Water Mission’s vision is to see all people have safe water and an opportunity to experience God's love. The organization has over 600 team members globally and an annual budget of $40 million. The US-based headquarters is in Charleston, SC with country programs in Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Peru, Mexico, Honduras and Indonesia. The organization’s mission is to honor God by developing, implementing, and sharing best-in-class safe water solutions that transform as many lives as possible, as quickly as possible.
As a key member of the Executive Team and reporting to the CEO, the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) will provide global strategic leadership in fundraising, marketing, and communications, driving Water Mission’s financial sustainability and global Kingdom impact. The CAO will lead a major comprehensive fundraising campaign, fueling Water Mission’s expansion from $40M to more than $100M within the next 5-10 years.
HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION
Water Mission serves people around the world because George and Molly Greene were obedient to God’s call. When Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras in 1998, the Greenes were compelled to answer a request for lifesaving water treatment systems. Unable to find an existing solution suitable for the unique conditions of the remote communities in need, George and his team designed and built one of their own. When George and Molly arrived in Honduras with the systems, they were shocked by what they found. In one community, the river was dark brown and toxic—no one dared to drink from it. Even once the water systems were operational, residents were still terrified to drink the treated water because it was drawn from what they called “The River of Death.” Molly and George put their own lips to the hose and drank the newly purified water. The residents then rushed forward to drink. The response from the community in Honduras was overwhelming, and they both knew that the Lord was calling them to help solve the global water crisis, an issue they knew nothing about. Following this experience, George and Molly decided to dedicate themselves to fighting the global water crisis. They sold their engineering company and founded Water Mission in 2001. As the organization grew, not only was the mission to provide clean and safe water, but also to offer the Living Water message--the Good News of new and everlasting life available through faith in Jesus Christ.
George currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors and Molly served as Chief Stewardship Officer and Chair of the Board until her passing in July 2019. Her legacy continues to inspire the organization to bring safe water and God’s love to people around the world.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
LEADERSHIP
In 2020, George Greene IV moved from COO to the CEO seat. “G4,” as he is often called, has worked in the organization since its inception. Since 2001, George has worked with Water Mission, starting as a project engineer. At the time, Water Mission had two employees (Mr. Greene being one of the two) and two full-time volunteers (Mr. Greene’s parents and founders of Water Mission). Since then, he has had the unique opportunity to work through almost every role within the organization. He transitioned to Vice President of International Programs in 2010. In this role, he led the growth of Water Mission’s three program areas: (1) responding to disasters, (2) supporting refugees, and (3) long-term community development. He then became President and Chief Operating Officer in 2013 and CEO in 2020.
This first-hand experience has been instrumental in allowing him to lead the ministry to where it is today. A licensed professional engineer in South Carolina, Mr. Greene graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. In 2011, he completed Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development, followed by a work study program with Water Mission’s strategic partner Grundfos at their corporate headquarters in Bjerringbro, Denmark. He is an active member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers.Water Mission focuses on excellent, sustainable, data-driven solutions that have a lasting impact in the communities in which they serve. They want to not only implement but partner for change. Their work enhances water treatment and pumping technologies, design, and community development approaches.
Water Mission is in a strong and stable position, marked by organizational health and momentum. The team is energized and optimistic about the future, with a commitment to advance the mission and build on recent progress.
The organization is characterized by a culture that is Christ-centered, collaborative, fast-paced, and hospitable—an environment where the values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity are actively lived out. The organization’s top strengths include providing feedback, collaborating, and living out its vibrant organizational culture.
At its core, Mission Water remains unwavering in its focus on the Gospel and its mission to provide safe and Jesus’ living water to those in need. They are known as a leader in engineering and quality work, specifically in the WASH sector. Faith partners appreciate that they provide the physical need (safe water) while also providing the spiritual need (living water through a relationship with Jesus Christ). The organization does what they say they will do, loving Jesus as they love those they serve. Read their most recent annual report.
Water Mission operates under a highly structured, committee-driven board of directors that provides oversight in strategic areas, including budget approval. Learn more about Water Mission’s leadership. To remain true to its calling and identity, Water Mission prioritizes developing its managers into people who lead in full alignment with its values.
The values are lived out daily, as the staff joins for devotions and prayers. The preferred leadership style is servant leadership, exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), marked by humility and collaboration. Here is a way to read more about their values, Statement of Faith and Christian Mission.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) is a newly elevated, executive-level position that reports directly to CEO George Greene IV, and works alongside the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), as well as with the rest of the senior leadership team. The role provides global strategic leadership in fundraising, marketing, and communications, driving Water Mission’s financial sustainability and global Kingdom impact.
This role requires a visionary strategist to develop and implement a global fundraising framework built on the principles of biblical stewardship, which fuels fund development.. Water Mission views fund development as a spiritual act, inviting people to participate in God’s work and build relationships rooted in biblical generosity, gratitude, and faithful stewardship.
The CAO will lead the Partnerships and Communication (P&C) division, which operates with an annual budget of approximately $8 million In the coming year, this role will kick off a comprehensive fundraising campaign (already in the quiet phase), fueling Water Mission’s expansion from $40M to >$100M within the next 5-10 years.
To achieve this growth, the CAO will scale donor acquisition and engagement strategies while diversifying revenue streams. The team directs mass donor engagement, mid- and major-gift fundraising, church and faith-based partnerships, institutional and corporate funding, grants, and strategic communications. Projected revenue stream percentages for fiscal year 2025 are:
Corporate support: 22% (2025)
Individual giving: 45%
Foundations: 6%
Government grants and intergovernmental organizations: 7%
Other NGOs (including churches): 20%.
The role has five direct reports who are the Senior Directors of (1) Development Operations and Strategic Initiatives, (2) Engagement,(3) Global Marketing and Communications), and,(4) Senior Director of Investor Partnerships, and (5) Senior Director of Global Partnerships. The division has around 65 people.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate will continue the strengths of the prior leader, an Executive VP of Partnerships & Communications, who recommended the creation of the CAO role. This includes being process-driven, growth-oriented, and focused on staff development. The CAO must also be able to confidently delegate, communicate with clarity, collaborate, and foster cross-divisional connections. Adjectives that describe the ideal candidate include:
Humble: Motivated but not for one’s own agenda, able to put a preferred project on hold in order to pursue a shared vision, co-creates solutions rather than coming in with the answers, trusts the team to come up with great solutions.
Relational: Good at working with the board and the CEO, and working cross-organizationally and with their team, high EQ, not overly high on driving or dominance. Empathetic to the people that Water Mission serves.
Collaborative: Works well with other leaders, being an active listener who co-creates ideas versus coming in with all the answers, can give and take–holding when needed but also setting aside preferences at times. This is especially important in a founder-led environment.
Growth-minded and experienced in fundraising: Has personally been involved in fundraising, keeps growth in mind to balance organizational areas geared to increasing efficiencies. Holds a biblically grounded approach to fund-development, using an invitational (non-manipulative) style. Experience in disaster relief fundraising is vital.
Passionate and visionary: Comes alongside to help others articulate the vision needed for compelling fundraising while being able to focus on strategy.
Strong: Energetic with stamina to lead a breadth of disciplines and discernment to focus and hold to a realistic number of initiatives. Someone who can debate ideas, take a strong stance if their opinion is different, and be ready to provide data to justify a decision.
People-developing: Trusting of an excellent team already in place, advancing team integration efforts, and metrics already underway.
Internationally aware: Understands field country realities that may affect fund development both internationally and in the U.S.
In addition to these qualities that are useful organization-wide, this role comes alongside the CEO who is the face of the ministry. The CEO has identified these qualities that have proven vital to the success of past working relationships and chemistry. The ideal candidate is:
Accountable
Flexible with partners, when needed
Servant hearted
Professional and accurate - Avoiding flowery stories without proof
Approachable
Open to Ideas
Encouraging
Compassionate
Business savvy - Ideally bringing history working in or around business organizations, as well as nonprofits.
Where might the future CAO be serving now? They may be in a VP or CAO/CDO role. Regardless, they have extensive experience in a diverse revenue mix (traditional revenue, individuals, family, churches, multinational corps, bilateral funders), and have been in a formal major gift/financial offer role. Prior marketing/communications experience can be a plus.
How will success be measured in the first 90 days, and first year? In the first 90 days they are expected to listen and learn. In the first year, based on what they learn, they will develop a roadmap for the division and begin executing in alignment with the organization's objectives.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Every role in every organization has both opportunities and challenges. We profile these here, based on interviews of those who work closely with this role, to guide candidates who may consider if these are the kinds of opportunities and challenges that suit them best.
Looking ahead, the organization faces several exciting opportunities and challenges: scaling people, processes, and systems globally in a sustainable way; continuing to serve as a thought leader and innovator in the WASH sector (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene); and leading its first capital campaign to support future growth.
OPPORTUNITIES
Maturing existing capabilities, which some view as underdeveloped compared to usual expectations of a $40M organization.
Continuing to build out dashboards and metrics (OKRs, objectives and key results). The team is transitioning to using these, saying “it is messy right now but taking us to a better place and we really feel it.” Meanwhile, dashboards are becoming more used as data to update these becomes more readily accessible.
Launching the organization’s first comprehensive capital campaign.
Building capacity for field countries to raise and gain funding.
Diversifying funding, especially growing the percentage of faith-based funding.
Developing the team to allow the CAO to step away from some operational duties and focus on: (1) Developing strategy and vision in partnership with the CEO, CFO and COO, and (2) Charting new territory through:
Leading the first capital/comprehensive campaign
Expanding into new markets such as international fundraising
Exploring blended finance opportunities, including public/private partnerships and impact investing.
CHALLENGES
Aligning a large team around the organization’s 5-year business plan. With such a large team, it can be difficult for all team members to have full understanding as information trickles down. There is opportunity to work together with P&C leaders to ensure that P&C has one, shared and clearly communicated operational plan.
Managing capacity. Learning what to say no to, particularly when success in the past involved saying yes to what partners wanted
Building out the donor journey. The organization is at the beginning of this work
Working with the limiting factors for fundraising - A narrow programmatic scope (WASH) and need for articulating of vision, especially when the culture operates more tactically, as is common in engineering firms.
Working with IT systems in transition. The organization uses Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge but is working to define its new CRM and, also, how best to aggregate data for reporting.
Balancing strategic planning and long game versus being nimble. Sometimes longer term aims get missed due to something that needs fixing right now.
ABOUT CHARLESTON
This position will work in the US Headquarters in Charleston, SC, one of the oldest cities in the United States, founded in 1670. Charleston is known for its Southern hospitality and relaxed coastal atmosphere, along with fantastic places to dine. It is nicknamed “The Holy City” due to many historic churches and the religious freedom early settlers came here to find. The city has numerous parks and green spaces and outdoor activities like boating, kayaking and eco-tourism are popular. The average 3-bedroom home price is $588,900. In all, Charleston’s cost of living is about 1% higher than the national average.
POSITION PROFILE
Job Title: Chief Advancement Officer
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
PURPOSE
As a key member of the Executive Team, the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) provides global strategic leadership in fundraising, marketing, and communications, driving Water Mission’s financial sustainability and global Kingdom impact. The CAO will lead a major comprehensive fundraising campaign within the next year, fueling Water Mission’s expansion from $40M to >$100M within the next 5-10 years. To achieve this, the CAO will scale donor acquisition and engagement strategies while expanding and diversifying revenue streams. Overseeing the Advancement Team, the CAO directs mass donor engagement, mid- and major-gift fundraising, church and faith-based partnerships, institutional and corporate funding, grants, and strategic communications.
This role requires a visionary strategist who can develop and implement a global fundraising framework built on the foundation of fundraising as a ministry, a spiritual act inviting people to participate in God’s work that drives growth and deepens donor relationships rooted in biblical principles of generosity, gratitude, and faithful stewardship. The CAO reports to the Chief Executive Officer and is full-time, based in Charleston, South Carolina.
A Chief Advancement Officer will be successful in the following areas:
Revenue Growth & Global Fundraising Strategy
Develop and execute a strategy to grow annual revenue to >$100M within the next 5-10 years, ensuring a balanced and diversified funding mix across individual, corporate, foundation, faith-based, institutional, and peer-to-peer giving to achieve Water Mission’s mission and Kingdom impact.
Lead the launch of a major comprehensive fundraising campaign, mobilizing major donors, corporate sponsors, churches, faith-aligned businesses, and institutional funders.
Expand Water Mission’s global fundraising footprint, identifying key international markets and untapped donor opportunities.
Innovate and implement new fundraising models, digital giving platforms, and international donor engagement strategies to strengthen long-term financial sustainability.
Ensure donor communications, brand messaging, and storytelling align with strategic fundraising objectives, development strategies, while reflecting biblical principles of generosity, gratitude, and faithful stewardship.
Cultivate relationships with donors as co-laborers in Christ, not merely financial supporters inspiring a deeper connection between giving and faith.
Lead the Advancement Team in prayerful discernment, seeking God's provision and guidance in fundraising strategies.
Building and Developing High-Performing Fundraising, Marketing, and Communications Teams to:
Elevate mid- and major-gift fundraising by implementing best-in-class donor stewardship strategies and optimizing donor engagement pipelines.
Expand and deepen faith-based partnerships by fostering a shared vision for biblical generosity, helping churches and Christian businesses see their giving as an act of worship and mission.
Build on Water Mission’s technical credibility as an engineering ministry while integrating human-centered storytelling, using case studies, testimonials, and data-driven visuals.
Scale volunteer and peer-to-peer fundraising by growing ambassador networks, grassroots campaigns, and donor-driven initiatives.
Oversee corporate, sector, and institutional fundraising, securing transformational gifts and diversifying funding sources.
Develop and manage a balanced mix of high- and low-compliance grants from multilateral agencies, government entities, and private foundations.
Advance corporate sponsorship and cause-marketing strategies to increase unrestricted funding.
Ensure donor communications, brand messaging, and storytelling align with strategic fundraising objectives and retention strategies.
Optimize digital fundraising and multi-channel engagement to expand donor reach and increase long-term giving.
Maintain brand consistency across all engagement channels, reinforcing Water Mission’s global presence and mission.
Executive Leadership & Team Development
Translate the CEO’s vision into high-impact fundraising and engagement strategies that drive growth.
Advise and collaborate with the CEO on major donor relations, corporate partnerships, and philanthropic initiatives.
Partner with the CEO to cultivate and steward high-impact donor relationships, ensuring strategic alignment with major campaigns and funding priorities.
Lead transformational fundraising efforts to secure landmark gifts, foundation investments, and institutional funding to expand Water Mission’s global impact.
Work closely with the COO and CFO to align fundraising growth with financial forecasting, program expansion, and organizational priorities.
Ensure transparency and financial accountability, collaborating with the CFO to align revenue projections with investment strategies.
Regularly assess and refine fundraising performance metrics, ensuring data-driven strategies drive measurable impact.
Build, mentor, and lead high-performing teams, fostering a culture of innovation, excellence, and data-driven decision-making.
Model servant leadership and maintain a strong Christian witness, integrating prayer, biblical stewardship, and discipleship into donor relationships and fundraising strategies.
Train and equip the Advancement Team to view their roles as ministry, ensuring donor interactions can be seen as an opportunity for spiritual encouragement and impact.
Encourage and lead prayerful discernment in major campaign initiatives, trusting God’s provision.
Board & External Engagement
Work alongside the CEO in high-level donor engagement, major gift cultivation, and corporate and institutional partnership development.
Align the CEO’s public engagements with Water Mission’s advancement strategy, ensuring seamless coordination of major campaigns, donor relations, and global partnerships.
Serve as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors' Partnerships & Communications Committee, ensuring fundraising strategies align with governance priorities and the organization’s commitment to biblical stewardship.
Deliver executive-level reports and presentations to the Board, Senior Leadership, and key stakeholders, showcasing fundraising performance, campaign progress, and revenue expansion opportunities.
Represent Water Mission globally in media, donor events, and industry forums, serving as a high-profile spokesperson to elevate the organization’s mission and visibility.
REQUIREMENTS
Deep and growing relationship with Jesus Christ and commitment to servant leadership.
Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.
15+ years of executive leadership in global fundraising, nonprofit advancement, and strategic communications.
Proven success scaling multi-million-dollar fundraising operations across individual giving, corporate partnerships, institutional funding, grants, and faith-based philanthropy.
Global fundraising expertise, including securing international philanthropic, corporate, and government funding.
Expertise in major gifts, capital campaigns, and securing transformational gifts from high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and corporate donors.
Strong track record in securing and managing complex, compliance-heavy grants from multilateral agencies and government entities.
Experience in faith-based fundraising models, engaging churches and Christian philanthropic networks.
Strategic, data-driven thinker with a proven ability to develop innovative fundraising models and identify untapped revenue opportunities.
Exceptional leadership and team development skills, with a history of building and mentoring high-performing advancement teams.
Financial acumen, aligning fundraising growth with financial planning, program expansion, and operational scaling.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage and cultivate donors, board members, and senior leaders.
Willingness and ability to travel up to 20% of the time, both domestically and internationally.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Salary: $190,000-210,000 annually.
Benefits: The position is entitled to all Water Mission Full Time Benefits.
Vacation: Water Mission offers a generous time-off package, including 21 to 24 days of paid time off annually (based on professional experience), in addition to 11.5 holidays and 4 personal days each year.
Relocation: Relocation assistance is provided - up to $20,000 paid out after relocation is complete.
Travel Expectations: 20%, both domestic and international.
NEXT STEPS
To learn more about Water Mission, please visit their website at watermission.org.
After prayerfully reviewing this information, if you sense this position opportunity could be a good fit for you, please click on the APPLY NOW button below. Or if you know someone who may be interested and a fit, please share this opportunity using the social media and email buttons at the top of this page.
The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required and the scope of responsibility but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements.