Chief Development Officer

The Organization

Founded in 2019, The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) is a national bipartisan organization advancing policies to automate and expand eligibility for record clearance. One in three Americans lives with a past arrest or conviction record that limits their ability to find work, continue their education, obtain a professional license, or fully participate in family and civic life.

The Clean Slate Initiative’s vision is that people will no longer be defined by their records and will have the opportunity to contribute to their community, have a fair opportunity to work, get an education, and achieve their full potential. The Clean Slate Initiative passes and implements laws that automatically clear eligible records for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free and expands who is eligible for clearance. To date, twelve states and Washington, D.C. have passed Clean Slate laws, impacting more than 15 million people. The Clean State Initiative works with bipartisan leaders and organizations and offers our expertise on what works: intelligent policy design, an eye toward implementation, and campaign strategies that center lived experience. Along the way, we work to redefine the narrative around people with records, cutting through the bias and stigma, to reorient the legal system to live up to the ideals of second chances.

The Position

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Development Officer (CDO) will lead the design and execution of CSI’s long-term fundraising strategy. This role is responsible for generating approximately $20 million in annual revenue by 2027 and plays a key role in sustaining and expanding CSI’s national impact.

In 2023, CSI was awarded a $75 million investment through The Audacious Project. This six-year gift has enabled significant organizational growth, and the CDO will build on that foundation to diversify revenue streams and deepen relationships with existing donors.

This is CSI’s most senior fundraising role and currently supervises a Development Manager. The CEO, COO, and Marketing & Communications team also contribute to fundraising efforts.

The Chief Development Officer will serve as both a strategist and lead operator, directly managing donor relationships, driving day-to-day fundraising activities, and ensuring seamless execution of all development efforts.

Cultivate and Steward Donor Relationships

• Develop and execute annual and multi-year strategy for engaging current donors.
• Ensure all donor reporting is complete in a timely and high-quality manner.
• Participate in external forums, representing the organization and its fundraising strategy.
• Participate in 1:1 and small group donor meetings with the CEO.
• Expand the number of ultra-high net worth individuals supporting the organization to mitigate financial risk and diversify support for our mission.

Development and Execution of New Revenue Streams

• Identify new revenue opportunities for the organization that are in alignment with the organization’s goals and values.
• Build out and execute a sponsorship approach to the organization’s high-value events including our Annual Convening, Lobby Day and so forth.
• Test and determine approach related to donor and prospect engagement events.

Cross-Functional Engagement and Planning

• Collaborate with the Chief Financial Officer to ensure budget alignment and shared understanding of all revenues.
• Work across the various functions constituting program operations to obtain information needed for grant reporting; to engage donors in discrete strategic questions and to ensure the development team has everything it needs to engage the fundraising community.
• Work closely with the Chief Operating Officer to ensure alignment between organizational goals, progress made on these goals and commitments made to financial supporters.
• Provide regular updates to the CEO and Board of Directors on fundraising progress and challenges and make recommendations for course correction as needed.
• Represent the organization in public forums and develop and maintain relationships with external stakeholders, including donors, community leaders, and peer organizations, to advance the organization’s mission and goals.

Management and Operations

• Maintain impeccable records including Salesforce data such that the organization is data driven in its approach to fundraising and nothing “falls through the cracks.”
• Participate in the annual planning and budgeting process for the development department and in providing revenue projections for the organization.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate for the Chief Development Officer position possesses the following competencies:

Cross Functional Leadership: Proven ability to work across departments to leverage the CEO’s relationships and passion; ensure fundraising and program goal alignment; exceptional financial stewardship and strong donor engagement.

Fundraising Delivery: A successful track record of meeting organizational fundraising goals year over year and executing multi-year fundraising strategies. Proven experience initiating and closing seven figure gifts from major donors, philanthropic investment groups and foundations.

Creative and Sees New Ways of Doing Things: A true passion for The Clean Slate Initiative’s mission and bipartisan strategy extended to philanthropic relationships. An orientation towards authenticity and movement building over transactional relationships. Experience engaging no-partisan donors and/or donors of a diversity of political affiliations.

Commitment to Authentic and Diverse Philanthropic Relationships: Has many ideas for new ways of raising revenue that balance the organization’s financial goals and values. Sees the opportunity that CSI has in being a brand-new organization that is delivering impact at scale. Familiar with investment and outcome focused donor giving including the level of rigor in measurement, reporting, and goal setting.

Additional Qualifications:

• 10 years of fundraising experience with at least 3 years as the top fundraising professional for an organization raising seven figure gifts.
• Impeccable organizational skills with the ability to manage many priorities and deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to manage CEO communications and meeting preparation, leverage her unique approach to organizational development and personal network.
• Experience managing fundraising teams and systems (Salesforce preferred).
• Familiarity with an approach to and some experience raising C4 funds.

Who We Are

Our Commitment to Inclusion: The Clean Slate Initiative is a 501(c)(3) public entity that passes and implements laws that automatically clear eligible records for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free and expand who is eligible for clearance. CSI is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding, and enables each of us to realize our potential. CSI’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working. Lived experience with a record, or as a family member of someone with a record, is valued.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary: The Clean Slate Initiative is committed to transparent and fair compensation. The hiring range for this position is an annual salary range of $205,000 - $215,000 per year. The final salary within this range will be determined based on work location and relevant experience. Once an offer is made, we do not negotiate the compensation package.

Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, a 4% employer match and 2% employer-paid contribution towards 401k retirement, pre-tax transportation benefits, and paid holidays, vacation, sick, and volunteer time off. This is a full-time position and is considered exempt for overtime purposes. This is a remote position and we are location agnostic regarding where in the US you are based. However, we will discuss a hybrid or in-office work location for candidates in proximity to our Orlando office.

You will need to:

• ‍‍Work collaboratively with a team in various time zones.
• Be close to a major airport with the ability to travel approximately 10-15%.
• Attend required quarterly onsite planning meetings in various locations.
• Attend at least 1 staff learning trip and our annual convening each year.

Timeline and Next Steps

If you are interested in this position, please click the button at the top of the page to be directed to DRG Talent. All applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their application.

We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply even if you do not meet all of the qualifications outlined above. If you are selected to move forward for an initial screening call, we expect you to hear from us by August 2025.