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New York, New York

Chief Development Officer, Center for Reproductive Rights

The Organization

The Center for Reproductive Rights envisions a world where every person participates as an equal member of society with dignity, regardless of gender; where every woman is free to decide whether or when to have children and whether to marry; where access to quality reproductive health care is guaranteed; and where women can make these decisions free from coercion or discrimination.

Headquartered in New York City, the Center for Reproductive Rights (the Center) is the global leader in using the power of law to advance reproductive rights as fundamental human rights. The overarching goal of the Center’s current Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: by 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they did in 2020. The Center has a track record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since its founding in 1992, the Center’s game-changing litigation and advocacy, combined with its unparalleled expertise in constitutional, comparative, and international human rights law, have transformed how reproductive rights are understood by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, contraception, abortion, and assisted reproduction. It has won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies, led the development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights, and has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 60 countries and counting. In the U.S., the Center has argued all major abortion rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court since Roe v. Wade, and is now leading work to restore protections for abortion rights in the wake of the Court’s June 2022 ruling to overturn Roe and revoke the right to abortion under the U.S. Constitution.

Position Overview

The Center’s compelling human rights mission and reputation for excellence and cutting-edge legal work has powered its exceptional growth trajectory to an operating budget of over $50 million and won the respect of the world’s leading law firms, as reflected in the additional $29 million annually in donated legal services, representing the work last year of 820 lawyers in 46 countries.

With local, regional, and global partners, the Center works in some of the most challenging environments in the world to bring about real change in people’s lives, focusing on those who are most harmed by restrictions on reproductive rights and a lack of access to care.

The past several years have signified a steadily changing landscape for the Center. This is a time of both significant growth and opportunity for the Center as profound external challenges act against gender equality and human rights in the U.S., even as momentous progress is being made in many parts of the world. The response of donors has resulted in unprecedented, broad-based philanthropic support to the organization. As a result, the Center is financially positioned and empowered to make even bolder moves to meet the challenges of the moment.

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will have the high-impact opportunity to join a world-class team that is a driving force for change on the global stage. Reporting to the Chief Strategy and Operations Officer and partnering closely with the President & CEO, the CDO will bring an energetic passion for the mission of the Center, alongside a proven track record of fundraising success, to guide the vision and strategy for this new era of global fundraising growth. With vision and creativity, the CDO will capitalize on this critical moment and the Center’s compelling mission to raise revenue from individual, foundation, and government donors, with a particular focus on and experience in securing seven-figure gifts from high-net-worth individuals and maintaining a portfolio of donors in that category, from cultivation to solicitation to stewardship. They will manage a robust development team of 30 people. As a member of the Center’s Executive Team, the CDO will provide strategic input on key organizational decisions, and partner with leaders from across the organization to ensure that it is on a continued path for evolution, growth, and impact.

A core charge of the CDO is to increase the operational capacity and strategic integration of the development department to maximize current and evolving donor interest and meet the ongoing needs of the organization. The CDO must ensure that the Center’s development program is poised to sustain and fully leverage the influx of funding received, with a focus on unrestricted giving. Fundraising efforts must also support and reflect the strategic rebalancing of restricted giving such that non-U.S. initiatives are on par with the historically much higher proportion of U.S.-based initiatives.

While the Center for Reproductive Rights will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will have the following qualifications/experience:

  • Mission and Values Alignment: Commitment to advancing reproductive rights as human rights. Demonstrated fit with Center’s core values – globally inclusive, integrity, excellence, and impact.
  • Executive Leadership: Experience driving strategy and execution in a C-Suite or equivalent role, in an inclusive way, with unquestionable integrity. Proven ability to understand the operating environment, think about the organization-as-a-whole, and engage with stakeholders, internal and external, to define and achieve impact. History of strong partnership with a CEO, board, and other executive leaders to strategically advance the fundraising successes – and impact – of an organization.
  • Fundraising Expertise: History of increasingly responsible leadership in the creation and execution of development strategy and programs, and an established track record of increasing philanthropic revenue, while also personally maintaining a portfolio of donors. Broad knowledge of all functional areas comprising a comprehensive development program (e.g., individual giving, institutional giving, planned giving, direct response, events, and development operations); leadership in a major fundraising campaign; and at least 20 years of experience identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts from individual and institutional donors at the level of six to seven-figures or greater. Knowledge of and fundamental adherence to the principles, ethics, and best practices of modern fundraising, including the integration of various giving programs to diversify the funding base and cultivate greater donor commitments.
  • Global Mindset: Ability to articulate a compelling vision for global work. Understanding of contextual differences within the countries and core constituencies with which the Center operates. Understanding of multilateral institutions and experience fundraising for organizations that have operations in the global south are a plus.
  • Staff Leadership: Phenomenal organizational leader and people manager with a track record of leading teams in advancing a vision and through organizational change. Proven ability to structure, staff, and lead a cohesive, goal-oriented, and successful development team that includes a full and comprehensive complement of fundraising teams. Experience managing budgets and revenue forecasts.
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Demonstrated commitment to and understanding of how to build diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development function; culturally competent with respect to issues such as racial, cultural, religious, sexual, and gender identity. Skilled at delivering solutions in evolving, multi-cultural environments.
  • Leveraging Data: Demonstrated ability to integrate data into decision-making and strategy development. Working knowledge of modern data management practices and innovations that can streamline development processes and contribute to the integration of related functions.
  • Travel: Ability to travel domestically and internationally, typically 30-35% of time (pending global health guidelines).
  • Language: Fluent in English; additional languages a plus, particularly Spanish and French.

Compensation: the annual salary for the position is benchmarked at $300,000.

The Center for Reproductive Rights is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring, and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all groups and communities to apply.

How To Apply

The Center for Reproductive Rights has retained the DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice of the Diversified Search Group to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) may be submitted via the following link – https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/18893, or directed to:

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.
Managing Director and DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice Leader
Diversified Search Group
The Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue, 49th Floor, New York, New York 10174
gerard.cattie@divsearch.com | 212.542.2587

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