Chief Advancement Officer (CAO)

Join CASL as a Chief Advancement Officer and Make a Difference 

Are you ready to shape a brighter future through transformative leadership? At CASL, we connect families and individuals with vital support that changes lives. Become a key leader in an organization where your skills, passion, and vision will drive sustainable growth and make a lasting impact. 

Your Mission: 

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) plays a crucial role in shaping and driving CASL’s long-term financial sustainability and mission impact. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Board of Directors, the CAO is a key leader responsible for crafting and executing a comprehensive philanthropic strategy that ensures CASL’s growth and ability to meet the evolving needs of the communities it serves. As a core member of the executive leadership team, the CAO will provide visionary leadership, fostering deep relationships with individual, corporate, and foundation donors. This position is charged with expanding the organization’s donor base, diversifying funding streams, and leading multi-faceted fundraising initiatives, including capital campaigns. The CAO’s leadership will be pivotal in ensuring the financial health and continued success of CASL’s mission-driven work. 

About CASL: 

The Chinese American Service League is a dynamic and forward-thinking organization dedicated to empowering and serving the Chinese American population and the broader communities. Established with a rich history spanning several decades, CASL has consistently evolved to address the evolving needs of its constituents while fostering cultural pride, integration, and community development. 

For over 45 years, CASL's comprehensive programs have connected families and individuals with the vital support they need: providing an educational and cultural foundation for our children, ensuring our seniors live full and independent lives with dignity, enhancing education and training for tomorrow's workforce, putting immigrants on the pathway to citizenship, securing our community's housing and financial well-being, navigating healthcare systems and wellness resources, and providing equal access to justice. Since our founding, CASL has been rooted in the principles of equity and justice. That legacy continues to shape our efforts today as we strive to champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at all levels of the organization.  

To hear about: 

CASL's history, watch here 

CASL's future, watch here 

Your Impact: 

As a Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), you will: 

• Develop, monitor, and execute a comprehensive strategic plan for philanthropic revenue, leveraging Salesforce to manage donor relationships, track engagement, and generate detailed reports on individual giving, major gifts, special events, corporate/foundation support, and capital campaigns. 
• Collaborate with the CEO, COO, Senior VP of Program Strategy, and the Board of Directors to align fundraising strategies with CASL’s mission and long-term objectives. 
• Leverage Salesforce for donor management, tracking donor engagement, and ensuring accurate data reporting, using insights to inform strategic fundraising decisions. 
• Lead major fundraising initiatives, including capital campaigns, with comprehensive use of Salesforce's reporting and analytics features to ensure measurable impact and collaborating with key stakeholders to create impactful donor strategies. 
• Build and strengthen CASL’s donor pipeline by identifying, cultivating, and stewarding relationships with major gift prospects to inspire significant contributions. 
• Oversee the development, execution, and evaluation of donor pipelines, including major gifts, transformational giving, and planned giving strategies, ensuring donor engagement is tracked and analyzed through Salesforce. 
• Collaborate with MarCom to develop compelling donor communications that articulate CASL’s impact, using Salesforce to monitor engagement outcomes and adjust strategies as needed. 
• Build and lead a high-performing team, setting metrics for fundraising strategies, using Salesforce and Asana for tracking and reporting progress, and ensuring continuous improvement. 
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and ethical standards in all philanthropic activities, maintaining the highest standards of donor stewardship. 
• Spearhead major campaigns, including capital and comprehensive campaigns, to secure multi-year funding for CASL’s strategic priorities using Salesforce to track donor engagement, manage fundraising events, and monitor campaign success. 
• Partner with the Senior VP of Program Strategy and the CEO to align fundraising initiatives with CASL’s programmatic goals, ensuring responsiveness to emerging opportunities. 
• Oversee and evaluate major proposals, grant submissions, and donor engagement strategies to meet annual and campaign goals. 
• Partner with the Board of Directors to develop and execute an annual board campaign, ensuring 100% participation and equipping board members with the tools and guidance needed for fundraising success. 
• Provide strategic support to board members in donor cultivation and solicitation, using Salesforce data to inform engagement strategies. 
• Lead the Advancement Committee in collaboration with the CEO, expanding volunteer leadership and maximizing their contributions to fundraising efforts. 
• Monitor compliance with legal, regulatory, and ethical standards in fundraising, implementing best practices to safeguard donor relationships and CASL’s reputation. 
• Manage budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting for the advancement department, ensuring alignment with CASL’s financial goals and strategic priorities. 
• Foster a strong partnership with the Salesforce team through proactive and timely communication, ensuring they are equipped to seamlessly integrate changes and implement updates that preserve data integrity, reporting accuracy, and overall system effectiveness. 
• Serve as a prominent ambassador for CASL, representing the organization at external events, utilizing Salesforce to track engagements and measure the impact of outreach activities. 

• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in nonprofit development and fundraising, with a demonstrated track record of securing major gifts; Minimum of 8 years of management experience, with proven success in building and leading high-performing teams. 
• Bachelor’s degree required 

• Proven ability to cultivate and manage relationships with board members, major donors, high-net-worth individuals, volunteers, and internal leadership at all levels, demonstrating expertise in strategic fundraising, philanthropy, stewardship, and strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.  
• Proven leadership in building and managing high-performing teams, with a focus on setting clear goals, driving accountability, and ensuring team members consistently meet or exceed key deliverables. Skilled at fostering a culture of excellence, continuous development, and collaboration to achieve organizational objectives. 
• Quantifiable success in securing five-figure and above major gifts, with a deep understanding of moves management and high-impact donor engagement. 
• Comprehensive experience across all facets of fundraising, including major giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, capital campaigns, volunteer engagement, and special events, utilizing data-driven insights to inform strategy. 
• Extensive knowledge of best practices in philanthropy, including innovative fundraising techniques for individual and institutional giving. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft persuasive, compelling fundraising documents and presentations tailored to diverse audiences. 
• Demonstrated ability to lead and collaborate in high-pressure, results-driven environments, balancing multiple priorities while maintaining focus on strategic objectives. 
• Strong proficiency in technology, including Microsoft 365, project management tools such as Asana, and CRM platforms such as Salesforce, to manage donor relations and track campaign progress. 
• Expertise in budget development, financial management, and grant writing, ensuring alignment of fundraising goals with organizational resources and priorities. 
• Creative, forward-thinking leader, able to innovate and inspire others while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence. 
• Significant experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities, with a strong commitment to equity and inclusion in philanthropic outreach and donor engagement. 

• Leading successful capital campaigns preferred 
• Advanced degree and/or professional fundraising certification (CFRE) preferred. 

• Must be able to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods, with occasional lifting or moving of objects weighing up to 20 pounds. 

• Work is performed during standard business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, with flexibility to work additional hours, as necessary. 
• Some travel is required for local, state, and national engagements, potentially up to 15% dependent on campaign demands, for stakeholders’ meetings and events. 
• The candidate must reside in the Chicagoland area and be available to work on-site as needed.

Compensation & Benefits: 

This position offers a starting salary of $180,000 annually, with the final range contingent upon experience and qualifications

Join CASL and unlock a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you and your loved ones. As a full-time employee, you'll enjoy a range of options tailored to your needs: Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage; 401k, PTO, Flexible Spending Account (FSA) & Health Savings Account (HSA); Life Insurance, AD&D Insurance, Disability Insurance; Voluntary Worksite Benefits, Pet Insurance; Employee Assistance Program (EAP). 

Additionally, our holiday schedule includes New Year’s Day, MLK Day, Chinese New Year, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous People’s Day, Thanksgiving, the Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Day. 

Why Choose CASL: 

Inclusivity: Join an organization that values mutual respect and acceptance, fostering a culture of inclusivity. 

Empowerment: Support staff empowerment through skill development and growth opportunities. 

Collaboration: Be part of a workplace that thrives on collaboration and teamwork. 

Transformation: Envision and realize transformative changes in people, processes, and policies. 

Resiliency: Work with a dynamic workforce and model resiliency to achieve collective strengths. 

Join Us and Make a Difference: 

Join us at CASL, where together, we create a brighter future for our community. 

Thank you for your interest in joining our team! Each resume is reviewed personally by our dedicated team members, not AI. This thorough and thoughtful evaluation process may take a bit of time, so we kindly ask for your patience. Rest assured, we will get back to you as soon as we have an update on your application status. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to reviewing your application. 

At CASL, we believe that diverse perspectives fuel innovation and drive success. If you're excited about the opportunity but unsure if you meet every requirement listed, we still encourage you to submit your application. Our company culture thrives on the unique talents and experiences that each individual brings to the table. We're looking for the right fit, and that goes beyond a checklist of qualifications. Join us in shaping a dynamic and inclusive team where your skills and contributions truly matter. 

CASL is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences.