Chief Executive Officer (CONFIDENTIAL Nonprofit Organization)

Organization Overview

This established nonprofit organization has a long history of supporting older adults with home and community-based services that promote nutrition, social connection, and overall wellness. Its comprehensive, person-centered approach helps individuals remain healthy, independent, and connected, with supportive services that enhance quality of life and help clients age in place safely and comfortably.

With deep roots in the community spanning generations, the organization has built a strong network of employees, volunteers, community partners, funders, and donors committed to meeting the evolving needs of the people it serves.

A Record of Growth and a Significant Opportunity Ahead

The organization is experiencing a period of significant growth and transformation, with a multi-million dollar annual operating budget. Its funding model includes a diverse mix of public and private support, including government funding, grants, philanthropic contributions, community partnerships, and local public funding. 

Recent initiatives have broadened its services and strengthened its partnerships, positioning it for continued growth and increased community impact.

Looking ahead, the organization is poised for substantial expansion of its services and community impact. This growth will create opportunities to expand programs, diversify revenue, strengthen strategic partnerships, and build the systems and operational infrastructure necessary to support a larger and increasingly complex organization.

The next Chief Executive Officer will have the opportunity to lead this exciting chapter, building on a strong mission and history while positioning the organization for sustainable growth, operational excellence, and greater impact across the region.

The Opportunity: Chief Executive Officer

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) serves as the leader of this nonprofit and as the primary public representative, reporting to the Board of Directors. The CEO works in partnership with the board to ensure the organization fulfills its mission and to develop strategies that ensure its long-term success. They provide strategic, operational, financial, and community leadership. The next leader will ensure that the organization can expand its reach and impact while maintaining the service quality, financial discipline, volunteer engagement, and client-centered culture that define the organization.

Reports to: Board President and Board of Directors

Direct Supervisory Responsibilities: A senior leadership team spanning operations, finance, development, and marketing.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy, Growth & Organizational Development:

·        Provide leadership in developing strategic, organizational and financial plans with the Board of Directors and staff to respond to current needs while planning for growth, and carry out plans and policies authorized by the board

·        Assess current capability and build a scalable organizational model across programs, staffing, facilities, technology, and service operations

·        Build a culture of continuous improvement, using data and operational metrics to increase efficiency, quality, and impact

·        Anticipate the implications of growth and ensure the organization scales deliberately rather than reactively

·        Maintain a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in issues facing older adults, public health and government funding requirements

Fundraising, Revenue & Community Partnerships:

·        Craft the value proposition and drive growth in fundraising success ensuring diversification of funding

·        Leverage federal, state, and local funding opportunities to support program growth and sustainability

·        Work closely with development team members and the Board to strengthen major gifts, grants, corporate partnerships, events, sponsorships, and other revenue sources

·        Identify and execute the approach to grant applications; direct the grant writing process, including writing grant applications, as-needed

·        Actively build and maintain relationships with funders, donors, partners and other stakeholders; serve as primary relationship manager for major donors and lead one-on-one fundraising solicitations

·        Collaborate with partners and community agencies to leverage the mission and pursue solutions

Internal and External Communications:

·        Serve as a trusted strategic partner to the Board and provide timely, transparent information for effective governance; alert Board Members to concerns about financial and other impacts

·        Prepare and present a monthly report to the Board of Directors reporting metrics against goals

·        Serve as the public face and chief ambassador of the nonprofit actively advocating for the organization, its clients, and the broader field of aging services

·        Represent the organization with credibility and passion to donors, elected officials, government agencies, funders, partners, peer nonprofits, media, volunteers, clients, and the broader community

·        Tell a compelling story about the organization’s impact and the urgency of meeting growing community need; build visibility and influence for serving the mission

Team Leadership:

·        Build a high-performing, mission-driven team with the skills and capacity required for growth

·        Build and sustain an organizational culture that is collaborative, inclusive, performance-oriented, and deeply connected to the mission, while ensuring the development of systems, processes, documentation and organizational infrastructure that support accountability, recognize and reward productivity and performance, and enable operational excellence and sustainable growth

·        Ensure staff and board have sufficient and up-to-date information to fulfill their responsibilities

Finance:

·        Own the financial health of the organization in partnership with the Board, finance leadership, and staff

·        Work with the staff and the board in preparing a budget; see that the organization operates within budget guidelines and ensure that all accounting practices comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

·        Identify and execute cost-saving opportunities without compromising service quality

Programs & Service Expansion:

•      Champion the expansion of person-centered services that support the nutrition, social connection, wellness, and independence of older adults

•      Oversee the design, delivery, and quality of all programs to ensure they meet client needs and regulatory standards

•      Stay current on trends in senior services and aging-in-place models; anticipate shifts likely to affect programming

•      Lead efforts to scale service capacity to meet growing community demand

•      Collect and analyze program data and client feedback to continuously evaluate and improve service effectiveness

The Qualified Candidate

We seek an accomplished executive with the business judgment, operating discipline, strategic perspective, and relationship-building ability to lead a mission-driven organization through substantial growth. The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between strategy and execution and will know how to build systems that allow an organization to grow while strengthening its quality, culture, and impact.

Specific requirements include:

Education and Experience

·                    Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university

·                    A minimum of five years of senior leadership experience in a nonprofit, healthcare, human services, food-service, social enterprise, or other mission-aligned organization

·                    Demonstrated success leading an organization through a meaningful period of growth, expansion, transformation, or scaling

·                    Strong operating experience, including responsibility for people, budgets, systems, service delivery, and organizational performance

·                    Demonstrated financial and business acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, resource allocation, and evaluating growth

·                    Successful experience building revenue through fundraising, grants, partnerships, program revenue, or other diversified sources; ability to respond to shifting funder and regulatory requirements

·                    Experience leading and developing a multi-disciplinary team and building leadership capacity

·                    Strong Board partnership and governance experience, ideally in a nonprofit environment

Competencies and Attributes

·                    Ability to exercise a high degree of judgment and diplomacy as well as maintaining the highest integrity and ethics

·                    Strong interpersonal skills and comfort with philanthropic community and major donors

·                    Solid, persuasive verbal and written communications skills, including the ability to deliver inspiring and succinct presentations and conduct productive meetings

·                    Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as, a proven record of working collaboratively and diplomatically with others

·                    A strong sense of compassion and empathy for vulnerable older adults

·                    Strong business acumen; decision making skills; ability to set priorities; process and project management skills

Desired/Preferred Qualifications:

·                    Master’s degree in Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Business Administration a related field

·                    Experience with the Older Americans Act (Title III)

·                    Knowledge of the aging-in-place sector or senior services

This position offers a competitive salary with benefits. This position is located in Northwest Ohio and is an in-person role. Additional details will be shared with candidates selected for interviews. A valid driver’s license and vehicle is required.

About the Region

The Northwest Ohio region offers the best of both worlds: the amenities and opportunities of a mid-sized metropolitan area with the affordability, accessibility, and community feel of a smaller city. Located along Lake Erie, the region is home to more than 600,000 residents and offers a relatively low cost of living, short commutes, diverse neighborhoods, and a growing collection of cultural, recreational, and waterfront amenities.

The region has a rich history of innovation and industry and today has a diverse economy anchored by healthcare, education, manufacturing, automotive, energy, and logistics.