Chief Executive Officer

National Council of Nonprofits is pleased to work with DRG to conduct this search.

Read the full job description HERE.

The Position

The Board of Directors for the National Council of Nonprofits is seeking a visionary, inspiring, and strategic leader to serve as NCN's next CEO. The CEO will embody NCN's approach, “Connect, Champion, Inform" and build on NCNs powerful foundation of achievement and impact to lead the organization growth and development as we enter this exciting next chapter. As a dynamic and vocal champion for nonprofits, the CEO will be a leading advocate for the nonprofit sector. As a relationship builder, the CEO will foster and leverage increased connections between members, partners, funders, and others to strengthen the capacity and operating environment of charitable nonprofits. As a thought leader, the CEO will be a bold and strategic voice in and outside the sector regarding trends, challenges and successes. The CEO will be a galvanizing force, building increased influence and bringing a growing sector together for collective action through strategic communications within and outside the nonprofit sector.

The CEO will follow a long-tenured, highly effective, visible and respected leader. This individual will lead a highly competent staff team ensuring NCN is a great place to work and is a model of effective nonprofit operations. This leader will champion diversity, equity, and inclusion as values for the organization, as well as the sector at large, and ensure that these values are infused throughout the multi-layered, complex work of NCN and lived everyday within the organization.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Strategic Visioning and Organizational Leadership

• In partnership with the Board of Directors, chart a strategic course for all NCN programs and activities, ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission and long-term goals.
• Serve as the primary liaison with the Board Chair and officers, fostering strong, collaborative relationships to drive organizational success.
• Exemplify NCN’s core values while leading, mentoring and inspiring NCN’s staff team and providing direct guidance and support to senior leaders, and building leadership and growth opportunity throughout the organization.
• Steer the organization’s financial strategy to ensure stability and sustainability, securing NCN’s financial well-being and building growth in the years ahead.
• Oversee NCN’s systems and operations, maintaining the highest standards of integrity and compliance while also reinforcing a healthy workplace culture that aligns with NCN’s core values.
• Uphold NCN’s commitment to prudent, equitable, and ethical decision-making, ensuring policies and operations are consistent with commonly accepted business practices and professional ethics.

Advocacy/External Communication

• Shape and advance NCN’s public policy agenda at all levels of government.
• Oversee policy and advocacy work through a highly developed, strategic, and deeply impactful approach that is simultaneously proactive and responsive.
• Serve as a compelling and persuasive spokesperson, effectively communicating NCNs mission and vision to diverse audiences in and outside the sector, amplifying the experiences and impact of nonprofits on a local, state, and national level.
• Represent the organization within the larger community, including government, media, strategic partners, and others with a vested interest in NCN’s work, enhancing NCN’s public image, credibility, and reputation.

Fund Development

• Champion a forward-thinking approach to philanthropy that anticipates and adapts to changing charitable giving landscapes and trends.
• Drive the strategic vision for fund development, setting ambitious goals, inspiring and resourcing the team to achieve them.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy within the organization, inspiring board, and staff to actively participate in fundraising efforts.
• Design and lead unique and impactful fund development strategies that activate existing and new donors to support the mission and the growth of the organization.
• Explore creative fundraising approaches that differentiate NCN in the philanthropic landscape.
• Serve as a dynamic front-line fundraiser, cultivating relationships and securing support from individual, foundation, and corporate donors to fuel NCN’s work.

Network, Partnership and Relationship Management

• Ensure the strength of the network, building the network’s collective capacity to be transformative and influential leaders for the public good in their communities and the larger nonprofit sector
• Develop and sustain meaningful relationships with member organizations, serving as a primary resource and thought partner to empower their success.
• Forge strong relationships with external stakeholders, representing NCN in convenings of national partners, gatherings of policy allies, peer organization events, fostering strategic alliances and furthering our influence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Nonprofit Leader: Direct experience leading a charitable nonprofit organization, and knowledgeable of the tremendous diversity of the nonprofit sector –missions, sizes, scope, etc.
• Network Focus: Experience working in the central hub of a national network or membership association.
• Inspirational Communicator: Outstanding communication and public speaking skills, with the ability to inspire and mobilize audiences through a variety of mediums.
• Strategic Advocate: Direct experience advocating for public policy priorities, possessing intimate knowledge of the policymaking process and the importance of policy to nonprofits.
• Financial Steward: Proven expertise in overseeing the financial health of an organization, including budgeting, fundraising, revenue generation and the integrity of financial systems and strategies.
• Collaborative Leader: Demonstrated success in working collaboratively with a Board of Directors, team members, and external partners to achieve shared goals.
• Team Leader: Demonstrated excellence in supervising and inspiring diverse teams, fostering a positive and inclusive organizational culture, and managing staff to achieve high performance and professional growth.
• Commitment to Equity: Deep commitment to racial equity and all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Sector Expertise: Extensive knowledge of the nonprofit sector, including emerging trends, best practices, regulatory landscapes, and nonprofit internal operations, especially finances, governance, and organizational development.

WHO WE ARE

NCN’s office is based in Washington, DC. We operate a hybrid/remote workplace with several fully remote staff members who live out of state. The CEO will ideally be based in Washington, DC, but the Board is open to consider candidates who live in other locations. The CEO will also be expected to travel regularly for meetings with members and funders, attend conferences, etc.

Our core values guide our actions as we unite and strengthen nonprofits across the country to improve lives and enrich communities:

Serving others by listening and leading

Our leadership in the sector is informed by listening deeply to the needs of frontline nonprofits and seeking insights from many perspectives. Keeping our hearts and minds open is vital to being bold and nimble advocates for nonprofits and the people they serve.

Getting things done, together

We can’t do this work alone—and we wouldn’t want to. With the combined knowledge and power of our dynamic networks and trusted partners, we share insights and develop real-world solutions to get results that matter.

Earning trust in everything we do

We are committed to acting with integrity in every aspect of our work, every day. We build and maintain trust by providing timely and practical information, conducting accurate analysis, and generating reliable resources.

Centering equity in all our work

In pursuit of a more civil and just society, we embed diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our organization and the ways we carry out our mission. We purposefully and tangibly apply these principles in our internal operations, programs, policies, and external leadership. We focus first on racial equity, because systemic racism impacts all individuals and communities.

Honoring the nonprofit workforce

Nonprofits and their employees should have the respect and the resources needed to get their work done. In our own office, we practice what we advocate. Through our collegial culture, we celebrate each other’s victories and have each other’s backs—which helps us build a stronger team, a thriving sector, and a better future for all.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary Range: $330,000 - $380,000 depending on levels of experience and readiness to perform the responsibilities identified in the job description.

• Generous health insurance coverage, with NCN covering 85% of employee health premiums, and 100% of employee dental and vision premiums
• Great retirement benefits, including employer match of up to 5% of salary beginning after three months of employment
• Extensive leave and paid time off, including sick leave, annual leave, personal leave, civic engagement leave, parental leave, 12 paid holidays and one floating holiday per year
• Monthly cell phone stipend
• Professional development funds
• Tax-free travel reimbursement to employees who travel to obtain medical care that is not available to them locally.
• Tax-favored reimbursement for expenses incurred by employees impacted by federally declared disasters.

If you are interested in this position, please apply. All applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their application.

We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply even if you do not meet all of the qualifications outlined above. If you are selected to move forward for an initial screening call, we expect you to hear from us by the end of July.