Chief Development Officer

Reports To: President and CEO

Location: Downtown Los Angeles

Work Model: Hybrid - team primarily in-office Tuesday through Thursday. Strong in-person presence and visibility are expected and essential to this role, including regular evening and weekend events.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

The Library Foundation of Los Angeles (LFLA) is a private foundation with a public purpose: to support the work and mission of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL). Through fundraising, advocacy, and innovative programming, LFLA enhances the capabilities, resources, and programs of LAPL, the third-largest public library system in the country. For more than 30 years, LFLA has worked in close partnership with LAPL to strengthen communities and improve civic life across Los Angeles.

THE POSITION

The CDO is a senior executive role demanding bold strategic thinking, sophisticated donor leadership, and the influence to galvanize a board, inspire and mentor a team, and move institutional philanthropy forward.

The CDO will be a true partner to the President and CEO and the Board of Directors—helping to set the organization's philanthropic agenda, managing a team of development professionals, personally leading the cultivation and closing of some of the largest gifts, and serving as a primary external face of LFLA in major donor settings. This person will drive the Centennial Celebration and Campaign toward and beyond its goal, define the next phase of LFLA's fundraising, and co-create initiatives with philanthropic foundations that go beyond traditional grant-seeking.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

PHILANTHROPIC LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY

• In close partnership with the President and CEO, develop and execute a comprehensive, multi-year philanthropic strategy across all revenue categories and donor audiences.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Centennial Celebration and Campaign—driving toward the initial $10 million goal and positioning LFLA for the next phase of major fundraising, including early thinking around a future comprehensive campaign and endowment development.
• Help shape LFLA's strategic roadmap following LAPL's new strategic plan—contributing a philanthropic lens to long-term organizational planning in partnership with the board and staff.
• Leverage LFLA’s own cultural programming (ALOUD public programming series, including Night at the Library, and gallery exhibitions) to help raise awareness, tap new partners, and broaden reach.
• Identify and develop new philanthropic initiatives aligned with emerging priorities and the central role our public libraries can play in addressing the evolving needs of LA communities.

BOARD AND EXECUTIVE PARTNERSHIP

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Board of Directors: preparing, coaching, and activating board members as effective fundraising ambassadors.
• Manage up skillfully, briefing, equipping, and inspiring board leadership for donor conversations and asks and supporting their recruitment efforts.
• Engage the Board's Development Committee as a high-performing body with clear goals and meaningful accountability.
• Leverage the Council of 400+ volunteer ambassadors as a strategic fundraising and community engagement asset, activating their networks and relationships in service of the mission.

MAJOR GIFTS AND DONOR CULTIVATION

• In collaboration with a Director of Major and Planned Gifts, manage a portfolio of LFLA's most significant individual relationships, with a focus on cultivating, soliciting, and closing six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Navigate sophisticated donor conversations with confidence and artfulness, including complex gift structures, multi-year commitments, planned gifts, and legacy discussions.
• Bring executive presence and emotional intelligence to high-net-worth donor settings: knowing when to listen, when to push, and when to make the ask.
• Deepen donor relationships and build LFLA's philanthropic network in the Los Angeles community and beyond, including thoughtful partnership with and guidance to development staff and key volunteer leaders to grow and steward the Young Literati and Council membership groups.

CORPORATE, FOUNDATION, AND INSTITUTIONAL GIVING

• Support Sr. Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations in identifying new prospects and deepening existing institutional relationships.
• Function as a genuine strategic partner to philanthropic foundations— co-creating initiatives and impact opportunities that align funder interests with LAPL programs.
• Lead and oversee development of new corporate engagement, sponsorship, and partnership strategies that expand LFLA's institutional revenue base.

REVENUE GROWTH AND DIVERSIFICATION

• Develop strategic, multi-year plans to diversify revenue and expand the donor base across all income streams: major and planned gifts, annual giving, membership, corporate and foundation giving, digital fundraising and events.
• Set ambitious and achievable revenue goals in partnership with the President and CEO.
• Assess organizational needs and establish annual budgets, performance metrics, and expected outcomes for the full development team.
• Bring new thinking and market-leading best practices to increase donor identification, cultivation, stewardship, and improve year over year retention across all giving levels.

TEAM LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT

• Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing team, setting a tone of excellence, collaboration, and accountability.
• Establish clear performance expectations and quality outcomes for all direct reports in alignment with organizational goals.
• Coach, mentor, and retain top talent; identify and address performance gaps or structural needs decisively and with care.

DATA, SYSTEMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• Champion rigorous donor data practices, moves management systems, and portfolio management protocols across the development team.
• Ensure the organization's development infrastructure— processes, systems, tools, and policies— is built for where LFLA is going.
• Implement best-practice tools and strategies to ensure donors receive consistent, personalized, and meaningful stewardship at every stage of their relationship with LFLA.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively senior, donor-facing development experience across major gifts, corporate and foundation relations, special events, membership and annual giving, and planned or endowment giving.
• Previous experience in a senior executive position— Chief Philanthropy Officer, Chief Development Officer, VP of Development, or equivalent— with organization-wide responsibility for fundraising strategy, team leadership, operations, and revenue outcomes.
• Demonstrated success personally cultivating and closing six- and seven-figure gifts from individual donors and/or institutional funders.
• Campaign experience: a meaningful record of leading, co-leading, or contributing at a senior level to a significant fundraising campaign with measurable results.
• Proven ability to function as a strategic partner to a CEO and Board of Directors— including the ability to adeptly manage up, coach and activate volunteer leaders, and make asks collaboratively and confidently.
• Comfort and confidence in high-net-worth donor settings and skill at navigating complex gift conversations.
• Track record of building, managing, and developing high-performing development teams.
• Depth across multiple revenue categories, with strong fluency in both relationship-based major gifts and broader fundraising operations.
• Strong financial management acumen and experience managing revenue budgets of comparable scale and complexity.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking, donor and board presentations, and executive-level written materials.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across internal and external partners, including organizational leadership, program staff, volunteer groups, and institutional stakeholders.

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Established relationships within the Los Angeles philanthropic community, including connections to individual donors, family foundations, and corporate partners.
• Experience in an art, cultural, educational, or civic institution and/or strong familiarity with the public-private partnership model.
• Experience functioning as a genuine co-creator with philanthropic foundations—developing initiatives collaboratively rather than simply soliciting grants.
• Knowledge of and experience with planned giving, endowment campaigns, and long-term legacy giving programs.
• Familiarity with Raiser's Edge or other Blackbaud-based fundraising systems.
• Digital fluency: social media, digital fundraising tools, and online donor engagement strategies.
• Experience engaging and mobilizing large volunteer corps in service of fundraising and community outreach goals.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The Library Foundation of Los Angeles offers a competitive compensation package, including a base salary of $230,000+ depending on experience, and a comprehensive benefits package:

• Health, dental, and vision coverage
• 20 days paid vacation | 8 days sick leave | 13 paid holidays | 1 floating holiday
• Life and disability insurance
• Short-term disability insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible spending account options
• Retirement savings plan with employer matching
• Paid parental leave
• Paid parking or public transit reimbursement
• Employee discount at The Library Store