Job Description

About Guitars Over Guns Organization (GOGO)

Guitars Over Guns Organization (GOGO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides music education and mentorship by pairing students from vulnerable communities in Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas with professional musicians. Their goal? To help them overcome challenges, discover their voice, and unleash their potential as future leaders. Since 2008, they’ve positively impacted over 9,700 students, boosting academic achievement and engagement.

Today, GOGO is entering an exciting phase of growth, building on its powerful early success as it scales into a nationally led, institutionally anchored organization. With a new national strategy, strengthened program metrics, and increased demand across multiple regions, GOGO is investing in senior leadership that can scale systems, revenue, and long-term sustainability.

Position Summary

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) serves as GOGO’s senior-most fundraising and external engagement executive and a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Reporting directly to the CEO, the CAO provides strategic leadership, direction, management, and execution for all fundraising, marketing, communications, and external engagement efforts.

This newly created role will be instrumental in leading GOGO’s transition to a national advancement structure and in designing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy that elevates revenue, infrastructure, and philanthropic visibility across individuals, corporations, foundations, and public partners. The CAO partners closely with the CEO, Board of Directors, Major Gifts Officer, and national leadership team to ensure GOGO’s mission is sustainably resourced for long-term impact.

With the hire of the CAO, GOGO is ready to:

• Build a sophisticated, national fundraising engine
• Professionalize development systems and operations
• Align revenue development with long-term multi-million-dollar growth goals
• Create a replicable advancement model across all regions

Position Duties and Responsibilities

National Advancement Strategy & Revenue Growth

• Lead the organization in raising $7-8M annually across diversified revenue streams.
• Integrate program impact data, logic models, and outcome metrics into compelling national cases for support.
• Build a balanced portfolio across including, individual giving, major gifts, corporate partnerships, foundation support and grants, and emerging national donor markets.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of high-net-worth donors and national partners.
• Provide regular revenue forecasting, performance reporting, and trend analysis to the CEO and Board.

Infrastructure, Systems & Professionalization

• Evaluate GOGO’s development systems, processes, and infrastructure.
• Implement a replicable national advancement model across all current and future regions.
• Leverage advanced tools, data analytics, and AI to enhance donor segmentation, insights, and efficiencies.
• Strengthen CRM utilization, reporting consistency, and donor lifecycle management.
• Ensure compliance, accountability, and best practices across all fundraising channels.

Leadership, Culture & Talent Development

• Directly supervise and develop the Development and Communications Teams.
• Build a high-performing national advancement team rooted in collaboration, accountability, and growth.
• Model a leadership style that balances sophistication, compassion, equity, and strategic discipline.
• Support the organizational shift to an institutional advancement mindset.

Board Partnership & Volunteer Engagement

• Partner with the Board of Directors and Fundraising Committee to strengthen individual Board giving, expand Board engagement in donor cultivation, and clarify Board roles in the national advancement strategy.
• Support new Board member orientation related to fundraising expectations.
• Equip Board members with tools, messaging, and strategies to act as national ambassadors.
• Evaluate best way to engage local volunteer leadership (regional boards/committees) to support local revenue efforts.

Communications, Grants & External Engagement

• Strengthen national visibility with corporate, civic, and philanthropic partners.
• Represent GOGO externally with credibility and confidence at the highest levels.
• Oversee grants efforts and manage the Grants & Compliance Manager.

Candidate Qualifications

• 10+ years of senior nonprofit fundraising leadership and a proven track record of scaling organizations, building national development systems, and personally securing seven-figure+ revenue.
• Experience in startup, growth-stage, or transformation environments.
• Sophisticated command of major gifts, corporate philanthropy, foundation partnerships, and data-driven fundraising strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams through change, professionalize informal systems, and shift culture without losing mission authenticity.
• High emotional intelligence and strength as a mentor, builder, and strategic thought partner.
• Comfort operating in evolving infrastructure environments.
• Deep alignment with GOGO’s mission and youth-centered impact.
• High personal integrity, humility, and accountability.
• Ability to thrive in both strategy and execution.

POLICY ON PLACEMENT AND RECRUITING

The Batten Group and Guitars Over Guns Organization are equal-opportunity employers committed to the principles of nondiscrimination in the workplace. Candidates will not be discriminated against on the basis of age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, marital status, or any other basis that is prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

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