About American Public Media Group

American Public Media Group (APMG) is the largest station-based public radio and media organization in the United States, and is the parent organization for American Public Media® (APM), Minnesota Public Radio® (MPR) and Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), in addition to Public Radio Market.  

APMG’s primary operating divisions – APM, MPR and SCPR – offer multi-regional FM broadcast channels, website, mobile and social media channels, live events, national content creation and distribution. Together, the divisions operate 49 public radio stations and 42 translators serving regional audiences in eight states from Minnesota, Michigan and the Upper Midwest to Idaho and California; distribute a portfolio of more than twenty national programs reaching nearly 20MM listeners weekly through 1,000 radio stations; serve rapidly growing audiences on digital, social and mobile platforms; and produce an increasing and diverse array of podcasts featuring the best in food, culture, entertainment, mental health, water, early brain development, business and investigative journalism. 

A tax-exempt, nonprofit parent support organization, APMG provides long-term financial strength to its supported nonprofit organizations in the field of public media to achieve their shared mission:

To enrich the mind and nourish the spirit, thereby enhancing the lives and expanding the perspectives of our audiences and assisting them in strengthening their communities.

A 501c3 and 509a3 nonprofit parent organization, APMG has annual operating revenues $150MM and total assets of more than $330MM. It supports its three audience-focused divisions (APM, MPR, SCPR) with seven Centers of Excellence that provide strategic services across the organization: Finance; Marketing and Audience Insights; Technology; Legal/Corporate Development; Human Resources; Strategy; and Philanthropic Development.  APMG’s 750 employees work in its state-of-the-art broadcast and production facilities in Saint Paul, MN, Los Angeles, CA, New York City, NY and Washington, DC.

APMG is implementing year one of its ambitious strategic plan, Audiences First 2025, designed to address the needs and interests of the rapidly changing communities served and accelerate the organization’s transformation to a digital-first, multi-platformed organization. The plan will further propel APMG in its growth from a great radio organization to a multi-dimensioned media company focused on being more relevant and earning the trust of a large, diverse, emerging, market segment: Curious Listeners.

To fulfill the Audiences First 2025 strategic plan, APMG completed a highly successful capital campaign in 2020. Inspired by You has generated $97+MM to date, exceeding its target by over $20MM. The Campaign’s proceeds, invested in new talent, new digital programming, and audience insights and marketing, have accelerated the Organization’s journey to become a digital-first organization and positioned it more strongly to serve a global audience whose demographics and media consumption habits are rapidly changing.

The events of the past twelve months have also driven further transformation across APMG. The national racial reckoning is accelerating work to create a much more inclusive, diverse and equitable organizational culture. APMG’s commitment and priorities for this work are detailed in its Commitment to Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Further, the pandemic and subsequent economic challenges have required budget and staff reductions. Today, the Organization is in a solid financial position and poised for growth and innovation in the future.

With the pending retirement of its long-tenured development leader, APMG seeks a seasoned and successful philanthropic leader who will capitalize on the momentum created during the Inspired by You campaign, embrace recent disruption and take the organization’s philanthropic development program to its next level.

Chief Development Officer Position Summary

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will lead the organization’s creative, dedicated and successful Philanthropic Development Center of Excellence and be a key member of APMG’s leadership team. The CDO leads the development and implementation of fundraising strategy, capital campaigns and special funding initiatives and programs that attract and steward the financial resources required to fulfill the organization’s mission. The CDO articulates the organization’s case for philanthropic support, builds internal and external relationships, leverages networks, cultivates resource opportunities and seeks significant gifts and grants. 

The CDO leads the development of the organization’s philanthropic culture with both executive leaders and the board of trustees, will play a key role in defining an expanded model of revenue generation that enables a broader definition of philanthropy and generates multifaceted value in support of the mission.

This executive leads the Philanthropic Development staff and is responsible for meeting the annual and long-term revenue goals for both APM and MPR divisions, including major and planned giving, institutional giving, donor communications and stewardship, prospect research, gift processing and acknowledgement. They are expected to consistently increase philanthropic revenue, advance the development program and build out and launch the APMG Foundation. 

The Chief Development Officer is expected to be highly visible in the funding community and a contributor to increasing the visibility and enhancing the perception of APMG and its divisions, both regionally and nationally.

Reports to:                             
President & Chief Executive Officer, APMG

Direct Reports:                        
Director, Major Individual Giving & Development Operations
Director, Institutional Giving
Director of Development, APM
Director, Development Communications & Stewardship
Senior Administrative Assistant

Total Team:                            
35+

Other Key Relationships:        
President, American Public Media
President, Minnesota Public Radio
President, Southern California Public Radio
SVP & CFO
SVP Audience Insights & Chief Marketing Officer
SVP & General Counsel
SVP & Chief Technology Officer
SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer
SVP Strategy
APMG Board of Trustees

Position Location:                   
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Strategic Leadership

• Inspires strategic philanthropy to accelerate APM and MPR’s transformation to a digital-first organization serving curious people, regionally and nationally.
• Actively builds a culture of philanthropy across APMG, deepening understanding and appreciation of the role of philanthropy, and helping the enterprise realize the full potential of philanthropy to fulfill its mission.
• Serves as an active member of Senior Executive team.
• With President/CEO, division presidents and other team members, envisions and drives implementation of enterprise-wide strategic plan, Audiences First 2025.
• Provides vital input in the development of enterprise-wide operating goals and objectives.
• Helps address emerging issues within the enterprise.

Philanthropic Development Leadership

• Develops, executes and advances the vision for Philanthropic Development and ensures that operational plans are aligned with strategic directives.
• Leads team in the creation and achievement of annual and multi-year development goals and plans that secure $10 – 15MM in annual revenue commitments.
• Leads Philanthropic Development staff in significantly increasing the level of regional and national philanthropic support from individuals, foundations and government.
• Identifies new philanthropic revenue opportunities that address emerging priorities and benefit MPR, APM and APMG.
• Coaches staff, divisional presidents and the President/CEO and volunteers in cultivating major donor/funder relationships and participating in the solicitation of major gifts and grants.
• Proactively works to ensure effective collaboration, coordination and communications across divisions.
• As requested, provides counsel and core services to the President and Development staff at Southern California Public Radio.

Donor Relations and Stewardship

• Personally stewards a portfolio of key donors and models effective donor cultivation.
• Sustains and grows relationships with current and past donors, and capital campaign funders.
• Ensures donor communications are relevant, impactful and timely, finding creative ways to keep donors close.
• Collaborates with the Membership Team on communication and programs to move members up and over to the donor continuum.
• Identifies and engages an increasingly diverse donor base.
• Differentiates stewardship and engagement opportunities to accommodate changes in donor habits now and in the future.

Campaigns/Special Initiatives

• Leads the development and implementation of major campaigns and special initiative fundraising with the CEO, the Board of Directors, division presidents and volunteers.
• Identifies and supports recruitment of campaign volunteer leadership including steering committees.
• Identifies, evaluates and engages professional counsel to support campaign development.
• Drives development of donor gift pyramid and cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies.
• Manages campaign operating budgets.

Management and Operations

• Leads development of and monitors function’s annual operating budget.
• Develops, implements and monitors fundraising, gift acceptance and gift-processing policies.
• Ensures compliance with all relevant regulations and laws, maintains accountability standards to donors and ensures compliance with code of ethical principles and standards of professional conduct for fundraising executives.

Board Support

• Serves as primary staff liaison to board’s Development & Campaign Committee.
• Works with the Committee chair to develop annual workplans, agendas, related materials and presentations.
• Provides topical support and supports identification of prospective board members for the board’s Governance Committee.

People Leadership

• Leads and develops an energized, motivated, collaborative and committed team that drives revenue production, stellar donor experiences, operational support for revenue generation and gift processing.
• Recruits and retains top talent who share APMG’s values and commitment to principles of equity, inclusion, diversity and access.
• Actively fosters an equitable, inclusive, diverse, accessible and engaging work environment.
• Demonstrates a personal commitment to equity, inclusion, diversity and access in own relationships, in the workplace and for MPR’s and APM’s audiences.
• Ensures that staff have development opportunities to enhance their skills and support their professional growth.
• Personally provides coaching, mentoring and feedback to staff to further their development and improve their performance and contributions.
• Translates organizational goals into actionable performance objectives that are easily understood, sets prompt execution standards, and holds leaders and teams accountable for agreed-upon results.

Other duties as assigned.