Executive Director, Friends of the Parks - Chicago

 FOTP Position Available:  Executive Director

October 10, 2024

 

 

The Friends of the Parks seeks a dynamic and experienced leader to serve as Executive Director to carry forward its mission. 

 

FOTP is a parks advocacy organization, nearly fifty years old, with an extensive and consistent record of accomplishment. We seek a new executive director who recognizes the past and will seize this opportunity to develop and execute a shared vision for the future.

 

Mission Statement: Friends of the Parks inspires, equips, and mobilizes a diverse Chicago to ensure an equitable park system for a healthy Chicago

 

The Executive Director reports to an independent Board of Directors which is responsible for the oversight of program, policy, fiduciary, and legal matters. The Executive Director directly oversees all staff and is responsible for managing the annual revenue/expense budget (currently approximately $550,000).

 

The Executive Director will have a background in parks and environmental advocacy, civic affairs, urban planning, policy, or public administration, as well as familiarity with the research that supports this work and trends in these fields.  He/she/they will have significant service in senior administrative positions in organizations with related missions and in leading equity-centered work.  A record of fundraising capability and achievement is required.

 

The successful candidate will be a high energy and eloquent individual who is able to motivate and engage others, balance multiple priorities, maintain the organization’s commitment to equity in all phases of its operations, and navigate challenging situations. He/she/they must show an understanding of nonprofit governance and ethics and be committed to building the internal strength of the organization. The Board is an active, involved, and informed governing body.

 

The Executive Director’s role is to advance the mission and work of Friends of the Parks by managing an ambitious program and related partnerships as well as implementing the systems that support them. Among current partners are the Chicago Park District, city agencies, elected officials, Park Advisory Councils and other community organizations, local and national environmental organizations, legal entities, funders, and corporate entities with whom FOTP works to maximize the organization’s impact.  Managing or overseeing media relationships, including social media and the organization’s website, is a necessary skill. 

 

Salary is commensurate with experience.  A benefits package will be provided.

 

Working with Board and staff, the Executive Director is responsible for developing an annual budget and an annual fundraising plan that diversifies revenue through foundation, corporate and government grants, major donors, annual donors, individual memberships, and special events. 

 

A Master’s degree is preferred along with commensurate skill in work related to our mission, with significant experience in senior positions. Expertise is required in fundraising, project development, general management, staff development, and board relations. Excellent speaking and writing skills are essential.

Applicants with a depth of knowledge of Chicago politics, institutions, funding entities, and media will have an advantage.  

 

Currently, FOTP has a hybrid structure, with work carried on both remotely and in person, and significant presence at both our Loop offices and events is required, depending on public health conditions.  Meetings and events may occur outside of typical business hours.  Access to a personal vehicle will be helpful; travel expenses, beyond daily commuting, will be reimbursed.

 

To apply:

Email resume and cover letter as attachments to: searchcommittee@FOTP.org.

Applications will be accepted through November 1, 2024, or until the position is filled. Emails should use the term Executive Director in the subject line.

 

No phone calls, postal mail, texts or faxes please.  We will confirm receipt to applicants within a week of delivery.

 

 

Chief Executive Officer, Groundswell - Washington, D.C.

Chief Executive Officer

Groundswell

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Washington, DC

Groundswell seeks a dynamic and strategic leader to serve as Chief Executive Officer, based in Washington, D.C.

Overview

Groundswell is social enterprise at the forefront of a new movement in America harnessing consumer power in order to advance a good economy that works better for everyone. For the last five years, Groundswell’s been disrupting the energy sector with its unique model – they call it Civic Consumption. Communities told Groundswell that the clean power services that they wanted were too expensive. So Groundswell brought them together into a group. Using the group’s power, Groundswell negotiated affordable prices for top quality clean energy upgrades. Then, they began to apply the same group purchasing model to clean electricity.  To date, Groundswell has completed over $15 million in clean energy projects and driven over $1.5 million in community reinvestment. Groundswell’s mission is to unlock communities’ shared economic power to grow sustainability and prosperity on the local level.

Groundswell is a fast-paced, evolving, innovative social enterprise.  The staff and Board embody the values which define the enterprise – diversity, openness, social and economic justice and community engagement. Groundswell thrives on a spirit of experimentation and finding what works. 

While the organization has enjoyed a positive degree of impact over the past five years, Groundswell is poised for a new period of organizational development and growth.  Groundswell is governed by a seven person Board of Directors, who meet three times a year.  The organization has an annual budget of $2.1 million and is supported by fifteen professional staff. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

For more information about Groundswell, please visit: www.groundswell.org.

Chief Executive Officer

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) serves as a strategic catalyst and organizational leader, engaging Groundswell’s staff, Board of Directors, community stakeholders and funders in setting a forward-looking compass to fully optimize the organization’s mission.

The CEO should possess an ability to lead an organization which is in the process of redefining itself from a “founder-driven” enterprise to a sustainable organization based on the collective alignment of Board, staff and other critical stakeholders. In this role, the CEO will be called on to provide a strategic vision to advance all aspects of the organization’s capabilities and programs in order to sustain and enhance the influence of Groundswell as a social enterprise.

The CEO should be an energetic and entrepreneurial leader, and possess sophisticated political, management, and fundraising capabilities. In order to advance the work of the organization, the CEO will need to continue to build an organization that supports staff excellence and sound stewardship of its resources. The CEO must bring a genuine excitement and a commitment to Groundswell’s mission.

Beyond providing internal organizational leadership, the CEO will be expected to serve as a leader, expanding the reach and influence of the organization with critical public, private, and philanthropic leaders. Because so much of what the CEO will do involves building and maintaining trust with individual donors, community leaders, private venture entrepreneurs, public leaders, the CEO must have the presence, judgment, and communications skills to operate as a peer at the most senior levels. Moreover, the CEO will need to continue to usher forward creative and effective approaches to fundraising and revenue development.

The CEO should be an intellectually agile and an engaging person.  As such, the CEO should be a thought leader in social enterprise and possess experience as a “movement builder.” The CEO should possess an authentic level of engagement in social and economic justice and equal opportunity.

The broad objectives for the CEO are as follows:

• To provide leadership in growing and scaling Groundswell’s impact.

• To support the development of a vibrant future by continuing to cultivate, expand and make the best use of Groundswell’s Board, volunteer leaders and professional staff.

• To continue to expand the financial base of Groundswell, pursuing philanthropic funding sources and other creative sources of revenue for the organization.

• To attract, retain and manage a team of professional staff who possess the capacity to fulfill the organization’s mission.

• To expand the reach, influence and public recognition of Groundswell as an innovative social enterprise, scaling the impact of the programs and reaching an ever-widening diverse constituency.

Professional Qualifications and Personal Attributes

The CEO should ideally possess the following set of professional qualifications and personal attributes:

Professional Qualifications:

• A deep commitment to the mission and values of Groundswell.

• A management style that is goal oriented, but flexible; that respects the capabilities and independence of volunteers and staff alike, but provides them with a clear sense of direction.

• Demonstrated experience in developing and administering a comprehensive fundraising program including individual donor, corporate and foundation solicitation and other revenue generating programs.

• Experience building effective networks, partnerships, and/or coalitions.

• A demonstrated track record building a vibrant enterprise which fully optimizes the financial and human capital of an organization.

• Exceptional oral and written communication skills – and experience communicating with diverse audiences.

Personal Attributes:

• Ability to inspire trust, lead and facilitate with strong interpersonal skills and move from ideas to action.

• A superb professional and personal presence.

• Ability to think strategically, tactically and creatively.

• Visionary, articulate, and diplomatic.

• Intellectual curiosity, approachability, and an openness to input.

Compensation

Groundswell offers an excellent benefits package and a salary which is commensurate with experience. This is a full-time, exempt position.

Qualified candidates should email a cover letter explaining how their skills and background fit this position and a resume to: Daniel Sherman, President, Explore Company at resumes@explorecompany.com.  Refer to Groundswell/CEO in the subject line.  No phone inquiries please.

Groundswell is an equal opportunity employer.
All correspondence will remain confidential.

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