Chief Development Officer

Position description

Strong preference for candidates based in or prepared to relocate to the New York City area; candidates who would be based in other locations will be considered selectively. The appointee is expected to work on site at VHW’s New York City office a minimum of three days per week.

Organizational Overview

Village Health Works (VHW) is a 501(c)(3) corporation. It is a social justice organization founded on the belief that health equity is not a commodity but a right. Founded in partnership with the communities it serves, VHW’s mission is to provide the neediest with high quality, compassionate health care and education. VHW’s holistic approach integrates clinical services with education, food security, economic development, environmental protection, music, and the arts. In the context of where VHW works, this is how the organization can sustainably end extreme, multigenerational scarcity in a way that uplifts and engages communities with dignity. VHW believes that the lack of access to quality healthcare and education is the biggest threat to development and world peace.

Flagship Initiatives

Currently, VHW operates in a wide array of clinical and community programs in a catchment area of over 200,000 people within the provinces of Rumonge and Bururi in Burundi, though its doors are open for every patient regardless of where that patient is coming from. VHW’s primary health clinic provides over 51,000 outpatient consultations per year. From 2007 until the summer of 2023, its 60-bed inpatient wards provided basic adult and pediatric non-operative inpatient services, including treatment of malnutrition, mental health, chronic and acute diseases, and uncomplicated obstetrical deliveries. These services have been administered by a staff of generalist physicians under the supervision of VHW’s Medical Director.

VHW has embarked on a plan to expand its clinical services to provide comprehensive quality medical care and training. To achieve this goal, VHW constructed and opened the Kigutu Hospital & Women’s Health Pavilion in June 2023. It is an 85,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art teaching hospital with services that include surgery, obstetric deliveries, intensive care, pediatrics and neonatology, emergency services, a pathology lab, medical education, and a research center. The Kigutu Hospital & Women’s Health Pavilion is a transformational step forward in the fulfillment of VHW’s longtime vision for dignified, accessible healthcare and lays the groundwork for an improved health system for decades to come.

Additionally, VHW has established the Kigutu International Academy (KIA), a grade 9-12 boarding school educating a new generation of problem-solvers, change makers, and ethical, entrepreneurial leaders. KIA opened its doors in October 2020 and educates a cross-section of promising girls and boys from across Burundi who demonstrate strong academic performance and a track record of leadership in their communities.

Role Summary & Context for Recruitment

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is responsible, in partnership with the CEO, for building and leading a comprehensive fundraising program that sustains Village Health Works’ health, education, and community programs in Burundi. Reporting to Founder and CEO, the CDO will serve as his strategic partner in philanthropy and will work closely with the Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff, Country Executive Director, and the Board of Directors, led by newly appointed Chair William L. “Bill” Jacob, III. The CDO will lead the New York-based development team, including the Director of Partnerships, and will work in tandem with the recently appointed Director of Communications.

VHW conducts this search as it marks its 20th anniversary. What began as a small clinic in rural Burundi has grown into a medical and educational campus anchored by the Kigutu Hospital & Women’s Health Pavilion and the Kigutu International Academy. VHW’s philanthropy has been built largely on Deo’s personal relationships and his widely known story, and on a loyal circle of individual donors who provide roughly 70% of revenue. That foundation has made remarkable growth possible. As VHW’s programs have grown, so has the need for a fundraising program of matching scale.

The CDO’s charge is to build that program: a disciplined, data-informed development operation that broadens and diversifies the donor base, secures recurring and unrestricted support for VHW’s operations, and multiplies the number of people who carry VHW’s case, so that philanthropy no longer rests on any single relationship. The timing is favorable. VHW is finalizing a new strategic plan; its new Board Chair is restructuring the board around a sharper fundraising focus, including a new annual fund committee; and work is underway on an updated case for support and messaging.

Qualifications

Village Health Works will consider a broad range of backgrounds, including candidates ready to step into their first chief development role. The ideal candidate will bring the following qualifications:

• A record of success in fundraising, including developing strategies that harness financial resources by cultivating effective relationships with existing and potential donors. Ideally, experience with the international philanthropic community, including global health or international development.
• Experience with major donor cultivation and with grants and institutional funders.
• Comfort and skill in making direct asks and closing gifts. Proven success securing major gifts at the six-figure level and above as a frontline fundraiser.
• Experience building or rebuilding a fundraising program in a small, entrepreneurial organization with limited infrastructure.
• A track record of partnering with a founder or high-profile chief executive: managing up, deploying leadership time strategically, and advancing relationships the CEO initiates.
• Ability to work effectively with board members and senior leadership, and to engage them as partners in fundraising.
• An exceptional manager of people, able to inspire teamwork toward a common goal.
• A data-informed approach to setting goals, tracking progress, and reporting results.
• A history of building visibility for an organization and a track record as an effective communicator, in writing and verbally.
• A professional demeanor and personal style that elicits trust from prospects, staff, and board members.
• Willingness to travel extensively, including to Burundi, and to work in person from the New York City office.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Additional Personal Qualities & Competencies

• Deep connection to the mission and vision of VHW and the ability to authentically engage and inspire others as a senior representative of the organization.
• Unimpeachable integrity and commitment to the highest standards of professionalism; mature judgment in handling sensitive information. Values-driven, committed to personal and professional development. Leads by example and with humility. Elevates institutional goals and values beyond personal gain, ensuring efforts are mission-focused and quality driven.
• Emotionally intelligent leader, with the interpersonal skills and cross-cultural sensitivity to develop and sustain impactful relationships with colleagues from different cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. A sense of humor and perspective, and a penchant for transparency, consultation, and collaboration.
• Openness to new ideas and diverse perspectives, combined with full commitment to shared decisions once a direction is set.
• Exceptional relationship management and communication skills (written and oral) with a variety of stakeholders, including board members, individual donors, partners, corporations, senior management, and staff. The presence and comfort level to serve as a highly visible and public-facing ambassador of VHW. Ability to clearly articulate goals and progress, and how funding strategies impact larger organizational goals.
• An energetic self-starter who is highly organized and detail-oriented, able to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team, and willing to roll up their sleeves in a start-up culture. Agile and creative in adapting to changing circumstances in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent public speaking ability, and a commitment to telling VHW’s story in ways that honor the dignity of the people it serves.

Application instructions

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