Chief Executive Officer

About the Position

 

Location

San Francisco, CA

 

Reports to

Board of Directors

 

About Us

Founded in 1922, United Way Bay Area (UWBA) has worked for over a century to address the root causes of poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area. Serving eight diverse and distinct counties, UWBA brings together partners from the nonprofit, business, and government sectors to address Bay Area poverty, collaborating across sectors, developing solutions, capturing needed data, and using those insights to support public policy and create research-backed community initiatives.

 

Since 1922, United Way Bay Area has been a change catalyst – bringing the community together to address its toughest issues and most urgent needs. Although UWBA’s strategies and approach have changed over the past century, the organization’s commitment to an equitable and thriving Bay Area remains the same. Today, through initiatives and policy change, UBWA provides immediate and longterm support for employment, housing, financial stability, and meeting basic needs. Programs like SparkPoint, 2-1-1 and Free Tax Help demonstrate UWBA’s commitment to fundamental issues to those facing poverty: financial literacy education, connecting people to health and human services, and tax assistance. Standing proudly as an anti-racist organization, UBWA is committed to being a champion for inclusion and systemic change – building an equitable Bay Area where all people have the opportunities and resources needed to thrive.

 

With a dedicated, mission-driven staff of more than 60 and a budget of $20 million, UWBA seeks a leader who unites, motivates and inspires the organization’s staff and Bay Area communities to invest in all who need education, tools and growth supports to realize their potential. UWBA holds a vision for a more equitable future, both externally and internally; the CEO will leverage UWBA’s DEI Action Plan to effectively communicate the urgency and importance of supporting programs and efforts that change the trajectory of individuals’ lives.

 

Position Responsibilities

UWBA seeks a dynamic, authentic leader with a strong equity lens who will take the organization to exciting new heights by leveraging her/his/their background of executive leadership and management experience and a commitment to driving sustainable strategies that embrace equity and inclusion principles to benefit communities disproportionately affected by racial and economic injustice. The new CEO will bring fundraising prowess, business and partnership development skills, an understanding of poverty-related issues, experience with and knowledge of scaling organizations, and experience with organizational culture change. The CEO will implement UWBA’s thoughtful strategies by identifying and capitalizing on growth opportunities and expanding partnerships and cultivating other resources. The CEO has overall strategic accountability and operational oversight for UWBA’s staff, programs, growth and the successful execution of its mission.

 

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the new CEO will collaborate with the board, staff, partners, and community stakeholders to deepen the organization’s impact in promoting equity through building strong and healthy communities. Serving as UWBA’s primary spokesperson and chief ambassador, the CEO will inspire confidence with both external and internal audiences while demonstrating superior leadership, management, partnership and communication skills. UWBA’s workforce, which is partially unionized, serves multiple counties with distinctive needs, so the CEO’s ability to listen, communicate clearly, and build trust with and among constituencies will be highly valued.

 

More specifically, the new Chief Executive Officer will be responsible for:

 

Leadership and Management

• Providing vision and leadership in pursuit of UWBA’s mission; ensuring that the organization continues to implement impactful poverty alleviation programs and high-quality philanthropic advocacy
• Fostering an organizational culture that values high performance, delivers high quality services, focuses on successful and measurable outcomes, and appreciates rigorous evaluation
• Taking great care, and applying experience and expertise, to build a cohesive, collaborative, high-functioning team (composed of both unionized and nonunionized members)
• Providing vision, direction and collaboration with senior leadership and staff by encouraging innovation and continuous development as well as fostering a healthy organizational culture that demonstrates equity and inclusion
• Advising the Board on policy and strategic matters, nurturing and supporting Board leadership efforts to ensure exemplary governance and oversight, and assisting with Board recruitment, orientation and development efforts
• Working with the Board to advance UWBA’s commitment to racial and economic equity, building awareness of these important issues in the field

 

Fundraising and Communications

• Collaborating closely with the internal development team to develop and cultivate impactful partnerships and relationships that propel development results through a variety of channels, including corporate, individual and foundation giving, as well as government contracts, as strategic and appropriate
• Providing leadership in fundraising by overseeing development strategies and serving as a liaison to partners and funders
• Partnering with other organizational leaders and development staff to set, support, and implement an integrated fundraising strategy that expands the support base of UWBA and drives revenue growth
• Supporting team members to innovate programs and platforms to build capacity among nonprofit organizations and other constituents
• Serving as the external face of the organization to funders, government leaders, the broader philanthropy community, and the general public

 

Strategy and Planning

• Guiding implementation of the 2022-2025 strategic plan, and overseeing the identification and development of the new strategic plan, which may include new programs and initiatives
• Leading and overseeing ongoing strategic planning that results in the 2026-onward plan as well as budget planning with an eye toward transparency and accountability
• Ensuring that operational excellence remains a priority as UWBA continues to further integrate the DEI Action Plan into its work as it grows and evolves its programmatic and organizational leverage
• Coordinating involvement in poverty alleviation efforts, through policy, advocacy, public education and communications

 

Profile of a Successful Candidate

UWBA’s next CEO will be a steadfast leader who is passionate about ending poverty and its causes, with a real commitment to equity and the capacity to drive cultural change. UWBA will welcome an informed and well-respected leader who is familiar with the points of intersection of poverty causes and interventions, strategic fundraising and resource allocation, policy advocacy, and the promotion of equity. The new CEO will also be able to appreciate how innovative problem-solving can empower – rather than complicate or undermine – Bay Area communities. The successful candidate will possess proven leadership, a track record of relationship management and fundraising, equity acumen, and staff development experience. The successful candidate will also demonstrate strong values alignment with UWBA, combined with unimpeachable personal and professional integrity.

 

More specifically, UWBA seeks a professional who embodies the following:

• Having a track record demonstrating an understanding of poverty and its underlying causes, systemic and acute; ideally, lived experience would complement and inform professional accomplishments
• Demonstrating a leadership style that is inclusive and helps team members to develop professionally
• Possessing a track record of effective fundraising, combined with the enjoyment of inspiring donors to commit resources to important missions and visions
• Having a collaborative approach to labor relations, evidenced by an alignment of values and exposure; experience in a union setting would be very useful
• Excellent ambassadorial and partnership development skills
• A strong track record in building sustainable organizations and/or companies
• The ability to marshal internal resources to capitalize on opportunities that emerge from relationship and partnership development
• Sophisticated understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, and experience helping organizations to make internal cultural shifts to be a truly anti-racist organization
• Excellence in inclusive organizational management, including the ability to coach and manage individuals, develop high-performance teams, and unify a geographically dispersed staff
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills coupled with the ability to articulate UWBA’s mission and what differentiates the organization from other nonprofits
• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to strategic planning and implementation

 

Additionally, the successful candidate may have:

• Significant senior management experience in either the nonprofit or private sector

 

Start Timeframe

We seek to have someone in place in Fall 2024.

 

Compensation

This position offers a competitive salary range of $320,000 to $400,000 and includes a comprehensive benefits package. We actively welcome all candidates from a wide range of backgrounds who have the skills to fulfill this role – regardless of compensation history.

 

Download the Job Description!

 

To Apply

All applications are held in strict confidence. Please submit your credentials and a letter of interest through our private applicant portal to The 360 Group.

 

Apply Today!

 

Applications should be directed to the attention of Maureen Capitolo, Principal or Melissa Ulum, Of Counsel. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Earlier applicants may receive priority consideration. To be considered, The 360 Group encourages all interested candidates to submit their applications promptly, via the confidential applicant portal linked above.

 

At The 360 Group, we know that a richly diverse mix of professionals makes organizations more effective. Using that principle as our “North Star,” we make diversity a hallmark of our firm, and all of our search engagements.

 

Learn more about The 360 Group at the360group.us