Chief Advancement Officer

Company: United Way of Rhode Island
Location: Providence
Posted on: February 18, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Job Title: Chief Advancement Officer Salary Range : $97,606.50 - $244,016.25 Business Unit: Advancement Team Home Department: Advancement Team Worker Category: F - Full-time FLSA Code: E - Exempt EEOC Job Classification: 1- Executive/Sr. Level Officials & Managers Standard Hours: 75 Pay Grade: 8 Granted Funded Date: NA About United Way of Rhode Island: Our vision is a Rhode Island where every individual in each community has an equal opportunity for justice and prosperity. Since our inception in 1926, the United Way of Rhode Island has effectively moved people from crisis to stability while working to shore up the systems that provide support across the community. We are uniquely equipped to effectively harness resources from government, corporations, nonprofits, and individuals to address the many significant crises affecting all of us. Page Break To deliver on our goals we must go "deep, rather than wide," with investments and partners to target the root causes that have thwarted Rhode Island's ability to thrive. We serve all Rhode Islanders in need by tackling Rhode Island's great challenges. Learn more about United Way of Rhode Island at https://www.unitedwayri.org/. Summary : The Chief Advancement Officer serves as the lead staff for United Way of Rhode Island’s efforts engaging and activating the Rhode Island community to financially support its mission and vision. This position leads a team focused on developing and implementing, fundraising, volunteer and engagement strategies designed to achieve United Way of Rhode Island’s strategic mission and goals. In addition, this role also oversees Marketing & Communication for the agency and serves on the organization’s executive leadership team and serves as a key external representative of the organization. Duties & Responsibilities: Organizational Leadership Serve as a member of the senior leadership team for United Way of Rhode Island. Contribute to conversations focused on other areas of United Way of Rhode Island’s business. Collaborate with other members of the senior leadership team on organization-wide projects. Serve as a champion for the strengths and equity centered culture at the organization. Contribute to the development of organizational budgets, work plans, and priorities. Strategic engagement with the UWRI Board of Directors, including but not restricted to monthly updates. Complete organizational tasks as delegated by the President and CEO. Directly supervise the Directors of Corporate Relations, Donor Relations, Donor Engagement and Business Development & Labor Relations. Division Management Lead the full Philanthropy Team and Marketing & Communications to accomplish the goals outlined in United Way of Rhode Island’s strategic plan and in yearly operational plans. Develop yearly and multiyear budgets for each area of work. Ensure members of the department are meeting benchmarks and targets as part of the annual operational and fundraising planning. Serve as a data champion, executing on a comprehensive data management strategy that highlights a culture of data-driven decision making and impact measurement. Design and implement structured, comprehensive, long-range engagement and strategies that responds to changing markets, evolving organizational community needs, and emerging opportunities. Cultivate and maintain a thorough understanding of the local donor environment and the philanthropic interests of key individual and corporate donors as well as prospects. Create innovative programs, projects and relationships that extend United Way’s long-term reach within the community it serves. Monitor ongoing engagement progress and take appropriate steps to meet objectives and goals. Annually assess fundraising results and team operations to identify areas of opportunity, growth, risk, and challenge using internal and external data. Manage Philanthropy Team staff ensuring that adequate training, coaching, support, and resources are in place to achieve individual and organizational goals. Manage a personal portfolio of key relationships including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of leadership gifts, corporate gifts, employee donations at leadership and non-leadership levels, and special events. Deepen relationships throughout the year with all portfolio accounts with a large focus on driving corporate social responsibility support to over 400 RI corporate leaders. Continuously measure progress toward United Way of Rhode Island’s community goals and adjust strategies to reflect measurements and reality. Personalized JEDI Journey Develop and implement a personalized, individual JEDI growth plan to establish and track JEDI Competency baselines. Participate in annual JEDI training. Support UWRI JEDI initiatives (e.g., Equity Challenge) and participating/supporting agency groups (e.g., Heritage and Professionals, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Culture, Equity and Strengths Committee (CES)). Participate in community, state or national (e.g., United Way Worldwide) JEDI growth opportunities. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Experience in the Rhode Island market preferred. Bachelor’s Degree Required, Master’s or other Advanced Degree Preferred or relevant experience 7-10 years of fundraising, communications, and/or corporate social responsibility experience Extensive knowledge of fundraising techniques and sources of funding for nonprofit agencies with demonstrated results Extensive knowledge of Communications & Marketing strategies and metrics Previous experience managing a highly paced, results driven team with successful results preferred Strong communications skills (written and verbal) Excellent relationship-building skills Proactive, organized and able to work in a fast-paced, team environment Disclaimer: This job description is intended to convey the essential functions of this position and it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position. United Way of Rhode Island is an equal opportunity employer and we encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply.

Keywords: United Way of Rhode Island, Nantucket , Chief Advancement Officer, PR / Public Relations , Providence, Massachusetts