Position Type: Full-time

Location: Charleston, SC

Reporting: President & CEO

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) is an accomplished and self-driven philanthropy professional with a deep commitment to nonprofit excellence and mission-driven results. Working in close partnership with the President & CEO and the Board of Trustees, the CAO shapes the strategic direction of the Advancement Department and leads the team responsible for the organization’s fundraising, marketing, and communications efforts.

The CAO is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive annual fundraising plan; managing Advancement Department operations and staff; and serving as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team. This role involves cultivating and stewarding significant relationships with corporate and foundation partners, as well as managing a portfolio of individual major donors, purposefully guiding these supporters toward deeper engagement with the Land Trust.

The CAO contributes directly to the Land Trust’s long-term organizational strength by building, nurturing, and sustaining strong relationships with its broad base of constituents and supporters. This position is central to advancing the Land Trust’s mission and ensuring a vibrant and sustainable future for its work.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of securing principal and major gifts, as well as cultivating and closing planned gift commitments.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Strategic Leadership

• Partner with the President & CEO and Board of Trustees to set advancement strategy and goals.
• Lead the Advancement Department, fostering a high-performing, mission-aligned team culture.
• Serve on the Senior Leadership Team and contribute to organization-wide planning and decision-making.

Fundraising & Philanthropy

• Develop and implement, in collaboration with the President & CEO and Advancement staff, a comprehensive annual fundraising plan with goals across major gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation support, planned giving, and campaigns to meet revenue goals; continuously monitor and refine these initiatives.
• Manage a personal portfolio of major donors and prospects; secure significant gifts through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Provide strategic leadership for the Land Trust’s capital campaign efforts, overseeing staff responsible for campaign operations, donor engagement, and communications.
• Collaborate with the President & CEO and the Corporate & Major Gifts Director to develop, nurture, and deepen the Land Trust’s business relationships including providing strategic direction for Business Leadership Council meetings and relationships.
• Provide strategic oversight of grant strategy, foundation relationships, and proposal development, ensuring these functions are effectively executed by Advancement staff.
• Oversee the Advancement team responsible for planning and executing events, ensuring alignment with fundraising goals, donor engagement strategies, and organizational priorities.
• Support Board members and senior staff in donor engagement and fundraising roles.
• Periodically act as a representative of the Land Trust in an official capacity.
• Other pertinent and appropriate duties as assigned.

Marketing & Communications

• Provide leadership and direction for the Land Trust’s strategic communications and marketing plan, overseeing the staff responsible for producing clear, compelling, and consistent messaging.
• Supervise the staff responsible for the design, production, and distribution of annual reports, newsletters, direct mail, marketing materials, signage, and other collateral.
• Oversee the public relations activities by providing strategic guidance to staff who manage contract public/media relations professionals and develop key messages.

Department Management

• Provide direct supervision to Advancement staff, setting performance expectations and supporting professional growth.
• Oversee budgets, reporting, systems, and operational processes to ensure accurate tracking, donor data integrity, and effective operations.
• Ensure compliance with development best practices, ethical standards, and donor intent.

Other Duties as Required:

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work an employee assigned to this position performs. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required. All staff members may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time.

Onboarding is in-person. Employees are required to be in the office a minimum of one full day per week, in-person once per month for a staff meeting, and occasionally throughout the year for group events. More in-office days may be required depending on the needs of the business.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education
• Ten (10) years’ experience in nonprofit fundraising with a thorough knowledge of fundraising principles
• Supervisory experience of a department and external consultants
• Demonstrated ability to build a culture of philanthropy within an organization
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, ability to cultivate relationships 
• Experience working with Virtuous or comparable donor database 
• Proficiency in organizing and prioritizing tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Some evening and weekend work is required
• In and out-of-state travel may be required

Preferred:

• Conservation and/or public agency experience 
• Additional higher education or professional certification
• Customer service knowledge
• Additional experience in fundraising, donor relations, and marketing 
• Affinity and/or familiarity with land conservation

Lowcountry Land Trust is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and to comply with all federal, state, and local laws that apply to equal employment. It is our policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote individuals, as well as administer any and all personnel actions, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, civil union status, domestic partnership status, affectional or sexual orientation or identity, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, marital status, status as a disabled or Vietnam era veteran, service in the federal or state military, union affiliation, pregnancy or breastfeeding, medical or genetic information, atypical hereditary cellular blood trait, refusal to submit to a genetic test or make test results available to the Company, or status as a qualified individual with a disability, in accordance with applicable laws. The Land Trust also complies with the South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodation Act.

Benefits Summary

Insurance

• Health Insurance
  • CoPay Plan with FSA (Flexible Spending Account) option
    • Employee premium covered 90% by employer
  • HDHP (High Deductible) Plans with HSA (Health Savings Account) option
    • All medical costs are paid out of pocket until the deductible is met
    • Employee premium covered 100% by employer
    • Includes Employer HSA contribution
• Dental Insurance – Employee premium covered 100% by employer 
• Group Life Insurance with AD&D ($25,000) – Employee premium covered 100% by employer 
• Disability - Employee premium covered 100% by employer 
• Optional benefits available – Paid by Employee:
• Health FSA & Dependent Care FSA
  • HSA
  • Accident Insurance
  • Critical Illness Coverage
  • Vision Care
  • Voluntary Life Insurance

Financial & Retirement

• 403(b)
• • Eligibility: Age 21 and works at least 83 1/3 hours per month
  • Immediate eligibility
  • Up to 6% match after 6 months of employment

Family & Parenting

• Family & Medical Leave
• Hybrid Work Environment (in-office/from home)
• Flexible Hours

Paid Time Off

• Self-managed PTO
• 11 Paid Holidays 
• Flexible Summer Schedule

Perks 

• Partial Mobile Phone Reimbursement