About the Community FoodBank of New Jersey
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (“CFBNJ”) is the largest anti-hunger, anti-poverty organization in the state of New Jersey, where nearly one million neighbors, including 1 in 8 children, struggle with the emptiness caused by hunger. CFBNJ is the lead source of nourishing food for 800 pantries serving everyone from infants to college students to families and seniors.
In 2023, CFBNJ provided over 90 million meals to New Jerseyans. While food distribution is central to CFBNJ’s mission, the organization also works to address the root causes of hunger through programs including:
- Food Programs for Youth, College Students, and Older Adults: CFBNJ’s Child Nutrition and College Pantry Programs ensure that kids and young adults at risk of hunger have access to nutritious meals all year long. Additionally, CFBNJ distributes boxes packed with nutritious food to thousands of seniors every month.
- Health Partnerships & Nutrition Education: CFBNJ works with a variety of partners, including the Diabetes Foundation, local hospitals, and other New Jersey food banks, to continue to improve and expand equitable access to nutritious foods. Through NJ SNAP Ed, CFBNJ provides free nutrition education workshops that help neighbors choose healthy food on a budget and make physical activity part of their lives.
- Job Training: CFBNJ offers no-cost job training programs, including the Food Service Training Academy, to provide students with the professional and interpersonal skills they need to earn a livable wage. CFBNJ’s job training programs are focused on supporting individuals with re-entry employment.
- Food Benefits Assistance: CFBNJ's SNAP Navigators provide free, multilingual, in-person SNAP application assistance, as well as support with other food benefits such as WIC and school meals.
- Diapers & Hygiene Programs: CFBNJ works to support access to hygiene supplies through programs including their diaper distribution program and period initiative.
CFBNJ’s service area includes 11 counties across north and south New Jersey. Furthermore, the organization partners with affiliate food banks to service four additional counties throughout the state. CFBNJ is headquartered out of an expansive warehouse in Hillside, New Jersey, and has a warehouse and food pantry in Egg Harbor, New Jersey.
CFBNJ is a proud member of Feeding America®. Learn more about CFBNJ at cfbnj.org.
Recent Successes & Looking Ahead
CFBNJ recently launched their 2024-2027 Strategic Plan which identifies three key priorities to reduce food insecurity in New Jersey:
- New & Better Distribution: By prioritizing dependability of food distribution to partners, CFBNJ can improve consistent access to food.
- Health & Nourishment for Neighbor Wellness: CFBNJ will establish and operationalize a community- and neighbor-informed nutritional policy in order to increase the number of neighbors showing improved health outcomes and satisfaction with healthy food choices.
- Improve & Serve the NJ Food Security Ecosystem: In order to achieve the organization’s vision, CFBNJ will continue to partner and collaborate across sectors and engage in public policy to inform and improve policies at the local, state, and federal level that impact food insecurity.
In July of 2023, CFBNJ welcomed Elizabeth McCarthy as its President & CEO. Elizabeth has led the adoption of the new strategic plan and has begun to lead the CFBNJ team towards a future focused on data analysis and creative solutions in order to address the needs of neighbors across New Jersey.
Key to the success of CFBNJ’s Strategic Plan is a modernized, efficient, and effective distribution space, which will allow better and more consistent service to partners. CFBNJ’s current Hillside warehouse has been utilized by the food bank for over 25 years. While CFBNJ has worked to modernize the warehouse, including through the recent adoption of a new cloud-based warehouse management system, the building is limited in its capacity to store food and ensure efficient delivery to partners.
To achieve the goal of improved, more reliable service to partner organizations through new and better distribution, CFBNJ are in the early stages of kicking off a capital campaign, related to warehouse improvements. Specifically, the organization has begun to solicit proposals for a feasibility study related to the campaign. Further, in 2025, CFBNJ will celebrate its 50th anniversary, resulting in remarkable opportunity to drive this capital campaign and other donor initiatives aligned with this celebration.
The Opportunity
At this time of high potential for growth and impact, CFBNJ seeks a strong and resilient frontline fundraiser passionate about CFBNJ’s mission, vision, and values to serve as its Chief Development Officer (CDO).
This role is responsible for driving the organization’s strategic growth and sustainability and will collaborate closely with the President & CEO, Board of Directors, and other key stakeholders to forge new partnerships while enhancing existing ones with donors, corporations, foundations, and volunteers.
Reporting to the President & CEO, the CDO will spearhead multi-faceted fundraising campaigns and work in close association with the Assistant Vice President of Special Events & Community Outreach to ensure growing public awareness leads to a strategy targeted to increase a diverse pipeline of supporters for vibrant revenue streams and essential volunteer engagement.
This candidate will be responsible for developing and nurturing a committed team of 30 individuals, including 7 direct reports (Senior Director, Corporate Relations & Volunteers; Director, Donor Engagement & Planned Giving; Director, Foundation & Government Relations; Director of External Relations (EHT); Managers of Donor Services (2) and Development Coordinator).
Key responsibilities of the CDO include, but are not limited to:
Strategic Planning
- Provide visionary leadership and strategic direction to ensure CFBNJ’s stability and long-term growth through comprehensive annual and capital fundraising plans.
- Thoroughly understand and articulate the organization’s broader strategic plan and its long-term vision for reducing food insecurity.
- Collaborate with senior leadership to develop and execute short and long-term growth strategies, identifying and leveraging all engagement opportunities.
- Provide leadership for CFBNJ’s donor communication strategy, effectively engaging with major donors and board members.
- Inspire, motivate, and mentor staff, driving processes to achieve strategic and tactical goals.
- Maintain and expand CFBNJ’s development potential, building a sustainable philanthropic future.
- Provide executive leadership to the volunteer services department, fostering a diversity of participants and experiences.
- Oversee a range of development strategies, including individual giving, major gifts, institutional giving, restricted and unrestricted funding, capital campaigns, and creative donor engagement techniques.
- Manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, maximizing their engagement with the organization.
Revenue Development
- Leading annual fundraising of ~$27.5M for general operations, as well as capital campaign fundraising currently targeted to have a goal ranging from $80 - $150M.
- Identify new opportunities to expand organizational funding from charitable and/or earned sources and design, plan, and lead a successful new capital campaign initiative based on best practices and well-crafted strategies.
- Develop annual fundraising budgets. Identify, cultivate, solicit, and expand the number of individual annual, mid-level, and planned giving prospects and donors.
- Seek out opportunities for sponsorships, grants, and partnerships that can contribute to the organization’s visibility and mission delivery.
Donor Relations and Cultivation
- Create, implement, manage, and assess a comprehensive donor relations plan to support the organization’s fundraising efforts, including responding to donor concerns and/or requests, gift acknowledgments, program information, and stewardship.
- Foster a positive ongoing relationship with donors and ensure long-term relationships by maintaining contact and proactively educating donors on outcomes and results of CFBNJ’s efforts.
- Design and implement growth and retention strategies with existing donors and identify opportunities to target diverse donors and forge new donor relationships.
Data-Driven Approach
- Continue to build out a methodical, data-driven approach to this work, with effective use of Moves Management and CFBNJ’s Salesforce CRM.
- Evaluate strategies, measure performance, and continuously improve fundraising efforts by leveraging Salesforce to gain insights from donor behavior and financial data.
- Provide analysis and reporting on the overall performance of fundraising against goals and strategic plans.
Candidate Profile
While it is understood that no candidate will offer every desired skill, quality, and characteristic, the following offers a detailed, aspirational view of the ideal candidate profile:
An Expert in Fundraising & Development with Capital Campaign Experience
This leader will:
- Bring experience and expertise in executive-level fundraising, including leading annual campaigns, major gifts, and grant-writing (including government grants).
- Have a track record of success in managing capital campaigns and developing philanthropic growth.
- Be data-oriented, with advanced knowledge of strategic planning, budgeting, donor relations, and cultivation, metrics, and evaluation.
- Be a confident and accomplished frontline fundraising; with experience personally securing principal gifts (six, seven, or eight figure support).
An Exceptional Relationship Builder & Collaborator
This leader will:
- Be an excellent and effective communicator; ideally with experience related to marketing & communications, public speaking, and/or media experience.
- Be able to effectively build strong relationships with executive leaders and Board members.
- Bring demonstrated experience building relationships and partnering with a wide range of external partners – including donors, partner organizations, and government officials.
- Contribute to a warm, welcoming, and mission-driven culture and effectively build relationships with internal team members.
- Be familiar with collaborating and working cross-functionally within sophisticated and complex organizations.
A Strategic & Caring Team Leader
This leader will:
- Be able to effectively manage competing priorities while strategically delegating and driving collaboration amongst a team.
- Commit to CFBNJ’s ‘culture of caring’ – leading by example through a warm, empathetic, and compassionate leadership style.
- Be nimble – with the ability to prioritize and respond to opportunities and motivate a team to achieve goals and impact.
- Be an active and engaged listener, with the ability to recruit, develop, and retain an exceptional team.
- Effectively design and manage workflows, and encourage internal collaboration and communication, across a large revenue development department that is spread across two locations.
A Commitment to the Mission
This leader will:
- Have an authentic commitment to CFBNJ’s mission and vision, and a deep belief in its future and impact.
- Embrace CFBNJ’s core values of compassion, inclusion, accountability, and empowerment.
- Bring a demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all systems, structures, and processes.
- Bring a genuine excitement to see what is possible for CFBNJ in this new and exciting chapter.
- Lead with sincerity, empathy, honesty and credibility, and the highest levels of personal and professional integrity and ethics.
Location
The Chief Development Officer will work primarily out of CFBNJ’s Hillside location. Currently, the team utilizes a hybrid work schedule, reporting to the office 2-3 days a week. Additionally, the CDO may need to be present, on occasion, at CFBNJ’s Egg Harbor location and at events on evenings and/or weekends.
Compensation & Benefits
The exact salary offered will be determined based on a consideration of the successful candidate’s skills and experience, with a target range of $275,000-$305,000 with bonus potential.
Additionally, CFBNJ offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, and 401k.
Interview Process
Our goal is to lead thorough processes, during which both our clients and candidates gain a robust understanding of one another and the potential fit. To that end, the interview process is expected to include:
- Introductory phone call with Koya Partners to learn more about you and your background and a deeper discussion about CFBNJ and the role.
- Zoom interview with Koya to confirm interest and alignment. Following this meeting, specific candidate materials may be requested.
- From there, the CFBNJ team will select a group of candidates to interview – the process is expected to include the following:
- 45-60 minute first round interview via Zoom.
- Second Round Panel interview(s), in-person with CFBNJ leaders.