About the Catholic Diocese of Nashville

The Catholic Diocese of Nashville is seeking an exceptional, mission-driven Chief Advancement Officer to lead and strengthen its development efforts at an important moment of growth and opportunity for the Catholic Church in Middle Tennessee.

Established in 1837, the Diocese of Nashville serves the Catholic faithful across Middle Tennessee, supporting the spiritual, pastoral, educational, and charitable ministries of the Church throughout the region. As Nashville and its surrounding communities continue to experience significant growth, the Diocese is well-positioned to expand the resources necessary to sustain and advance its mission for generations to come.

The next Chief Advancement Officer will join a Diocese with a healthy foundation, a committed leadership team, and a compelling opportunity for growth. Working closely with diocesan leadership, the Chief Advancement Officer will consolidate and strengthen existing development efforts, expand the Diocese's major donor base, and build the strategies, systems, and relationships necessary to increase philanthropic support for the mission of the Church.

About the Chief Advancement Officer & Executive Director, Chief Legacy Foundation Opportunity

The Chief Advancement Officer will serve as the Diocese of Nashville's senior development leader, responsible for providing strategic direction and hands-on leadership for the Diocese's philanthropic efforts. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer and working closely with the Bishop, the Chief Advancement Officer will lead efforts to strengthen major giving, develop donor relationships, improve development operations, and position the Diocese for continued philanthropic growth. This person will manage a small team to multiply impact and develop new development professionals in service to the diocese.

This is a significant opportunity for an accomplished development professional who is energized by both building strategy and personally cultivating relationships. The Chief Advancement Officer will inherit an existing development team, including the Director of Annual Giving and gift officers, and will serve as a true "player-coach": developing and empowering the team while personally spearheading major gift cultivation and solicitation.

The Chief Advancement Officer will also serve as Executive Director of the Catholic Legacy Foundation and spearhead the diocesan platform for long-term philanthropy. With roughly $50 million under management, this person will manage the donors, families, financial professionals, that contribute to diocesan legacy giving efforts. The Foundation seeks to help Catholic individuals and organizations with permanent endowments, legacy gifts, and estate planning.

The successful candidate will bring demonstrated experience growing major gifts, developing development strategy, managing and coaching teams, and collaborating effectively with executive leadership. Experience with Catholic fundraising, clergy, and development technology and CRM systems is particularly valuable. Above all, the Chief Advancement Officer must be excited to serve and support the Bishop's mission for the Diocese and advance the work of the Church.

Key Areas of Impact:

• Mission-Driven Development Leadership: Authentically embrace and advance the mission of the Catholic Diocese of Nashville; ensure that fundraising strategy and donor engagement are firmly connected to the pastoral priorities and broader mission of the Church.
• Major Gifts & Donor Development: Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors while developing a disciplined strategy to expand the Diocese's philanthropic relationships and resource base. Bring a demonstrated record of securing significant gifts and building lasting relationships with donors.
• Development Strategy & Growth: Develop and execute a comprehensive development strategy that builds upon the Diocese's existing strengths while identifying new opportunities for philanthropic growth. Establish clear priorities, goals, and practices that position the Diocese for long-term success.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, coach, and empower the Diocese's development professionals, creating a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing culture while ensuring team members have the direction and support necessary to succeed.
• Executive Collaboration: Serve as a trusted and collaborative partner to the Chief Administrative Officer, Bishop, and other diocesan leaders. Translate diocesan priorities into compelling philanthropic opportunities and engage leadership effectively in donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Development Systems & Infrastructure: Strengthen the systems, processes, and data infrastructure that support effective fundraising, including collaboration on CRM, data migration, and modernization initiatives that improve the Diocese's ability to understand, engage, and steward its donors.

The Search Committee is committed to identifying and securing the Diocese of Nashville's next Chief Advancement Officer. All inquiries and applications will be treated with the highest degree of confidentiality and respect.

Application Process

To apply, please submit the following materials in a single PDF attachment. Name the file attachment using the following template: LAST NAME, NASHVILLE, CAO 

• Cover letter that aligns your experiences and skills with the diocese's current needs as you understand them.

• Current resume with all appropriate dates included.

• Statement of Catholic leadership philosophy.

• List of five references with names, physical addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. (No references will be contacted without your knowledge and approval.)

Should your background and experience align with the needs of the position, a member of our team will reach out to you regarding next steps.