Illumination Foundation - CDO

Company: Sterling Search
Location: Santa Ana
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

Illumination Health Home( illuminationhealthhome.org ) has retained Sterling Search, Inc. to conduct a search for its new Chief Development Officer. This position will report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and will serve as an integral member of the senior leadership team which includes the CEO, CFO, and CPO. The CDO will work closely with an impressive board of directors, each of whom give generously and all of whom are all committed to a shared vision of growth for Illumination Health Home and a deeper impact for those they serve. Illumination Health Home’s mission is to disrupt the cycle of homelessness. About Illumination Health Home The Opportunity Illumination Health Home is an era of rapid growth, having expanded its budget in the past year alone from a $50M organization to a $70M organization. It is the largest provider of services to homeless families in Orange County, administers the largest recuperative care program in the nation and ranks as one of the top ten largest nonprofits in Orange County. Illumination Health Home has a very well respected, national brand and is considered a content expert on the issue of homelessness, having published numerous white papers and presented at national conferences. The CEO sits on the Board of Directors for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, an organization she has belonged to since 2002. The CDO will be responsible for implementing a comprehensive, strategic fundraising plan to position Illumination Health Home for continued growth. This includes stewarding existing donors and maintaining current philanthropic funding, as well as engaging new donors from individuals, corporations, foundations, and through special events such as Illumination Health Home's signature event, Chef's Table, which generates approximately $1.5 million annually. Currently, philanthropic revenue consists of $1.35M from individual giving, $2.4M from special events (which includes the $1.5M from Chef’s Table), and $1.75M from foundation and corporate support. The CDO will be charged with building upon Illumination Health Home’s track record of success by leading the organization’s development and communications function and achieving its goals for continued financial stability and community engagement. This is an ideal role for a seasoned, entrepreneurial, collaborative, and high-performing development / communications professional who can contribute to and is passionate about this mission, and lead others to engage both internal and external stakeholders to support it. The CDO has a current team of 6 FTE’s with 6 direct reports. The opportunity exists to add up to 3 FTEs to restructure/rebuild the development and communications team in order to meet the strategic goals of the department. The CDO will partner with Illumination Health Home’s visionary CEO, Dr. Pooja Bhalla. Her innovative work includes the creation of IFMG, a private medical group which provides onsite medical and mental health services for Illumination Health Home clients; partnering with CHOC to provide primary care and behavioral health counseling to children experiencing homelessness; expanding Illumination Health Home’s recuperative care program, including creating a female-only recuperative care facility; and spearheading the development of an electronic health record system which uses clinical data and machine learning to generate diagnostic risk scores that can be used to tailor the level of services provided to client needs. In partnership with Dr. Bhalla, the new CDO will place their stamp not only on the growth of fund development and communications’ reach, but also on Illumination Health Home’s continuing mission to disrupt the cycle of homelessness. The new CDO will have a demonstrated track record of institutional vision and leadership, with an emphasis on mentoring staff and establishing and overseeing efficient organizational systems, measurable fundraising/communications goals, financial forecasting, and fundraising/communications strategies. Position Overview The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will be responsible for leading and overseeing the organization's fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and resource development efforts. The CDO will work closely with the CEO, Board of Directors, and senior leadership to design and implement a comprehensive development strategy that ensures financial sustainability and enhances philanthropic support. This position requires a dynamic, visionary leader with a proven track record of building relationships, cultivating donors, and growing fundraising programs. Specific Duties & Responsibilities Leadership Provide innovative, visionary, and strategic operational planning and leadership for all development and communications activities. Serve as an active and collaborative member of its leadership team. Ensure that the development and communications department is effectively structured and staffed with high-performing employees. Invest in professional development activities to continually develop and train staff; develop and implement measurable goals for each team member and hold them accountable for meeting fundraising and communications goals. Facilitate a culture of collaboration between development, communications, marketing, and other departments, and develop a deep understanding of Illumination Foundation’s programs and services. Be a passionate, visible, and informed leader and advocate for Illumination Health Home and engage with the broader community while positioning Illumination Health Home for improved fundraising and visibility. Planning and Management Recruit, hire, support, train, coach, assess, and supervise fundraising and communications’ staff. Provide career development opportunities for all fundraising and communications staff with specific attention paid to the identification and development of future leaders. Create, manage, and monitor the annual development and marketing program budgets in partnership with the CEO and/or CFO and provide periodic progress reports. Lead, manage and direct the annual private (not including government grants) funding/revenue base while focusing on a comprehensive fund development plan to enhance the short- and long-term diversified funding base. Oversee performance measures, monitor results, and help the CEO evaluate the effectiveness of the organization’s fund development and marketing/communications program. Lead and manage Illumination Health Home’s Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) system (Bloomerang). Oversee policies and procedures for accepting gifts, entering data, tracking moves management, monitoring stewardship activities and providing reports as needed. Collaborate closely with the finance department to ensure sound fiscal operation of the development and communications functions including timely, accurate and comprehensive development of charitable contributions income and expense budgets, reporting, monitoring, and implementation. Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and laws, maintain accountability standards to donors, and ensure compliance with code of ethical principles and standards of professional conduct for fundraising executives. Development & Stewardship Strategically and significantly expand the existing development program focusing on diversifying revenue sources while developing and stewarding donor relationships to increase the base of support from current and potential donors. Provide fundraising leadership, strategy and support to the CEO, Development Committee and Board of Directors. Oversee all processes and procedures related to prospect identification, donor relations, engagement, stewardship activities, and contributions management. Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of high-end donors from a diverse group of individuals, corporations, and foundations. Continuously monitor donor retention and craft a plan to increase the retention rate with established methods to achieve consistent and accurate measurements. Communications Design and oversee a communications and marketing plan to create awareness of Illumination Health Home’s mission, vision, and goals. Increase the agency’s visibility and presence in the philanthropic community to establish and advance relationships in support of achieving the agency’s vision and mission. Monitor branding guidelines, ensuring that Illumination Health Home’s brand is messaged clearly and consistently throughout the organization. Ensure that development, marketing materials, and all related activities are unified and consistent with the Illumination Health Home’s brand. Act as primary liaison to an external Public Relations firm, ensuring consistency for all messaging across platforms. Qualifications Seven years of experience in a senior level fundraising or sales and communications leadership role with experience managing staff, planning, budgeting, and fiscal management. A demonstrated ability to plan and operate strategically, to build public support, to strengthen infrastructure and to inspire staff and the Board of Directors. A strong interpersonal and communication skill set and demonstrated ability to work effectively with and gain the respect and support of varied and changing constituencies, including clients, staff, Board members, potential donors, volunteers, community leaders and others. Successful track record in fundraising and acquiring gifts at the five and six figure level or respective sales or business development experience. Demonstrated ability to build deep, productive relationships and strongly influence internal and external stakeholders at all levels. Demonstrated ability to enhance community engagement and strengthen the visibility, purpose, and case for support for Illumination Health Home. Highly competent in strategic and multi-year planning. Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail. Excellent oral and written communication/presentation skills. Compensation This position offers a salary of $175,000 to $200,000 plus a competitive benefits package will be offered to attract an outstanding candidate. To Apply: Please contact Sarah Agee for a confidential conversation and to learn more about this opportunity. Phone: (949) 903-2891 Email: Sarah@SterlingSearchInc.com Please direct all correspondence, emails, and telephone calls to Sterling Search, Inc. Any communication with Illumination Health Home will be redirected back to Sterling Search.

Keywords: Sterling Search, Santa Ana , Illumination Foundation - CDO, PR / Public Relations , Santa Ana, California