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Chief Development Officer

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Chief Development Officer

Institute for the Study of War

Onsite Washington, DC

A critical source for decision-makers throughout the world, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to providing real-time, independent analysis of military operations and global conflicts. The organization’s mission is twofold: to offer timely, unbiased insights into ongoing conflicts and to educate the next generation of national security leaders. With nearly one million highly engaged followers on social media and frequent features in major news outlets, ISW has become the most cited foreign policy think tank globally in recent years.

The Opportunity

The Institute for the Study of War is looking for an experienced and mission-driven Chief Development Officer (CDO) to join its leadership team. This individual will be responsible for shaping and driving ISW’s fundraising strategy to support the organization’s ongoing growth and success.

As ISW expands its donor base and continues its efforts to professionalize development operations, the CDO will play a key role in ensuring the organization’s financial sustainability by building a robust philanthropic pipeline. The CDO will work closely with ISW leadership, including the Board of Directors, to implement a comprehensive fundraising plan that emphasizes both donor engagement and capacity building.

The successful candidate will be a seasoned fundraising executive with experience in nonprofit management, capable of leading a development team and fostering strong relationships with donors. The CDO must thrive in a fast-paced, fluid environment, adapting to shifting priorities as global events unfold. With ISW having recently completed a significant database migration and donor capacity study, the CDO will have the tools and momentum necessary to lead the organization’s development efforts through its next phase of growth.

The salary range for this position is $185,000 – $210,000.

By admin|2026-09-23T21:24:05-04:00July 24, 2024|Comments Off

About the Author: admin

Libby Roberts has earned the trust and admiration of executives across sectors and industries for her bold leadership, incisive judgment, and refreshing candor. A paragon of relationship-building, Libby forges strong client partnerships by deriving clear, actionable insights from open and honest dialogue. Libby’s expert guidance, rooted in a deep understanding of nonprofits, makes her an essential partner for organizations navigating the complexities of succession planning and executive recruitment.

Expertise

Libby’s proven recruiting and talent management strategies are designed to achieve the unique goals of her clients. She excels at guiding boards and leaders through the many stages of a search, collaborating with stakeholders while surfacing the core goals, priorities, and aspirations that unite an organization. For Libby, the end goal isn’t simply placing top talent in leadership roles but preparing organizations and teams to maximize the new leader’s potential long after the search has concluded.

Libby’s client list and broader community involvement reflect her extraordinary global network as well as her commitment to service. Her work has ranged across arts and culture, healthcare, higher education, and advocacy, as well as faith-based hospitals, universities, and other organizations.

Experience

With years of experience in the leadership roles for which she now recruits, Libby brings with her a deep and nuanced understanding of how organizations can engage their communities, develop teams, and recruit talented individuals who will succeed and drive missions forward.

Prior to joining Lindauer, Libby held leadership roles at many influential institutions, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Dartmouth, and Harvard Law School.

Her experience in annual giving, major gifts, and fundraising campaigns allowed Libby to form a holistic picture of the interconnected components of modern advancement programs. Meanwhile, her time spent managing teams and engaging boards honed her ability to navigate complex organizational structures effectively.

Through her extensive volunteer work, Libby gives back to her community and contributes to the development of the field of philanthropy. She has served on many boards, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Boston Trinity Episcopal Church, the Nelson Rockefeller Center, and The Boston House. She brings a wealth of global experience through her travel, international education, and work with Habitat for Humanity. She maintains her connection with her alma mater, Dartmouth, where she has been deeply involved since matriculation.

Libby’s passion for effecting change, her wealth of experience, and her commitment to forging successful client partnerships make her a valued leader and an essential resource for any search, leadership, or talent management project.

Education

Libby holds a BA from Dartmouth College with a Religion major.

Josh Maker brings to Lindauer and its clients significant global philanthropic consulting and project management experience in the nonprofit sector.

Prior to joining Lindauer, Josh played a key role in advancing alumni and donor engagement at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He partnered with institutional leaders and volunteer committees to design and deliver flagship reunion programs that strengthened the School’s philanthropic pipeline and deepened alumni commitment.

Josh also spent several years at Grenzebach Glier and Associates (GG+A) where he served in multiple roles. As the Executive Director of Consulting Resources, Josh was a member of the firm’s senior leadership council and led a team in Chicago of 10 professionals in delivering client reports, presentations, and trainings. As the Chief of Staff to the President, he worked in close partnership with GG+A’s President and senior leadership to deliver on the firm’s strategic initiatives, as well as supporting the President in all of her client engagements. In the role of Senior Project Manager at GG+A, Josh managed upwards of 20 client projects at a time, ranging in sectors from arts and culture, academic medicine and healthcare, higher education, independent schools, to voluntary sectors.

Josh has partnered with a number of clients including; Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Law School, Carnegie Mellon University, Cancer Research UK, Charlotte Country Day School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Drexel University, Esade Business School (Barcelona), Fuller Theological Seminary, Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Philadelphia Museum of Art, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Sidwell Friends School, Tate, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, University of Queensland, and the University of Toronto.

Josh holds a Master of Arts in Cultural and Creative Industries from King’s College London, and Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Kent State University.