Chief Advancement Officer

(FT - 35 hr/wk)

We are seeking a visionary, relationship-driven executive to serve as Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) and lead Providence Public Library's fundraising, communications, and advancement strategy. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serving as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the CAO will champion a culture of philanthropy while driving the growth and diversification of philanthropic revenue to support PPL's long-term sustainability and community impact. The ideal candidate is an accomplished fundraising leader with a proven track record of securing transformational gifts, developing high-performing teams, and building meaningful relationships with donors, Trustees, foundations, corporations, and community partners. This role offers an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of one of Rhode Island's leading cultural and educational institutions by advancing innovative fundraising strategies, strengthening organizational visibility, and ensuring Providence Public Library continues to inspire lifelong learning for generations to come. 

Key Purpose/Summary:

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) serves as Providence Public Library's senior fundraising and advancement executive, providing strategic leadership for all philanthropic revenue generation, donor engagement, institutional giving, advancement operations, and communications.

Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Trustees, Foundation Board, and Senior Leadership Team, the CAO develops and implements comprehensive strategies that grow annual, major, planned, corporate, foundation, and campaign giving while strengthening the Library's visibility, reputation, and long-term financial sustainability.

The CAO builds and leads a high-performing advancement team that cultivates a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization and positions Providence Public Library for transformational growth. The CAO will maintain an active portfolio of major gift prospects and donors and is expected to personally cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership-level philanthropic investments while building a sustainable pipeline for future giving.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the CAO participates in organizational planning, budgeting, strategic initiatives, and institutional decision-making, ensuring advancement strategies align with the Library's mission, strategic priorities, and long-term financial goals. Success in this position will be measured by the growth and diversification of philanthropic revenue, the strength of donor relationships, the effectiveness of advancement operations, and the development of a high-performing advancement team that advances Providence Public Library's mission and long-term sustainability.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Advancement Strategy & Major Gifts (40%)

Serve as the Library's chief fundraising strategist, leading all efforts to increase philanthropic support and advance the organization's long-term financial sustainability.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive advancement strategy supporting annual operations, endowment growth, strategic initiatives, and future capital projects.
• Maintain and actively manage a portfolio of approximately 25-50 major gift prospects and donors through all stages of the fundraising cycle, including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal.
• Personally solicit leadership, major, and planned gifts in partnership with the Chief Executive Officer, and Trustees as appropriate.
• Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for major donors and prospects.
• Identify opportunities to expand the Library's donor base and strengthen donor retention and engagement.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization by engaging staff, leadership, volunteers, and community partners in fundraising efforts.

Campaigns & Revenue Growth (20%)

Lead the planning, implementation, and evaluation of fundraising initiatives designed to increase contributed revenue and strengthen the Library's financial future.

• Provide strategic leadership for annual giving, leadership giving, major gifts, planned giving, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and future comprehensive or capital campaigns.
• Establish annual fundraising goals, key performance indicators, and performance metrics.
• Evaluate fundraising effectiveness using data and analytics and adjust strategies to maximize philanthropic revenue.
• Identify innovative fundraising opportunities and strategic partnerships that support organizational priorities.
• Work collaboratively across departments to ensure fundraising initiatives support institutional goals.
• Develop long-term fundraising strategies that diversify revenue sources and reduce reliance on endowment distributions.

Executive Leadership & Board Engagement (15%)

Serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team and partner with the Chief Executive Officer, and Trustees to advance organizational priorities.

• Participate in organizational planning, budgeting, and strategic decision-making.
• Advise the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Trustees, Foundation Board, and Development Committee on fundraising strategy, campaign planning, and philanthropic trends.
• Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Development Committee and Foundation Board on matters related to philanthropy, fundraising performance, campaign strategy, and donor engagement.
• Build the fundraising capacity of Trustees and volunteer leadership through education, coaching, and engagement.
• Represent Providence Public Library within the philanthropic, nonprofit, civic, and business communities.
• Support the Chief Executive Officer in cultivating strategic relationships with community leaders, donors, and institutional partners.

Foundation, Corporate & Grant Strategy (10%)

Provide strategic oversight for institutional giving programs.

• Collaborate with grants staff and program leadership to identify funding opportunities aligned with strategic priorities.
• Support the development of competitive grant proposals and institutional partnerships.
• Develop strategies to expand foundation, government, and corporate support.
• Ensure institutional funding efforts are coordinated with overall advancement goals.

Advancement Operations & Analytics (10%)

Ensure the advancement operation is data-driven, efficient, accountable, and positioned for long-term success.

• Serve as the executive owner of Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT and all advancement data systems, ensuring the integrity, security, accuracy, and strategic use of all constituent, prospect, gift, and stewardship information.
• Establish and enforce policies and procedures for data entry, gift processing, prospect management, reporting, and database governance.
• Ensure Raiser's Edge NXT is fully utilized to support donor cultivation, moves management, pipeline development, campaign tracking, forecasting, stewardship, and strategic decision-making.
• Oversee advancement systems, prospect research, donor database integrity, gift processing, stewardship tracking, and reporting.
• Develop dashboards and key performance indicators to monitor fundraising performance and donor pipeline activity.
• Partner with advancement staff to develop meaningful reports, dashboards, and analytics that inform fundraising strategy and organizational decision-making.
• Prepare fundraising reports and analyses for the Chief Executive Officer, Development Committee, Foundation Board, and Board of Trustees.
• Partner with the Finance Department to ensure accurate gift recording, fund reconciliation, financial reporting, and compliance.
• Develop and administer the departmental budget.

Communications Strategy (5%)

Provide executive oversight of the Library's marketing and communications efforts to ensure alignment with advancement and organizational objectives.

• Collaborate with communications staff to strengthen the Library's brand, visibility, and public awareness.
• Ensure communications effectively support fundraising campaigns, donor stewardship, community engagement, and strategic organizational priorities.
• Provide strategic direction for donor communications, publications, public relations, digital communications, website content, and marketing initiatives.
• Ensure consistent messaging and brand standards across all external communications.

Staff Leadership & Administration

Provide leadership, supervision, and accountability for the Advancement Department.

• Build, lead, and inspire a high-performing advancement team.
• Recruit, supervise, mentor, evaluate, and retain advancement staff.
• Establish departmental priorities, goals, and performance expectations.
• Foster a collaborative, mission-driven, and results-oriented culture focused on continuous improvement and accountability.
• Promote professional development and succession planning.
• Allocate staff resources to ensure organizational priorities are achieved.
• Encourage collaboration across Library departments in support of fundraising, communications, and strategic initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer.

Organizational Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate and promote Providence Public Library's mission, vision, and values.
• Support and practice PPL's commitment to being an inclusive organization that welcomes and serves all members of the community.
• Maintain timely communication and responsiveness.
• Represent Providence Public Library with professionalism, integrity, discretion, and sound judgment.
• Check email regularly and respond in a timely manner.

Education & Experience Required:

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Seven to ten years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience.
• Demonstrated success securing leadership and major gifts, including gifts at the five-, six-, and preferably seven-figure level.
• Proven record of leading comprehensive fundraising programs generating at least $1 million annually.
• Demonstrated experience managing a personal portfolio of major gift prospects and donors.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing fundraising strategies that increase philanthropic revenue.
• Experience working closely with executive leadership, Trustees, and volunteer leadership.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, mentoring, and developing professional staff.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT, including donor management, prospect tracking, reporting, pipeline management, moves management, and fundraising analytics. Experience serving as the organizational owner or administrator of a fundraising CRM strongly preferred.
• Strong financial acumen and ability to interpret fundraising metrics, budgets, and financial reports.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and public speaking skills.

Education & Experience Preferred:

• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential.
• Experience leading a comprehensive or capital campaign.
• Familiarity with Rhode Island and New England philanthropic communities.
• Experience overseeing marketing and communications functions within a nonprofit organization.

Additional Requirements:

• Travel throughout Rhode Island and New England as required.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends for donor meetings, Board meetings, Library programs, and fundraising events.
• Valid driver's license preferred.
• Ability to occasionally lift and move up to 25 pounds.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice, provided such changes are consistent with applicable law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement.

Job Posting Requirements

This position is: Exempt and is not part of the Union 

Hours:  35 hours per week, variable hours based on Monday - Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm. Flexibility is expected for special events, etc. Work from home opportunities to be evaluated after 6 months of employment.

Salary Range: $100,000-$120,000/year with up to 5% negotiation flexibility. 

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

The Library offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a group health, dental, and vision plans with an HRA that covers 95% of the health insurance deductible. If you don’t need insurance, you can opt for a monthly stipend instead. The package also includes fully paid life insurance (up to $50,000) and long-term disability coverage, as well as a generous amount of paid time off, starting with 22 days (4 weeks and 2 days) annually. Additionally, the Library provides a retirement plan with both Traditional and Roth options, offering a 5.5% company match and 100% vesting from the moment you're hired.

COVER LETTER IS REQUIRED

Please submit a cover letter and resume by August 16, 2026 via this link.

About the hiring process: Application will be open until the position is filled. The interview process includes: application submission review, recruiter phone screen (only if qualified after application review), 1-2 panel interviews (that may include a presentation or preparation) and reference checks (approximately a 2-5 week process). 

Posting Date: July 17, 2026 – open until filled with preference to those who submit before the August 16 application deadline.

Why Work at Providence Public Library?

At Providence Public Library (PPL), we believe libraries are more than buildings—they are welcoming community spaces that inspire learning, creativity, and connection. Every member of our team plays an important role in helping Rhode Islanders engage, learn, and thrive.

When you join PPL, you'll become part of a collaborative, mission-driven organization that values innovation, equity, curiosity, and lifelong learning. We encourage new ideas, support professional growth, and strive to create an inclusive workplace where employees feel empowered to make a meaningful impact.

What We Offer

• Flexible scheduling for many positions to support work-life balance, based on operational needs.
• A unique workplace in our beautifully restored historic library located in the heart of downtown Providence.
• Comprehensive benefits, including:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) that covers 95% of the health insurance deductible
  • A 403(b) retirement plan with a 5.5% employer match and immediate vesting
  • Paid life insurance and long-term disability coverage
  • Generous paid time off and paid holidays
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Professional development and continuing education opportunities

Our Mission

Providence Public Library inspires Rhode Islanders to be lifelong learners by engaging their curiosity and offering access to extraordinary experiences, resources, and ideas.

Engage. Learn. Thrive.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

Providence Public Library is committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels welcomed, respected, and valued. We embrace diversity in all its forms and believe that varied experiences and perspectives strengthen our organization and the communities we serve. We strive to create an accessible, equitable, and inclusive environment where employees can grow, contribute, and thrive.

Providence Public Library is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and organizational need without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law.