How to apply for Chief Advancement Officer

About Our Children's Trust

Our Children's Trust is a pioneering nonprofit that uses constitutional law to force governments to address the climate crisis on behalf of young people. It is the first organization to file such lawsuits in the U.S. and has gained international recognition for its innovative legal strategy. Working here means being part of a mission-driven team that fights for intergenerational justice and empowers youth to hold leaders accountable.

About the role

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) is a senior executive role that serves as the strategic second-in-command, overseeing development, communications, finance, and operations to amplify OCT's litigation and youth-centered mission. This leader will unify external engagement and internal functions into a cohesive engine that drives fundraising, brand presence, and organizational sustainability. It's a high-impact position for someone who wants to leverage executive leadership to advance climate justice.

A typical day

A typical day might involve meeting with the Co-Executive Director to align on strategic priorities, reviewing fundraising pipelines with the development team, and collaborating with communications staff on a media campaign. You could also oversee financial planning with the finance lead, engage with major donors, and ensure operations run smoothly to support OCT's legal teams. The role is dynamic, balancing external engagement with internal management to drive the mission forward.

Who Our Children's Trust is looking for

• Proven executive leader with 10+ years in nonprofit advancement, including direct oversight of development, communications, and operations teams.
• Demonstrated success in major gifts fundraising, campaign strategy, and donor stewardship, ideally within environmental, legal, or social justice organizations.
• Strategic thinker who can partner closely with a Co-Executive Director and translate litigation priorities into compelling narratives for diverse audiences.
• Deep commitment to youth empowerment, climate justice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, with experience embedding these values into organizational culture and external messaging.

Tips for this application

• Highlight specific fundraising achievements, such as major gifts secured, campaigns led, or revenue growth percentages, and tie them directly to OCT's mission of climate litigation.
• Demonstrate familiarity with OCT's legal cases (e.g., Juliana v. United States) and articulate how advancement efforts can support and amplify those efforts.
• Emphasize experience in remote leadership and managing distributed teams, as this role is remote and requires coordinating across geographies.
• Show how you have integrated communications, development, and operations into a unified strategy in previous roles, providing concrete examples of cross-functional success.
• Address the unique challenge of fundraising for a litigation-focused organization, where traditional programmatic outcomes may not apply, and explain how you would engage donors around legal impact.

What to cover in your cover letter

In your cover letter, focus on: (1) your executive leadership experience and ability to serve as a strategic second-in-command, (2) a track record of major gifts fundraising and campaign success, (3) your passion for climate justice and youth empowerment, and (4) how you would unify advancement functions to support OCT's litigation strategy. Avoid generic statements; instead, reference specific OCT cases or initiatives to show genuine engagement.

Research before applying

• Study OCT's major legal cases, especially Juliana v. United States, and understand their status, impact, and the organization's legal theory.
• Review OCT's recent annual reports, financial statements, and Form 990s to understand their funding sources, budget size, and financial health.
• Explore OCT's website, social media, and press coverage to assess their current brand positioning, messaging, and public perception.
• Research the backgrounds and public statements of OCT's leadership, particularly the Co-Executive Directors, to understand their priorities and leadership style.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you develop a fundraising strategy that leverages OCT's litigation wins and ongoing cases to attract major donors?
• Describe your approach to integrating communications, development, and operations into a single advancement engine. Provide an example.
• What experience do you have in managing remote teams and ensuring cohesive culture and performance across distances?
• How would you handle a scenario where a major donor disagrees with OCT's legal strategy or youth-led approach?
• What metrics would you use to measure the success of advancement efforts, and how would you report them to the Co-Executive Director and board?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on traditional nonprofit fundraising without connecting it to OCT's litigation-focused mission and youth empowerment model.
• Underestimating the complexity of overseeing finance and operations in a remote, litigation-driven organization; avoid implying these are secondary to development.
• Using generic language about diversity and inclusion without demonstrating concrete actions or commitment to equity in past roles.