Mastering Fundraising with Chad Peddicord: Hiring and Retaining Major Gift Officers Who Thrive

Finding great major gift officers is difficult. Keeping them is even harder.

In this episode of Mastering Fundraising, Chris Looney sits down with Chad Peddicord, Vice President of Philanthropy at the Catholic Leadership Institute, for a candid conversation about one of the profession's most pressing challenges: building and retaining high-performing fundraising teams.

Drawing from decades of leadership experience, Chad shares why hiring should be viewed as a mutual process of discernment rather than a quick transaction, why fundraising talent extends far beyond a resume, and how curiosity, emotional intelligence, and genuine mission alignment often matter more than years of experience.

The conversation also explores practical strategies for onboarding new major gift officers, creating meaningful professional development, leading with vulnerability, and building cultures where talented fundraisers want to stay. Chad offers refreshing perspectives on interview exercises, management practices, and why great leaders spend as much time developing people as they do measuring performance.

Whether you're hiring your next frontline fundraiser, leading a development team, or considering your own career in philanthropy, this episode offers practical wisdom that can strengthen both your fundraising results and your leadership.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why the best hiring process is a period of mutual discernment, not simply candidate evaluation.

If you're committed to mastering the art and science of fundraising leadership, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.