Jobs : Director of Development, South Central Region

Catholic Extension has retained Diversified Search to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) should be directed electronically to:

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.

Managing Director

Practice Leader – Development & Philanthropy

Diversified Search

The Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue, 49^th Floor, New York, NY 10174

gerard.cattie@divsearch.com | 212.542.2587

Catholic Extension

Director of Development, South Central Region

Dallas or Houston, Texas (other Texas locations will be selectively considered)

Catholic Extension works in solidarity with people in America’s poorest regions to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities. With the generosity of individual donors and local and national foundations, Catholic Extension raises funds to help these poor, forgotten, and often isolated communities to flourish.

* Catholic Extension invests in buildings by supporting the construction and renovation of churches and church facilities.

* Catholic Extension invests in leaders for the Church by providing education, training and support to seminarians, priests, sisters, deacons, and lay leaders.

* Catholic Extension invests in ministries by supporting pastoral, youth, young adult, campus and outreach ministries, Catholic schools, and religious education.

Established in 1905, Catholic Extension is a papal society that is answering Pope Francis’ call to go out to America’s “peripheries.” Since its founding, Catholic Extension has distributed more than $1.3 billion in today’s dollars to dioceses that cannot support themselves.

Catholic Extension has a full-time staff of 50 employees based at its headquarters in Chicago or in one of its regional offices in the following locations: Boston; Dallas; Minneapolis; Monterey; Naples, Florida; Nashville; New York City; and San Diego. Its staff comprises talented and experienced professionals working in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment and team-focused culture.

Catholic Extension seeks candidates for the role of Director of Development for the South Central Region, comprising Texas and the adjoining states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Development, the Director of Development will join a 25-person Development Department, which includes eight gift officers who focus on major and planned giving and are each responsible for a geographic region of the country. Ideally, the Director of Development for the South Central Region will be based in Dallas or Houston. However, Catholic Extension is interested in identifying the best candidate and will selectively consider other Texas locations for the Director of Development’s base of operations. 

The Director of Development will work in collaboration with the Assistant Vice President of Development and Vice President of Development, as well as with other colleagues in senior administration and in the Development Department, to advance Catholic Extension’s major gifts presence in the South Central Region. The Director of Development must be a collaborative member of the Development Department but must also exercise high levels of entrepreneurism and self-direction in order to help grow major gift activity within the region. The Director of Development will work collaboratively with members of Catholic Extension’s Board of Governors, as well as with local, regional, and national Catholic institutions and other partners to leverage their respective networks and to devise new fundraising strategies and programs. 

Required qualifications and experience:

-commitment to and passion for the mission of Catholic Extension;

- commitment to and understanding of the mission and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church;

- bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree and fundraising certification preferred;

- minimum of eight years of post-college work experience and at least six years of frontline major gifts fundraising experience, with proficiency working with gifts of five-figures and above (or equivalent combinations) from both defined and undefined constituencies, including cultivation through closing and stewardship;

- experience managing a fundraising territory for a mid to large-size nonprofit organization is preferred;

- demonstrated ability to think strategically about moving individuals across the spectrum of prospect development, culminating in significant solicitations appropriate to the donor as well as organizational priorities;

- knowledge of the players, strategies, and trends in giving within the major philanthropic communities across Texas, and demonstrated fundraising success therein;

- ability to extract and analyze data to make effective, efficient decisions about donor strategy and process;

- experience identifying, nurturing, and motivating volunteers, and an appreciation for their role in building an effective fundraising network;

- ability to travel up to 25 percent of the time.