Chief Advancement Officer

May 2025 | Hybrid / New York, NY
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CancerCare seeks a Chief Advancement Officer to provide visionary leadership and strategic direction to the organization’s fundraising, donor engagement, and revenue generation efforts.

About CancerCare

Founded 80 years ago, CancerCare is the leading national organization providing free, professional support services and information to help anyone impacted by cancer manage the emotional, practical and financial challenges of cancer.

CancerCare services are provided by master’s-prepared oncology social workers and world-leading cancer experts and include resource navigation, counseling and support groups over the phone, online and in-person, educational workshops, publications, and financial and co-payment assistance. Last year alone, CancerCare provided over $80 million in financial and co-pay assistance.

CancerCare’s core services include:

• Resource Navigation: CancerCare provides free telephone resource navigation in English and Spanish to people impacted by cancer, including the individual diagnosed, caregivers, post-treatment survivors, and the bereaved.

• Counseling Services and Support Groups: CancerCare’s counseling services are provided free of charge in English and Spanish in New York and New Jersey and focus on the emotional and practical challenges that arise from cancer. CancerCare’s support groups are offered live and online. Live Support Groups are led by licensed oncology social workers and offer the opportunity to connect with others who share similar concerns and experiences. The online groups are open to anyone in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.

• Education: CancerCare’s educational programs and resources provide up-to-date information on the latest in treatment option and related topics. Educational offerings include:

• • Connect Education Workshops provide up-to-date information, led by experts in oncology, in one-hour educational cancer workshops over the telephone or online.
  • An extensive list of publications that includes more than 300 easy-to-read booklets and fact sheets, providing expert insights on a host of cancer-related topics.

• Financial Assistance: CancerCare offers limited financial assistance for cancer-related costs such as transportation, homecare, and childcare; in addition, the staff of oncology social workers can assist in securing help from resources outside of CancerCare.
• Specialized Programs: CancerCare offers numerous programs to support specific populations and challenges that people affected by cancer face, including CancerCare for Kids, a Caregiver Program, Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Program, LGBTQ+ Program, Pet Assistance & Wellness Program, and Wig & Breast Prosthesis Clinics, among other programs.

Each year, CancerCare empowers millions of people affected by cancer, by addressing the emotional, practical, and financial challenges caused by cancer through their services.

About the Position

CancerCare’s annual operating budget is in the range of $17 million, with approximately $10.5 million generated from private philanthropy efforts including individual giving and major gifts ($1.3M), institutional partnerships ($7.7M), and events ($1.5M).

CancerCare seeks a dynamic and collaborative fundraising professional to lead development for the organization and foster a deeper culture of philanthropy. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) will provide strategic leadership and oversight to a comprehensive development program, integrating the organization’s fundraising and donor engagement activities. 

The CAO will serve as a key ambassador, fostering deeper connections with constituency groups and cultivating awareness and philanthropic support for the organization. By fostering deeper integration and building cross-departmental collaboration, the CAO will develop and implement strategies to engage donors, cultivate new funding sources, and retain existing supporters. They will focus on aligning the efforts of all philanthropic teams, ensuring that strategies are coordinated, and resources are used efficiently, with an emphasis on consistent revenue growth and alignment with CancerCare’s overarching goals.

The CAO will unite and lead a team of 4 direct reports and additional development staff across institutional giving, individual giving, development operations, and events. With future successes, the CAO will have the ability to grow the team over time based on the needs of the department and organization.          

This is an exciting opportunity for an entrepreneurial fundraising professional who is excited to shape and grow a fundraising department for a national and well-regarded organization.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Provide leadership in all facets of the development program including planning, analysis, major donor identification and cultivation, coordination of volunteer leadership efforts and related activities.
• Serve as a member of CancerCare’s senior leadership team.
• Develop strong and collaborative working relationships with other members of senior leadership to best understand CancerCare’s mission and programs and effectively articulate this information to donors and the public.
• Work with the CEO to sustain and strengthen the engagement and stewardship activities of the Board.
• Work effectively and collaboratively with the senior management team ensure development activities are well coordinated with and supportive of organizational priorities.
• Bring a strategic perspective to development planning and innovation.

Fundraising  

• Oversee and manage all development functions, including major gifts, annual giving and direct mail, major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation gifts, and events, resulting in a proactive development program that generates diverse financial support.
• Develop a strong donor pipeline that focuses on high net worth individual and institutional donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Design and execute fundraising proposals around key programs.
• Engage CEO, Board, and other senior leadership in key donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Engage with data analytics and apply a data-and-metrics-driven approach to development planning.

Management

• Coach, mentor and motivate team members, and draw upon their potential and talent, individually and collaboratively.
• Review development program and design strategies for setting progressive revenue goals, establishing meaningful metrics, and evaluating performance.
• Oversee the development of a best practice development infrastructure, including systems and data infrastructure, policies, and procedures to ensure effectiveness and accountability across the program.
• Report regular progress against strategic goals, including donor engagement and stewardship touchpoints, revenue and quota targets, and pipeline management details.
• Manage resources and outcomes efficiently and effectively.
• As appropriate, determine the need for and recruit talented professionals to join a successful development team.

Key Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in fundraising roles with progressively increasing responsibility, preferably in healthcare or social services.
• Ability to construct, articulate, and implement an annual strategic development plan that guides program growth, expands funding sources, leverages existing prospects, and builds sustainable partnerships.
• Proven ability to secure major gifts and grants while building relationships with high-net-worth individuals and institutional funders.
• Staff management experience, with demonstrated expertise in change management, effectively leading teams through organizational transitions and fostering a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement.
• Success supporting and managing organizational leadership and volunteer leadership in donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and interpersonal communication abilities.
• Experience with donor databases such as Instrumentl, Virtuous, or similar CRM tools, with strong data analysis and reporting skills.
• Results oriented self-starter with an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit.
• Commitment to CancerCare’s mission and demonstrated ability to align organizational objectives with donor engagement strategies
• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business administration, communications, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.

CancerCare is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, veteran/military status or any other protected characteristic as established under law. CancerCare is dedicated to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for our staff and clients.

The compensation range for this position is $225,000 commensurate with experience.

If you are interested in being considered for this search, please use the form below to submit your cover letter and resume in confidence.

Theresa Leinker

Vice President, Fundraising

Development Guild DDI