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Water Mission is a Christian engineering nonprofit that builds safe water solutions for people in developing countries, refugee camps, and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has served more than 8 million people in 60 countries, sharing safe water and the message of God’s love. Working at Water Mission is as much a calling as it is a career, and we are searching for people with the courage, passion, and drive to help us change the world. Read more about our Statement of Faith and Our Christian Mission.
What is the opportunity?
As a key member of the Executive Team, the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) provides global strategic leadership in fundraising, marketing, and communications, driving Water Mission’s financial sustainability and global Kingdom impact. The CAO will lead a major comprehensive fundraising campaign within the next year, fueling Water Mission’s expansion from $40M to >$100M within the next 5-10 years. To achieve this, the CAO will scale donor acquisition and engagement strategies while expanding and diversifying revenue streams. Overseeing the Advancement Team, the CAO directs mass donor engagement, mid- and major-gift fundraising, church and faith-based partnerships, institutional and corporate funding, grants, and strategic communications. This role requires a visionary strategist who can develop and implement a global fundraising framework built on the foundation of fundraising as a ministry, a spiritual act inviting people to participate in God’s work that drives growth and deepens donor relationships rooted in biblical principles of generosity, gratitude, and faithful stewardship. The CAO reports to the Chief Executive Officer and is full-time, based in Charleston, South Carolina.
A Chief Advancement Officer will be successful in the following areas:
Revenue Growth & Global Fundraising Strategy
- Develop and execute a strategy to grow annual revenue to >$100M within the next 5-10 years, ensuring a balanced and diversified funding mix across individual, corporate, foundation, faith-based, institutional, and peer-to-peer giving to achieve Water Mission’s mission and Kingdom impact.
- Lead the launch of a major comprehensive fundraising campaign, mobilizing major donors, corporate sponsors, churches, faith-aligned businesses, and institutional funders.
- Expand Water Mission’s global fundraising footprint, identifying key international markets and untapped donor opportunities.
- Innovate and implement new fundraising models, digital giving platforms, and international donor engagement strategies to strengthen long-term financial sustainability.
- Ensure donor communications, brand messaging, and storytelling align with strategic fundraising objectives, development strategies, while reflecting biblical principles of generosity, gratitude, and faithful stewardship.
- Cultivate relationships with donors as co-laborers in Christ, not merely financial supporters inspiring a deeper connection between giving and faith.
- Lead the Advancement Team in prayerful discernment, seeking God’s provision and guidance in fundraising strategies.
Build and Develop High-Performing Fundraising, Marketing, and Communications Teams to:
- Elevate mid- and major-gift fundraising by implementing best-in-class donor stewardship strategies and optimizing donor engagement pipelines.
- Expand and deepen faith-based partnerships by fostering a shared vision for biblical generosity, helping churches and Christian businesses see their giving as an act of worship and mission.
- Build on Water Mission’s technical credibility as an engineering ministry while integrating human-centered storytelling, using case studies, testimonials, and data-driven visuals.
- Scale volunteer and peer-to-peer fundraising by growing ambassador networks, grassroots campaigns, and donor-driven initiatives.
- Oversee corporate, sector, and institutional fundraising, securing transformational gifts and diversifying funding sources.
- Develop and manage a balanced mix of high- and low-compliance grants from multilateral agencies, government entities, and private foundations.
- Advance corporate sponsorship and cause-marketing strategies to increase unrestricted funding.
- Ensure donor communications, brand messaging, and storytelling align with strategic fundraising objectives and retention strategies.
- Optimize digital fundraising and multi-channel engagement to expand donor reach and increase long-term giving.
- Maintain brand consistency across all engagement channels, reinforcing Water Mission’s global presence and mission.
Executive Leadership & Team Development
- Translate the CEO’s vision into high-impact fundraising and engagement strategies that drive growth.
- Advise and collaborate with the CEO on major donor relations, corporate partnerships, and philanthropic initiatives.
- Partner with the CEO to cultivate and steward high-impact donor relationships, ensuring strategic alignment with major campaigns and funding priorities.
- Lead transformational fundraising efforts to secure landmark gifts, foundation investments, and institutional funding to expand Water Mission’s global impact.
- Work closely with the COO and CFO to align fundraising growth with financial forecasting, program expansion, and organizational priorities.
- Ensure transparency and financial accountability, collaborating with the CFO to align revenue projections with investment strategies.
- Regularly assess and refine fundraising performance metrics, ensuring data-driven strategies drive measurable impact.
- Build, mentor, and lead high-performing teams, fostering a culture of innovation, excellence, and data-driven decision-making.
- Model servant leadership and maintain a strong Christian witness, integrating prayer, biblical stewardship, and discipleship into donor relationships and fundraising strategies.
- Train and equip the Advancement Team to view their roles as ministry, ensuring donor interactions can be seen as an opportunity for spiritual encouragement and impact.
- Encourage and lead prayerful discernment in major campaign initiatives, trusting God’s provision.
Board & External Engagement
- Work alongside the CEO in high-level donor engagement, major gift cultivation, and corporate and institutional partnership development.
- Align the CEO’s public engagements with Water Mission’s advancement strategy, ensuring seamless coordination of major campaigns, donor relations, and global partnerships.
- Serve as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors’ Partnerships & Communications Committee, ensuring fundraising strategies align with governance priorities and the organization’s commitment to biblical stewardship.
- Deliver executive-level reports and presentations to the Board, Senior Leadership, and key stakeholders, showcasing fundraising performance, campaign progress, and revenue expansion opportunities.
- Represent Water Mission globally in media, donor events, and industry forums, serving as a high-profile spokesperson to elevate the organization’s mission and visibility.
What is required?
- Deep and growing relationship with Jesus Christ and commitment to servant leadership.
- Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.
- 15+ years of executive leadership in global fundraising, nonprofit advancement, and strategic communications.
- Proven success scaling multi-million-dollar fundraising operations across individual giving, corporate partnerships, institutional funding, grants, and faith-based philanthropy.
- Global fundraising expertise, including securing international philanthropic, corporate, and government funding.
- Expertise in major gifts, capital campaigns, and securing transformational gifts from high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and corporate donors.
- Strong track record in securing and managing complex, compliance-heavy grants from multilateral agencies and government entities.
- Experience in faith-based fundraising models, engaging churches and Christian philanthropic networks.
- Strategic, data-driven thinker with a proven ability to develop innovative fundraising models and identify untapped revenue opportunities.
- Exceptional leadership and team development skills, with a history of building and mentoring high-performing advancement teams.
- Financial acumen, aligning fundraising growth with financial planning, program expansion, and operational scaling.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage and cultivate donors, board members, and senior leaders.
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 20% of the time, both domestically and internationally.
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