1. Ask The Experts2018 Building Resilient Communities
The Development Officer / CEO Relationship
Virginia C. Ballard
Presented By
June 15, 2018

2. The Development Officer/CEO Relationship
Manage your CEO’s expectations.
The relationship will vary with every CEO.
Different leaders need and want different kinds of support.
Depends on:
the leader’s fundraising experience
the organization’s funding needs
You will be far more successful if you work as a team!

3. The Development Officer/CEO Relationship
You don’t have to have all the answers but should be willing and able to come up with ideas by researching best practices, talking with colleagues, etc.
Own the organization’s fundraising goals and do everything you can to be successful.
A Development Director is much more than an event planner.
Sitting behind a desk and relying only on does not a good development officer make!
Continue to educate yourself.

4. The Development Officer/CEO Relationship
Be knowledgeable about fundraising databases and best practices pertaining to them. Junk in, junk out. Enter everything in the database so that others can find the information they need. You are a steward of the organization’s donors and their history with the organization.
Don’t give your boss anything you have not reviewed and edited carefully.
Have a solid fundraising plan.
Be organized and proactive.

5. The Development Officer/CEO Relationship
Triage your time since there is never enough of it. Focus on the things that can have the biggest impact on the bottom line.
Help your CEO be prepared for meetings. Provide past giving history, foundation guidelines, board names, etc.
Develop a “portfolio management “ management system, even if very informal, and strategize with the ED/President.