Chief Development Officer
Nova Ukraine
Remote

Founded in 2013 and based in Palo Alto, California, Nova Ukraine is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and raising awareness about Ukraine in the United States and the rest of the world. Through generous donations, the organization funds a variety of efforts to help the people of Ukraine and to strengthen Ukraine’s democratic society. Nova Ukraine organizes fundraisers, cultural events, meetings with Ukrainian celebrities, and roundtable discussions dedicated to Ukraine, among other initiatives. Nova Ukraine also collaborates with nonprofits and volunteers on the ground to further its mission. Since 2014, the organization has delivered more than $78 million in aid to Ukraine through a combination of projects and in-kind donations.

Vision
Nova Ukraine is a hub for humanitarian and educational support, serving as a charitable version of venture capital. The organization handpicks the most impactful and effective initiatives, then ensures that they succeed. By connecting the Western public with Ukrainian society, Nova Ukraine is a driving force for positive change. Nova Ukraine envisions a future Ukraine where everyone enjoys freedom, peace, and prosperity. That is why the organization nurtures civil society in Ukraine, promotes culture, and offers vital aid to vulnerable populations. With an unwavering commitment to transparent reporting and impactful projects, Nova Ukraine helps forge a path to a brighter tomorrow.

Current Projects

• Educational Development in Ukraine
• Zmistovno Learning Centers – 30 extracurricular learning centers opened for children in Ukraine
• Humanitarian Demining
• Medical Aid Delivery to Ukraine
• Evacuating Ukrainians Deported to Russia
• Rebuilding Ukrainian Schools
• Animal Welfare in Ukraine
• Helping Refugees in the U.S.
• Supporting First Responders in Ukraine
• Rebuilding in Ukraine – Helping Hand community coalition funded by Nova Ukraine comprising construction workers and search and rescue operators

Context for Recruitment and Role Summary
Nova Ukraine was established following the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution (or Revolution of Dignity) and subsequent Russian invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, which marked the start of the broader Russo-Ukrainian War. The organization raised funds through small-scale networks during the first several years of its existence, primarily funding pro-democracy and anti-corruption projects, with overall donations rising to the level of about $400,000 in 2021. With Russia’s full-scale invasion during 2022, Nova Ukraine harnessed tremendous outpouring of U.S. public support for Ukraine to achieve precipitous fundraising growth, securing a total of approximately $50 million during FY22 across varied channels and expanding its projects to address the needs of wartime and beyond. The more than $78 million in overall aid sent to Ukraine since Nova Ukraine’s founding represents the philanthropy of over 200,000 donors, whose gifts range from under $100 to several millions.

Nova Ukraine’s development program has grown organically to date, led primarily by its volunteer Board of Directors. However, it must now chart a more strategic course during its continued evolution in order to formalize and sustain a modern, data-driven, and major-gifts-focused development program that meets the ongoing needs of the organization. Fundraising infrastructure, processes, and programs must be augmented and strengthened to steward, support, and meet the enormous opportunity of a donor pool that has precipitously increased in size. Further, as the initial level of public interest and grassroots financial support for Ukraine has waned since the early months of the full-scale war, Nova Ukraine’s overall fundraising revenue is stabilizing in the range of $13 million to $15 million per year. The organization seeks to sustain and strategically grow this level of annual funding going forward, appropriately leveraging recent success in crowdfunding and other broad-based fundraising initiatives to an increasing focus on higher-level fundraising vis-à-vis corporations, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals.

Amid this compelling environment of humanity rising to confront brutality, incredible philanthropic expansion, and forward-looking investment in the Ukrainian people, Nova Ukraine seeks candidates with an entrepreneurial mindset for the newly created role of Chief Development Officer (CDO), the organization’s first-ever professional fundraising position. The CDO is responsible for all fundraising and development activities in strategic partnership with the Board of Directors, to whom the role directly reports in an evolving organizational model. The CDO serves as one of the two most-senior executive leaders of the organization, collaborating with the Global General Manager who oversees projects and general business operations. A core charge of the CDO is to increase the operational capacity, best-practices discipline, and strategic sophistication of the development program to maximize current and evolving donor interest. It will be critical for this leader to drive ongoing, deep connectivity between the U.S. public and Nova Ukraine in order to establish a sustainable pipeline of philanthropic support. The successful candidate will help forge new relationships to build Nova Ukraine’s visibility, impact, and financial resources.

While Nova Ukraine will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will have the following qualifications/experience:

• Authentic connection to and passion for the mission and vision of Nova Ukraine. Credible appreciation of Ukrainian society and culture, as well as a general understanding of the Russo-Ukrainian War and current events impacting Ukraine.
• Minimum of 10 years of overall fundraising experience with progressive levels of responsibility. Track record of strategic collaboration with internal and external partners to establish the conditions for success. Broad knowledge of all functional areas comprising a multi-faceted, comprehensive development program (e.g., individual, institutional, major, planned, digital, and annual giving; special events; related marketing and communications; stewardship; fundraising operations).
• Knowledge of and fundamental adherence to the principles, ethics, and best practices of modern fundraising, including the integration of various giving programs to diversify the funding base and cultivate greater donor commitments.
• Ability to manage, coach, motivate, and evaluate a team of colleagues in fundraising initiatives and contribute to the ongoing fostering of a high-functioning, results-oriented, multiracial/multicultural workforce. Track record of maintaining best practices, clear goals, and shared accountability, as well as working cross-departmentally when necessary to achieve results. Experience managing budgets and revenue forecasts.
• Demonstrated commitment to and understanding of how to build diversity, equity, and inclusion in a development/advancement operation; culturally competent with respect to issues such as racial, cultural, religious, sexual, and gender identity.
• Demonstrated success in developing the case for support and strategic, innovative fundraising plans, and executing those plans to grow fundraising and exceed goals. Experience collaborating with executives, senior staff, and board or other volunteer leaders on development-related activities, providing them with quality support and intelligence and increasing their comfort with and success in fundraising. Significant experience identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts from individual and institutional donors at the level of six to seven figures or greater.
• Track record of advancing prospect discovery and engagement at all levels of giving, including both traditional and non-traditional sources of potential support, as well as examination of existing donors that may have greater capacity.
• Demonstrated ability in planning and executing strategic, integrated marketing and communications in support of development initiatives. Experience identifying and coaching project spokespeople. A working understanding of how to effectively utilize various communication mediums and distribution channels for optimal exposure and impact, as well as leveraging media to increase the visibility of Nova Ukraine.
• A forward thinker with a track record of utilizing new methods of constituent engagement and connectivity.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate data into decision-making and strategy development.
• Working knowledge of modern data management practices and innovations that can streamline development processes and contribute to the integration of related functions.

Download the full position description via the following link: https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/20059-nova-ukraine

Nova Ukraine has retained the DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice of the Diversified Search Group to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) may be submitted at https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/20059 or directed to:

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.
Managing Director and DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice Leader
Diversified Search Group
The Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue, 49th Floor, New York, New York 10174
gerard.cattie@divsearch.com | 212.542.2587