Chief Development Officer

The Organization

For 25 years, Thrive Scholars has helped extraordinarily talented young people gain access to opportunities too often shaped by family income, geography, networks, and exposure. Thrive's mission is to empower high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with the skills, guidance, and professional networks they need to excel in top colleges and launch careers that lead to economic mobility.

Thrive's six-year model supports Scholars from their junior year of high school through college graduation. It combines rigorous academic preparation, college access and success advising, individualized coaching, career development, and opportunities with leading colleges and employers.

The results are strong. More than 90 percent of Scholars attend top colleges, Scholars earn an average college GPA of about 3.4, roughly 80 percent persist in STEM, and 99 percent graduate from college. Thrive serves more than 1,400 Scholars, most of them first-generation college students, and their average starting salary is roughly double their household income.

Thrive is in the second year of an ambitious five-year strategic plan developed with Bain & Company. In 2026, Thrive welcomed about 575 Scholars, its largest incoming class ever, and it plans to grow its annual incoming cohort to about 1,000 Scholars over the next four years while maintaining or improving outcomes. Strengthening fundraising is a core pillar of that plan, and the Chief Development Officer will lead it

The Position

Thrive Scholars seeks a disciplined, entrepreneurial, and results-driven Chief Development Officer to shape the fundraising engine that will power its next chapter of growth. Thrive has a proven model, a national base of loyal supporters, and a strong development team. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and serving on the senior leadership team, the next CDO will build on that foundation to create a sustainable, growing, and diversified revenue stream.

With contributed revenue of roughly $18 million annually, Thrive Scholars is poised for its next stage of growth. The incoming Chief Development Officer will build on this foundation and drive contributed revenue to $25 million in the years ahead.

The CDO leads the development team by setting a clear strategy, refining roles and goals, tracking the pipeline, and holding the team accountable for results. Equally important, the CDO personally manages a small number of large, transformational funding opportunities with major national funders.

The CDO will also lead the growth of corporate partnerships, which are central to Thrive's model. Corporate partners invest in Thrive not only as funders but as employers who meet, hire, and develop Scholars. Thrive aims to grow corporate support as a share of total revenue.

The CDO will bring a sales-minded approach to fundraising. That means building playbooks, tracking what is working by account and region, and giving leadership real-time visibility into the pipeline, while preserving the relationship-driven culture that makes Thrive's fundraising successful.

This is a hands-on, visible leadership role. The CDO will spend meaningful time on the road with donors, partners, Board members, and regional teams in Thrive's key markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, and Jacksonville.

Key Responsibilities

Build a Disciplined Pipeline-Driven Fundraising Program

• Develop and execute annual and multi-year fundraising plans with the CEO that support Thrive's five-year strategic plan.
• Diversify Thrive’s revenue base by identifying and securing new funders, partners, and revenue streams while maximizing revenue nationally and across Thrive’s regions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
• Dedicate a meaningful share of time to personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations, including managing a focused portfolio of major national prospects with the potential for making transformational, multi-year investments.
• Strengthen and grow Thrive's broad base of existing donors by defining clear stewardship expectations and building an organization-wide donor recognition strategy, applied consistently across national and regional teams, that drives retention and increased giving.
• In partnership with finance, ensure Thrive’s fundraising meets legal, ethical, and policy requirements, including gift acceptance, donor restrictions, gift acknowledgment, and grant reporting.
• Provide clear, timely reporting on fundraising performance to the CEO, finance team, and Board.
• Use Salesforce and data to forecast revenue, measure performance, and inform decisions.

Lead and Manage a High-Performing Development Team

• Lead and manage a development team of ~12, including regional executive directors, corporate partnerships, and development operations.
• Translate the development strategy into specific goals, roles, and accountabilities for every team member.
• Know the state of the pipeline at all times, including what has closed, what is at risk, and what each team member is working on, using disciplined routines such as regular pipeline reviews, activity tracking, and progress against targets.
• Hire, onboard, coach, and develop strong fundraisers as the department and revenue grows.
• Identify and integrate AI-enabled tools and practices that sharpen prospect identification, forecasting, and personalized stewardship, ensuring the team uses them responsibly and effectively
• Foster a team culture grounded in Thrive's Cultural Commitments, with high expectations, candid feedback, collaboration, and connection to the mission.

Corporate Partnerships

• Lead the corporate partnerships strategy, with the goal of growing corporate support as a share of total revenue.
• Partner closely with the Chief Program Officer and the program and career teams to design corporate partnerships that Thrive can deliver on with excellence, building long-term sustainable and meaningful relationships with these corporations.

Partner with the CEO, Board, and Senior Leadership

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO and deploy the CEO's time on the highest-value fundraising opportunities while accompanying and preparing the CEO for donor meetings when appropriate.
• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contribute to organization-wide decisions and build strong partnerships with program, finance, and operations leaders.
• Work with the CEO and Board members to map and open their personal and professional networks, and support them in their own cultivation and solicitation of donors.
• Engage the National Board and regional boards as fundraisers, connectors, and ambassadors, and secure clear annual fundraising commitments from Board members.
• Collaborate closely with the marketing and communications team so that Thrive’s brand, storytelling, impact reporting, and donor communications directly support fundraising goals and the donor pipeline.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy across Thrive, and ensure that systems and processes support fundraising.

Experience and Qualifications

The strongest candidates will bring many of the following:

• Connection to Thrive's mission: A deep commitment to expanding opportunity for talented young people from low-income backgrounds. Lived experience that reflects the backgrounds of Thrive's scholars is valued.
• Measurable fundraising results: At least 12 years of fundraising experience, or transferable for-profit sales experience, with a track record of growing revenue over time, including bringing in new funders and revenue streams, and personally closing six- and seven-figure gifts from individuals, foundations, and/or corporations.
• Proven team leadership: At least 7 years leading a team at a multi-site or national organization. A clear record of hiring strong people and holding a team accountable to goals.
• Pipeline discipline: Experience running fundraising with the rigor of a sales organization, including pipeline management, forecasting, playbooks, and performance metrics, using a CRM (preferably Salesforce). Experience in or alongside for-profit sales or business development is a plus.
• Major institutional relationships: Experience cultivating long-cycle relationships with national foundations, corporations, and/or major donors.
• Corporate partnerships: Experience building corporate partnerships that combine philanthropy with deeper engagement, such as talent pipelines or employee involvement.
• Board and executive partnership: Ability to quickly earn the trust of a CEO, Board members, and senior colleagues, and to engage volunteers effectively in fundraising, including securing Board giving commitments.
• Willingness to travel: Comfort with significant travel, up to 40% of the time, to Thrive's key markets
• Systems and data: Experience using a CRM, preferably Salesforce, to manage pipeline and report results.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to tell Thrive's story compellingly to donors and partners.
• AI fluency: A forward-looking leader who uses AI tools to strengthen fundraising strategy and efficiency, and who can champion thoughtful, responsible adoption across the development team.
• Financial acumen: A solid understanding of nonprofit budgets and revenue forecasting, along with working knowledge of fundraising compliance.

Location: While this is a fully remote position, candidates based in Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles preferred; other major U.S. metros considered.

Travel Expectations: Up to 40%

Compensation, Benefits, and How to Apply

The salary range for this role is $225,000 to $275,000, commensurate with experience. Thrive offers a comprehensive benefits package, including high-quality health and dental insurance, four weeks of paid vacation, professional development funding, and an employer-matched retirement plan. This is a full-time, exempt position.

Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.

Application Process

Thrive Scholars has retained Orr Group to conduct this search. Please direct all inquiries, interest, and nominations to the Orr Group search team.

Jesse Bryan

Vice President

Orr Group

jbryan@orrgroup.com

About Orr Group

Orr Group is a strategic partner to nonprofit organizations, offering comprehensive fundraising and executive recruitment support that advances mission, maximizes philanthropic potential, and builds long-term sustainability. We specialize in the business of philanthropy, helping our partners drive results through data-informed strategies, embedded team members, and hands-on implementation.