Chief Development Officer

Chief Development Officer

The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) is Massachusetts' premier conservation and preservation organization. The Trustees' preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts. Our properties are open to all, and we thrive by involving as many people as possible in all that we do. We aim to protect special places for future generations to enjoy in perpetuity, and have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 27,000+ acres on more than 120 reservations that are open to the public. As a non-profit conservation organization, we are funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and our 85,000 Member households.

Salary: $258,125-$331,875

Job Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Job Location Type: Hybrid

Location: Boston, MA

Start Date: Flexible, but this role is anticipated to begin in Fall 2026

Your Impact:

The Trustees is entering a transformational chapter in its history through the implementation of For Everyone, Forever, our bold strategic plan to save, steward, and share Massachusetts' special places for generations to come. As Chief Development Officer (CDO), you will play a critical leadership role in shaping the future of philanthropy at The Trusteesbuilding the relationships, strategies, and culture necessary to sustain and grow support for our mission statewide.

While The Trustees is currently engaged in the largest fundraising effort in the organization's history, this role is about far more than leading a campaign. It is an opportunity to help evolve how The Trustees connects mission to philanthropy by building a fundraising strategy that deepens engagement, expands philanthropic support, and inspires new audiences and institutions to invest in our work.

As a member of the executive team, you'll help lead the organization through a period of strategic and cultural evolutionstrengthening collaboration across teams, fostering an organization-wide culture of philanthropy, and helping programmatic and functional leaders translate their expertise into compelling philanthropic opportunities. You'll partner across the organization to shape fundraising priorities and create compelling investment opportunities that resonate with donors and reflect the impact and relevance of The Trustees' mission.

The Role:

As the Chief Development Officer (CDO), you'll provide enterprise-wide, strategic leadership on Trustees development activities, including oversight of a comprehensive fundraising strategy that advances the organization's strategic priorities and long-term sustainability. As a key member of the executive team, you will lead and help successfully execute The Trustees' historic $300M+ comprehensive campaign in support of For Everyone, Forever while also strengthening the long-term fundraising infrastructure, donor relationships, and culture of philanthropy needed to sustain impact well beyond the campaign itself.

In partnership with the President and CEO, CFO, Board Development Committee, campaign leadership, and senior leadership team, you will set annual, campaign, and long-term fundraising goals for The Trustees. You'll construct development strategies and execute plans aligned with The Trustees' overall Strategic Plan, with a focus on sustaining annual giving revenue levels, increasing unrestricted philanthropic support, expanding major donor engagement, and successfully advancing campaign priorities and milestones.

Specifically, you'll be responsible for:

• Lead a successful $300M+ comprehensive fundraising effort in support of our Strategic Plan, working closely with consulting partners, the CEO, CFO, Board leadership, and senior staff.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the CEO, including proactively supporting leadership priorities, preparing for donor and Board engagement opportunities, and helping maximize executive effectiveness in fundraising and external relationship management across the organization.
• Develop and lead an integrated fundraising strategy that strengthens annual giving, major gifts, membership, institutional support, planned giving, and donor engagement to maximize long-term philanthropic growth and supporter lifetime value.
• Personally manage and solicit a portfolio of the organization's highest-capacity donors, securing transformational and unrestricted gifts in partnership with the CEO and Board leadership.
• Drive the identification and cultivation of new major donor prospects and philanthropic audiences, broadening The Trustees' network of support and deepening donor engagement statewide.
• Partner with and mobilize the Board of Trustees to advance fundraising goals, equipping members to effectively engage, cultivate, and solicit donors.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to programmatic and functional leaders, helping shape mission-driven initiatives into compelling funding opportunities and narratives that are relevant to donors.
• Help evolve The Trustees' fundraising approach toward storytelling and impact-centered engagement, ensuring donors clearly understand the tangible outcomes of their philanthropic investment.
• Ensure high-quality, individualized, and meaningful stewardship of donors, coordinating with colleagues throughout The Trustees and/or personally stewarding donors as needed.
• Ensure events strategy is aligned with major gift cultivation and donor engagement priorities, maximizing opportunities to deepen relationships and strengthen philanthropic outcomes.
• Develop and maintain a strong understanding of The Trustees' programs, strategic priorities, and external landscape to effectively position the organization with donors and partners.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications colleagues to ensure consistent, compelling, and coordinated messaging across all fundraising and engagement channels.
• Work closely with the Finance Department to ensure the highest levels of customer service, compliance, gift processing accuracy, and stewardship reporting.
• Ensure accurate allocation in line with donor intent and maintain oversight of multi-year gifts and endowment reporting.
• Regularly report on fundraising performance, benchmarks, forecasts, and strategic opportunities to executive leadership and the Board.

Team Development and Management:

• Oversee the hiring, training, mentoring, professional development, and evaluation of a talented Development team of 20 professionals.
• Assess and evolve the Development team structure, capabilities, and workflows to support organizational priorities, fundraising growth, and long-term sustainability.
• Lead organizational and team culture change efforts that foster collaboration, accountability, innovation, and a shared commitment to philanthropy across the organization.
• Set appropriate annual production goals and monitor progress regularly to maximize performance related to prospect strategy, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, volunteer engagement, and events.
• Oversee growth, maintenance, and enhancement of the development team's technological proficiency and tools, including Salesforce CRM.
• In partnership with the Director of Development Operations, establish a data-driven fundraising operation, ensuring robust pipeline management, accurate forecasting, and strategic use of CRM systems to drive performance and decision-making.
• Set clear expectations around collaboration, communication, strategic priorities, and shared outcomes while motivating and inspiring the team during a period of organizational growth and change.

Exceptional Collaboration and Communication:

• Regularly prepare detailed and transparent reports and analyses on Development Department activities for the CEO, Board leadership, and broader dissemination as appropriate.
• In collaboration with the CFO, establish and monitor fundraising benchmarks and long-term financial goals.
• Analyze development activities and benchmark against peer institutions to ensure The Trustees remains innovative, competitive, and aligned with fundraising best practices and emerging philanthropy trends.
• Serve as an ambassador for The Trustees, representing the organization externally with donors, partners, and stakeholders across Massachusetts and beyond.
• Travel as needed to support The Trustees' priorities, including donor cultivation and solicitation, strategic communications, and special events, which may take place on nights or weekends.

This is a full-time, exempt position reporting directly to the CEO/President. This role often requires evening and weekend work.