Chief Development Officer (Job ID: 2025-3696)

This search is being managed by the search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. Please send cover letter and resume to BrookingsCDO@RussellReynolds.com.

Join one of the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tanks!

The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.

We bring together leading experts in government and academia from all over the world, rooted in open-minded inquiry and representing diverse points of view, who provide the highest quality research, policy recommendations, and analysis. Research topics cover a full range of public policy issues in economics, foreign policy, development, governance and metropolitan policy.

With fair and transparent business practices, clear communication, mutual respect, and a collaborative atmosphere that offers both professional and personal development opportunities, Brookings offers an inclusive and welcoming workplace that values the efforts of all contributors.

The Office of Development manages the Trustees, institutional partnerships, leadership giving, the International Advisory Council, the Brookings Council, the Brookings Society, and overall fundraising strategies for the Executive Office and Institution at large.

Position Location:This position is hybrid. Hybrid positions combine regular in-person presence at our Washington, DC office with the option of at least two days of remote work each week.

Ready to contribute to Brookings success?

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will serve on the executive leadership team, lead the development function, and work closely with the president and board of trustees to develop near- and long-term strategy. The CDO will be highly influential in elevating fundraising and donor engagement by enriching the team culture and creating and implementing the overall development strategy in service of developing a world-class development function. Through collaborative team performance, the CDO will align revenue strategy to effectively source and cultivate a heightened level of fundraising across the institution, including with research programs and on institution-wide, mission-centric opportunities. The CDO and their senior team will work with partners throughout the organization to develop funding opportunities that drive substantial growth in awareness, relevance, reach, and revenue. The individual will be responsible for supporting and enhancing a new fundraising effort for the whole of Brookings, including conceptualizing a future major campaign.

The CDO will work cross-functionally with their organizational peers in addition to the development staff to drive the revenue and engagement goals of the organization, as well as develop and execute a unified fundraising plan. The CDO will use data to drive strategic and robust market and leadership-level donor engagement. The successful candidate will be goal-oriented, creative, mission-driven, and a collaborative team player who can unlock potential to achieve transformational results. The CDO will be a visionary leader that harvests entrepreneurial thinking to accelerate philanthropic revenue generation. The CDO will lead by example when deploying best practices for high performing development teams, including how to learn about and use information related to the Brookings Institution research portfolio. The CDO will leverage several built-in strengths of the organization, including a strong institutional brand awareness, a positive domestic and international reputation, and smart and dedicated staff, scholars, and fundraisers. The CDO and the development team will have the opportunity to steward and grow multidimensional relationships in collaboration with other Brookings teammates, including the leadership team, the president, and members of the board. The CDO will be a key team player who can help Brookings enhance the connection with current and potential leadership-level donors, future board members, and add value throughout the organization.

Fundraising and Donor Relations Strategy and Execution

• Provide executive leadership for the strategies, performance orientation, and structure of the development team, ensuring all are aligned to support the strategic direction of the institution. This includes expert leadership of principal, major, and planned gifts, board-level events, donor relations, and campaigns.
• Create fundraising goals and plan and monitor and report on progress and budgets.
• Develop strategies, forecast, and budget resources that advance the overarching Brookings Institution strategic plan.
• Build an innovative vision for using technology to engage current and prospective donors. Use data and analytics to inform the development of a comprehensive prospect portfolio system that helps drive market engagement.
• Optimize board of trustees’ and international advisory council’s engagement and participation. Build authentic, strategic partnerships and relationships with these important stakeholders.
• Deliver significant impact in advancing Brookings’ mission by managing and delivering on a personal portfolio of leadership-level (high-capacity seven and eight-figure) donors. Align philanthropic investments with high-impact research opportunities.
• Collaborate with internal and external constituents to help cultivate, solicit, and steward current and planned gift donors. Utilize key talent in the organization, including prominent members of the board, research vice presidents, and external partners, to help engage current donors and to diversify the breadth of prospective donors.
• Collaboratively build and deploy a national and international development program that inspires the generosity of others by creating an environment where there is a clear connection between transformative gifts and impact.
• Ensure the president is a significant fundraising asset. Collaborate with the development team to identify the strategies that most effectively leverage the president to open doors, cultivate, solicit, and/or steward top prospects. Engage with the development team so they can bring you in on key asks.
• Train key principals on development best practices and engage them consistently as critical partners in securing resources.

Development Team Leadership

• Lead a newly-organized, accomplished team focused on fundraising for all of Brookings. Work with direct reports to establish meaningful and measurable team and individual performance goals that underpin strategic objectives.
• Lead and develop six direct reports. Collaborate with them and their respective teams on market- and program-based fundraising performance. Establish a culture of celebration, mentorship, constructive feedback, and real-time coaching.
• Collaborate internally to ensure complementary teams (such as finance, HR, communications, general counsel’s office, and IT) are aware of the development team business needs and workflow and vice versa.
• Recruit, train, and mentor the development team, maximizing opportunities for growth and continued success.
• Support efforts which ensure donors and prospects are informed of key organizational initiatives and individual donation impact through continuous and relationship-oriented communication.
• Excel in internal communications within the development team, the executive office, and across Brookings.

Ready to make an impact? In this role, you will support Brookings values of collegiality, respect, inclusion, diversity and community, and bring the following qualifications:

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

Strategic and Inspirational Leadership

• Record of setting functional-level strategies that support enterprise-level success at significant organizations within the nonprofit sector
• Demonstrated analytical and strategic skills, with experience using data to support creation of strategic fundraising plans
• Flexibility to create nuanced plans and objectives that adapt to the situation and/or partners at hand, while bringing to life an inspirational future for the organization as a whole

Executing for Results

• Experience completing a successful multi-year initiative that includes a transformative revenue growth plan or capital campaign
• Strong track record of building systems and leveraging data insights to evolve systems in a timely manner
• Capacity to set priorities and achieve goals, individually and for teams, while balancing financial prudence with innovation and risk-taking
• Proven ability to cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership-level gifts

Leading, Managing, and Inspiring Teams

• Proven ability to recruit, mentor, lead, and develop a diverse staff and a track record of building inclusive, high-performing and loyal teams; skilled at giving and receiving constructive feedback
• Demonstrated success in elevating the level of business acumen and performance orientation within a team
• Exceptional communicator and flexible leader, with ability to adapt communication style to different audiences while providing productive, value-added feedback for colleagues’ work

Building Relationships, Using Influence and Communications Skills

• The intellectual depth, maturity, self-confidence, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence to work effectively with the president, executive team members, board members, development staff, and donors
• Ability to build the credibility and respect of specific departments and/or initiatives through active listening, responsiveness, building strong relationships, and inspiring action, including leading both formally and through executive influence
• Reputation for building and maintaining relationships with people at all levels of an organization, across a diverse range of backgrounds
• Ability to build philanthropic support for complex topics, including by employing excellent oral and written communications skills
• Ability to represent the organization by speaking engagingly and with authority in small groups as well as at large events

Additional Information

What can we offer you? Brookings provides a generous benefit package that is comprehensive and includes both traditional benefits and unique offerings. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision benefits, generous time off, and workplace flexibility. For more information, please visit Brookings Benefits. 

This search is being managed by the search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. Please send cover letter and resume to BrookingsCDO@RussellReynolds.com.

Successful completion of a background investigation is required for employment at Brookings. 

Brookings welcomes and celebrates diversity in all its forms, including diversity of experience, thought, and personal background.  We welcome applications that reflect a variety of backgrounds based on ideology, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, first generation college goers, and other factors protected by law. Brookings is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace. All selection decisions are based upon merit, skills, abilities and experience.