Chief Development Officer

Food Lifeline is seeking a dynamic and strategic Chief Development Officer (CDO) to lead an integrated portfolio of fundraising, marketing and communications, and volunteer engagement in service of our mission to end hunger in Western Washington.

As a member of the executive team, the CDO will play a central role in deepening community investment in Food Lifeline’s work — strengthening our revenue growth, sharpening our public voice, and ensuring volunteers, donors, partners, and advocates experience a cohesive and compelling connection to our mission.

This is a pivotal leadership moment for our organization. We are looking for a visionary integrator — a leader who understands that fundraising, storytelling, and volunteer engagement are not separate functions, but mutually reinforcing strategies that drive impact. The CDO will steward and grow diverse revenue streams, evolve our brand and messaging, and build a volunteer engagement model that supports both operational excellence and long‑term community partnership.

The ideal candidate brings:

• A proven track record of leading multi‑million‑dollar fundraising efforts, including major and principal gifts
• Experience building and aligning high‑performing, cross‑functional teams
• Strategic expertise in brand, communications, and digital engagement
• A deep understanding of the motivations that drive philanthropy and community action
• A commitment to equity‑centered, dignity‑driven storytelling

At Food Lifeline, volunteers are essential partners in our work. Donors are investors in systemic solutions. Communications is not just promotion — it is leadership in shaping how our region understands hunger and its root causes. The CDO will ensure these elements are aligned and advancing a shared vision for impact.

This role reports to the President & CEO and collaborates closely with the executive team and Board of Directors to drive sustainable growth, strengthen community trust, and expand Food Lifeline’s capacity to serve our region.

If you are energized by building integrated engagement strategies, leading multi‑functional teams, and driving meaningful revenue growth in service of a bold mission, we invite you to apply.

• Serve as a key member of the executive team as part of the collaborative group that drives and shapes the mission, culture, and operation of Food Lifeline overall; while advising senior leadership on philanthropic, volunteerism, and marketing and communications issues.
• Ensure strategic alignment and integration across fundraising, marketing/communications, and volunteer engagement functions so that community engagement, storytelling, and philanthropy reinforce and amplify one another.
• Direct the development department’s strategic plan and ensure the creation of cohesive, cross‑functional annual plans that align fundraising growth, brand evolution, and volunteer engagement with Food Lifeline’s broader organizational strategy.
• Promote a culture of philanthropy to drive social justice, demonstrating a commitment to using equity as a process and an outcome for the Development team’s work while fostering a culture of engagement that values volunteers and community members as essential partners in advancing Food Lifeline’s mission.
• Recruit, motivate and lead a high‑performance team in alignment with Food Lifeline’s core values and desired culture. Manage the workflow of assigned staff, manage performance and make fair and equitable staffing decisions. Encourage and empower staff development and other employee professional growth opportunities.
• Support the President and CEO and overall organization working to ensure we maintain strong strategic communication with the board.

• Responsible for the oversight, planning and implementation of a comprehensive fund development program and strategy that secures significant financial resources from foundations, corporations, and individuals to support Food Lifeline’s mission.
• Work with senior staff to establish fundraising goals and accountability for these goals.
• Oversee the implementation and expansion of a digital engagement strategy that moves individuals…