prepare the organization for ongoing capital needs and future campaign opportunities
This is a defining leadership role at a pivotal moment-requiring a leader who can build, execute, and partner at a high level simultaneously.
This role carries clear responsibility for both fundraising performance and long-term revenue growth.
The Chief Development Officer is expected to deliver measurable results in the near term while building the systems, strategy, and relationships required for sustained growth over time.
Key expectations include:
Grow annual philanthropic revenue from approximately $15M to $20M+ over the next 2-3 years
Build and manage a major and principal gift portfolio targeting gifts of $25,000 to $250,000+
Increase donor retention, average gift size, and multi-year commitments
Expand revenue across individuals, corporations, and foundations
Reactivate and grow a portfolio of dormant and lapsed donors, unlocking existing but under-leveraged relationships
Strengthening the major gifts pipeline, including identification, qualification, and movement of high-capacity prospects
Drive greater engagement and accountability from the CEO and Board in fundraising, resulting in increased participation and giving
Establish clear performance metrics, reporting, and forecasting to enable disciplined revenue management
Build a diversified and resilient philanthropic portfolio that reduces volatility and supports long-term sustainability
Success will be measured by both revenue outcomes and the strength, sustainability, and scalability of the development function.
The Chief Development Officer is a senior executive responsible for building, integrating, and leading SAFE's overall external engagement and philanthropic strategy.
This leader will operate as both a strategic architect and a hands-on fundraiser-personally engaging top donors while building the systems, team, and cross-functional alignment required for long-term growth.
This role requires the ability to deliver near-term revenue results while strengthening infrastructure, performance, and accountability across the development function and related teams.
Revenue Strategy & Execution
Develop and execute a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with organizational priorities and growth targets
Lead all aspects of philanthropy, including major gifts, annual giving, corporate partnerships, and foundation support
Personally manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects
Translate SAFE's scale, impact, and system-level value into compelling philanthropic investment opportunities
Major & Principal Gifts
Build and grow a disciplined pipeline of major and principal gift donors
Lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of top-tier donors
Partner closely with the CEO to co-develop and execute strategies for high-level donor relationships
Ensure shared ownership of key relationships, activating the CEO and Board effectively in cultivation and stewardship
Capital Strategy & Campaign Readiness
Lead strategy for ongoing capital needs, including development of cases for support and targeted fundraising efforts
Assess and strengthen organizational readiness for future campaign opportunities
Build the lead donor pipeline and structures required for capital investment over time
Development Infrastructure & Operations
Build and strengthen systems, processes, and reporting to support disciplined, scalable growth
Optimize CRM, donor analytics, segmentation, and performance tracking
Establish clear forecasting, goal setting, and accountability structures across the function
Drive a data-informed culture that links activity to outcomes
Team Leadership & Performance
Lead, coach, and develop a development team of approximately 10 staff, including individuals with varied levels of fundraising experience
Oversee communications and marketing staff (approximately 3 team members), ensuring alignment with fundraising strategy and organizational positioning
Assess team structure, capabilities, and performance; make adjustments as needed to strengthen execution and results
Establish clear roles, expectations, and performance metrics across teams
Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, continuous improvement, and professional development
External Strategy, Marketing & Communications
Oversee and align marketing and communications as a core component of fundraising and external engagement strategy
Ensure consistency and strength in messaging, brand positioning, and storytelling
Strengthen how SAFE communicates its impact, value, and role within broader public systems
Integrate donor engagement, communications, and external visibility into a cohesive strategy
Board & CEO Partnership
Strengthen board engagement, accountability, and participation in fundraising
Equip board members with tools, structure, and clear expectations
Partner with the Board Development Committee to increase giving and involvement
Work in close partnership with the CEO to expand external relationships, co-manage key donors, and drive strategic engagement
Cross-Functional Leadership & Integration
Partner closely with the CFO to align fundraising strategy with financial planning, forecasting, and organizational sustainability
Collaborate with internal teams responsible for government and institutional funding to ensure alignment across funding streams
Strengthening coordination across development, programs, finance, and external partners to support a unified strategy
Operate effectively within evolving structures, helping to shape how fundraising and related functions are organized over time
SAFE Alliance Foundation Leadership
Serve as the functional Executive Director of the SAFE Alliance Foundation, which exists to support the mission and sustainability of SAFE
Partner closely with the Foundation Chair and Board (including the PNC) to guide strategy, governance, and philanthropic investment decisions
Align Foundation priorities, investments, and fundraising strategy with the broader goals of SAFE
Support and strengthen Foundation board engagement, including stewardship, growth, and participation
Ensure strong coordination between Foundation activities and the organization's overall development strategy
Navigate dual accountability to organizational and Foundation leadership with clarity, transparency, and strategic alignment
SAFE is seeking a leader who can deliver results in the near term while building systems, teams, and partnerships that sustain long-term growth.
This role requires a combination of strategic clarity, operational discipline, and relational intelligence, along with the ability to lead through complexity and evolving structures.
Experience
10+ years of progressive nonprofit fundraising leadership experience, including oversight of multi-million-dollar revenue portfolios
Proven success securing and closing major and principal gifts, including direct responsibility for high-capacity donor relationships
Demonstrated experience building or significantly strengthening development functions, including systems, processes, and team performance
Experience working closely with executive leadership and boards in advancing fundraising strategy and outcomes
Experience overseeing or closely integrating marketing and communications with fundraising strategy preferred
Experience with capital strategy, campaign readiness, or targeted capital efforts strongly preferred
Leadership Capabilities
Builder mindset: able to assess, design, and implement systems and structures that improve performance over time
Execution-oriented: comfortable operating at both strategic and tactical levels, with clear accountability for outcomes
Team leader and developer of talent: able to coach, support, and elevate team performance while making necessary changes when expectations are not met
High emotional intelligence and maturity: able to build trust, navigate complexity, and operate effectively within shared leadership environments
Strong executive presence: credible and compelling with donors, board members, and external partners
Comfort with ambiguity and change: able to lead effectively in environments where structures, roles, and strategies are evolving
Core Competencies
Deep expertise in fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and portfolio management
Strong business acumen and performance orientation, including goal setting, forecasting, and metrics-driven management
Ability to translate organizational impact and system-level value into compelling cases for philanthropic investment
Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills across diverse stakeholders
Ability to align and integrate fundraising, communications, and external engagement into a cohesive strategy
At SAFE, we recognize that meaningful leadership starts with strong support. Our benefits are designed to care for the whole person-so you can focus on advancing our mission and expanding our impact.
The salary range for this position is $160,000 to $180,000, commensurate with experience
Our benefits package is designed to support your well-being, sustainability, and long-term impact-featuring employer-paid health, life, and disability coverage, along with a suite of flexible, family-friendly benefit options.
We offer generous paid time off, holidays, and personal days to encourage balance, as well as a 403(b)-retirement plan with employer contributions that grow with your tenure. Benefits begin shortly after hire, reflecting our commitment to supporting those who drive meaningful change from day one.
This is a hybrid role based in Austin, Texas, requiring regular in-person engagement across all SAFE locations and the community.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ About The SAFE Alliance
The SAFE Alliance is a leading nonprofit serving individuals and families impacted by abuse, violence, and exploitation across Central Texas.
Formed through the merger of Austin Children's Shelter and SafePlace, SAFE provides an integrated continuum of services including prevention, crisis intervention, advocacy, shelter, housing, and long-term healing support.
SAFE operates on a meaningful scale, reaching thousands of individuals each year through direct services and partnerships across schools, hospitals, courts, and public systems.
The mission is to interrupt the cycle of abuse by cultivating safety, healing, and just outcomes.
Please submit applications through our official process only; we do not accept materials via email or social media. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and all candidates will receive timely updates via email.
