Executive Director Children for Children
POSITION SPECIFICATION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN
NEW YORK CITY
May 2010
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Children for Children (CFC) seeks a passionate, dynamic and visionary Executive Director to guide CFC as it expands its mission on a national and international scale in partnership with the Points of Light Institute. He/she will oversee the management of CFC’s assets, staff and on-the-ground programs while working with its partners, schools and over 250 HandsOn Network affiliates to reach youth in the United States and beyond.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Children for Children was established in 1996 with a mission to foster community involvement and social responsibility in young people through volunteerism beginning at a young age. CFC’s mission has evolved to focus on service and service learning in schools, after school and out of school. CFC has created developmentally appropriate programs, curricula and opportunities for children and families of all backgrounds. CFC’s programs are offered in schools throughout the New York metropolitan area as well as nationwide and online.
CFC believes that service learning is a basic educational component and should be a part of every child’s education to help develop applied learning and social and emotional skills. One of CFC’s guiding tenets has been that everyone, regardless of age, background or socio-economic standing, has something to offer to others and gains enormous personal benefits from service.
In 2009, CFC became part of Points of Light Institute (POLI) headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Points of Light Institute advances innovative civic strategies to achieve impact through service and building an engaged citizenry. This combination has allowed CFC to become the POLI unit that will oversee, coordinate and develop youth service programs within POLI and help advance youth service nationally and globally.
POLI shares CFC’s commitment to encourage meaningful volunteerism among young people. POLI will utilize HandsOn Network and other national and global partners to enable the scaling of youth service programs. POLI also shares CFC’s conviction that building a strong youth service infrastructure will provide the pipeline for sustainable national service.
Going Forward
POLI’s Civic Incubator Unit will support CFC’s integration within POLI and will help achieve the objectives of the combination. CFC is in the process of developing and launching a new national brand “generationOn” that captures the vitality of youth and power of youth to change the world.
POSITION SUMMARY AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Executive Director will provide vibrant leadership necessary to maintain and deliver the quality of programs that have been the hallmark of CFC while also partnering with POLI to ensure a full integration of both organizations. This position provides a unique opportunity for the successful candidate to build a national platform for youth service and service learning, while utilizing administrative and financial support as well as the broad national and global reach of POLI.
The Executive Director will report to the President of the Civic Incubator, who is based in Atlanta, until such time as CFC is ready to function as a fully integrated, independent POLI unit. The Executive Director will also work closely with the CFC Board of Directors in New York. The Executive Director will interact extensively with CFC funders and will spend significant time raising resources and building partnerships and awareness for the organization’s mission and work.
Responsibilities of the position include the following:
Leadership and Oversight:
Provide vision, oversight and direction for the achievement of CFC’s mission through building, planning and executing innovative programs, models and plans.
National and Global Expansion:
Develop the growth business model from existing programs to scale CFC’s programs nationally and globally. Oversee and administer the expansion of youth service learning, working with HandsOn Network affiliates and global, national and local partners to serve the needs of communities across the U.S. and beyond. Evaluate and receive feedback and input from affiliates and schools to improve and expand offerings.
Fundraising:
Lead all development efforts to meet revenue goals for current operating needs and longer-term goals.
Board Relations and Partnerships:
Work closely with and engage local and national Board members and volunteers committed to the development and stewardship of CFC’s mission. Build and strengthen strategic alliances in the community on a local, national and global scale.
Public Relations and Marketing:
Serve as the face of the organization and galvanize the staff, Board members, partners, volunteers and funders to support the mission and the work. Maintain a positive, visible public image ensuring that CFC is recognized as a leader in its field. Oversee the development and execution of a CFC marketing plan to fuel regional and national growth and recognition.
Staff Management and Development:
Hire, train, develop, motivate, and inspire staff. Manage and establish performance standards and evaluations.
Fiscal Management:
Supervise all aspects of fiscal management and ensure that adequate financial controls are maintained.
Organizational Systems Development:
Evaluate and improve upon the organization’s structure, systems, resources and tools to maximize impact and to ensure efficient and effective operations and scalable growth.
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES:
The new Executive Director must be a dynamic individual who recognizes both the existing strengths of CFC and its possibilities for national and global expansion through POLI. We seek a vibrant, creative, entrepreneurial person with the vision and strategic skills to become a transformational leader to help strengthen and expand CFC’s model youth programs and make an impact to reach a national and ultimately global scale.
The successful candidate must be a caring individual, committed to children, service and education. He/she will be a leader who excels in an entrepreneurial environment that will be characterized by significant growth, change, and promise.
Key Professional Attributes:
· Significant professional experience with broad management, external relations and programmatic experience, may have been gained in the nonprofit, education or corporate sector or a blend.
· Proven ability to manage, influence and inspire a wide variety of stakeholders, both internally and externally;
· Excellent leadership skills with the ability to cultivate and attract partners, volunteers and funders;
· A track record of and enthusiasm for fundraising and marketing;
· Strong management skills; a team builder capable of recruiting, retaining, developing, motivating high performing teams;
· Significant budget management experience and organizational systems development;
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills; and
· Knowledge about the New York City youth, education and philanthropic community.
Key Personal Attributes:
· Connection to and passion for today’s youth;
· Energetic, proactive with a hands-on style;
· Diplomatic with exceptional relationship-building skills;
· Flexible and strategic, with the ability to juggle numerous competing priorities;
Exceptional personal initiative, comfortable with ambiguity, and the ability to drive results; and
Bright and creative with an executive presence and personal style to represent the organization to multiple constituents.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree is required; advanced degree preferred.
Travel:
Domestic travel expected, approximately 30%.
Compensation:
Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience; excellent benefits.
For more detailed information about the organization, please visit: www.pointsoflight.org <http://www.pointsoflight.org> ; www.childrenforchildren.org <http://www.childrenforchildren.org>
Email cover letter and resume in confidence to:
Josie Sandler
Sandler Search Associates, LLC
Email: josie@sandlerassociates.org <mailto:josie@sandlerassociates.org>
Web site: www.sandlerassociates.org <http://www.sandlerassociates.org>
