Howe-Lewis Seeking Development Officers for New York-Based Non-Profits

February 7, 2018 – Virtually every industry needs top-drawer chief development officers. After all, CDOs play a key role in planning, coordinating and administering capital campaigns, corporate giving and galvanizing new donors while keeping old funders content. Implementing funding strategies that “keep the lights on,” according to recruiters specializing in the function, is job one.

Howe-Lewis International was recently selected by non-profits Sheltering Arms and New York Cares to lead their searches for new chief development officers.

Sheltering Arms

Since its founding in 1831, Sheltering Arms has been devoted to fostering a society where every child and family it served would have an opportunity to succeed and thrive. The organization addresses the effects of social inequity in the most challenged communities in New York City. Through innovation and partnerships, it enables low-income children and their families to escape the cycle of generational poverty.

Sheltering Arms is seeking a chief development officer with dedication and passion for social change and a track record of generating significant funds for not-for-profits across multiple revenue streams. The organization wants a front-line major gift solicitor that is tech-savvy relative to fundraising and marketing strategies, said Howe-Lewis. The individual must have superior communication skills as a writer, editor, and presenter, as well as knowledge of the New York human service sector and funding relationships.

The incoming executive will be expected to guide all external affairs efforts, including fundraising, marketing, communications/PR, volunteer management, and advocacy, said the search firm. The individual will be responsible for increasing contributed revenue, further developing and advancing the Sheltering Arms brand, and managing funding/volunteer partnerships with individuals, community organizations and corporations across New York City.

New York Cares

New York Cares, for its part, provides a lifeline of support to the city’s most vulnerable residents. Founded 30 years ago on the promise of giving everyone, no matter their circumstances, the ability to serve others, the organization now designs and runs 18,000 projects a year at 1,300 non-profits and schools across all of the city’s five boroughs, engaging over 64,000 volunteers a year in service to 400,000 at-risk New Yorkers.

The non-profit is looking for someone with broad-based, senior-level development experience, including individual and institutional philanthropy and corporate partnership. The search firm seeks a leader with a proven track record of growing a major individual donor program and knowledge of best practices in all areas of fundraising. The chief development officer must be savvy about online fundraising tactics, social media and database management/maximization.

The CDO will design a comprehensive development strategy to maximize and leverage relationships with current donors, volunteers and alumni as well as identify and cultivate relationships with new prospective donors. New York Cares is at a pivotal moment in its history and impact, said Howe-Lewis, and is committed to a renewed focus on substantially growing major individual donor initiatives while maintaining and expanding its strong corporate sponsorship program. The role offers an ideal opportunity for an experienced and strategic development professional and relationship builder to inaugurate new tactics and strategies to drive increased philanthropic support, said the search firm.

Founded in 1975, Howe-Lewis International is a boutique executive search firm based in New York City that focuses on the not-for-profit and healthcare sectors. Its clients represent a full range of education, cultural arts, healthcare, human services, membership and advocacy organizations. The firm is led by co-managing directors Patricia Anne Greco and Esther Rosenberg. Howe-Lewis has led chief development officer searches for Los Angeles Master Chorale, Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

Chief Development Officers

Chief development officers are in high demand as fundraising prowess and having an ability to drive growth is becoming an essential part of the skills required of nearly every competitive organization today. A recent search on LinkedIn of the title generated more than 140,000 results.

Here is a sampling of recent CDO searches from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives.

DRG Executive Search has been retained by Shatterproof, an addiction prevention non-profit, to lead its search for a new CDO. DRG managing partner David Hinsley Cheng is leading the search along with senior consultant Carmel Napolitano. Candidates must have at least 10 years development experience.

Executive search firm Caldwell Partners International placed Desikan Madhavanur as executive vice president and CDO of JDA Software in Scottsdale, AZ. Jim Bethmann, managing partner and co-leader of Caldwell’s TMT & IT services and information security practices, led the search. He previously worked at CA Technologies, where he served as senior vice president and business center head for data center orchestration.

Howe-Lewis International recruited Lori Abrams as vice president and CDO of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. She was previously director of development at The Valerie Fund. The Arnold P. Gold Foundation is a non-profit organization that works with medical and nursing schools, and in hospitals and other professional settings across the U.S.

Harvard Group International placed Mandy Nelson as the first ever CDO of After-School All-Stars (ASAS). Managing director and non-profit practice leader Cyndi Court led the search. Most recently, Ms. Nelson served for seven years as the associate vice president for development in the Pacific division of the American Red Cross.

 ADK Consulting & Executive Search has been retained by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority to lead its search for a chief development officer. This position offers a compensation package in the range of $190,000 to $220,000, with an attractive range of benefits, including a deferred compensation plan and participation in the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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