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New York, NY

Executive Director, Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation

The Organization

Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation (RWCF) is an advocacy and action nonprofit created by and for restaurant workers. Our mission is to improve the daily lives of professional restaurant workers by building a deeper sense of community and self-efficacy. RWCF engages in grant-making, impact investing, issue advocacy, and community-building efforts to influence industry practices, public policies, and public perceptions.

Our focus areas are wage fairness and career ladders, gender equity and sexual violence, racial equity and support for immigrant communities, mental health, and substance disorders. Additionally, RWCF responds to current events with our Restaurant Workers Crisis Relief Fund and Racial Justice Fund.

Organized in 2018, RWCF is still in its early stages of development. RWCF has a large and engaged Board of Directors (roughly half with expertise in the restaurant industry and the other half with nonprofit/foundation experience) that still contributes to the oversight of RWCF’s strategy and operations, as well as strategy implementation.

Position Overview

The Opportunity – Role of Executive Director

RWCF is seeking a dynamic, entrepreneurial leader to build out critical systems and operations, lead its fundraising and development efforts, drive and refine the organization’s strategy, further develop core communications and programming, and hire support staff to help RWCF grow. This creative leader would also build RWCF’s capacity to support and sustain our work and operations, leading a team comprised of a single staff member, consultants, vendors, and, over time, additional employees.

This opportunity is ideal for someone who thrives on building and innovating and is comfortable with designing and leading an organization—its operations, capacity, structuring, goals, and priorities. The Executive Director will have the support of a deeply engaged, all-volunteer Board of Directors that is organized around eight distinct committees:

  1. Audit/Finance/Investments
  2. Communications/Marketing
  3. Development/Fundraising
  4. Events/Community Engagement
  5. Governance
  6. Grantmaking/Nonprofit Partnerships
  7. Personnel
  8. Public Policy

The Executive Director will step into an organization that has experienced extraordinary fundraising success and enters the 2022 fiscal year in a strong financial position and with a growing donor base. The Executive Director will be challenged to solidify the organization’s reputation and fundraising to grow this innovative community foundation to long-term financial sustainability. The Executive Director will also support the transition of the Board of Directors from managing the day-to-day operations of the organization to instead providing critical oversight over the organization’s functions.

Finally, this leader must be able to embrace and lead within a flat leadership structure while ensuring that RWCF incorporates an equity and justice lens throughout its work and operations.

Role Details

  • This is a full-time, remote position working with some travel required for events and meetings
  • The salary range for this role is between $150,000 and $175,000, commensurate with experience
  • Insurance includes medical, dental and vision, and life insurance
  • The Executive Director’s performance and salary will be reviewed annually with a potential for an increase in compensation, based on management, communications, and fundraising successes.

Required Qualifications

  • Dedication and enthusiasm for RWCF’s mission and a proven commitment to racial justice, social justice, and equity
  • 8+ years of executive leadership experience
  • Robust working knowledge of nonprofit governance and operations
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and project management skills
  • Proven ability to lead in start-up environments or an ability to apply experiences in established nonprofit organizations to a start-up environment
  • Ability to develop, manage, and improve systems
  • A commitment to teamwork and collaboration
  • Previous experience reporting to and managing boards or committee structures
  • Previous experience with long-term management of a diverse group of stakeholders

Key Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and continuously refine an organizational strategy and culture

  • Develop, manage, and continually refine both long- and short-term strategic plans
  • Lead and develop the team by nurturing an effective organizational workforce, culture, and morale, including recruiting and developing staff members
  • Ensure that team members are aligned and actively collaborating in achieving each of their respective objectives and organizational goals
  • Monitor and report on organizational goals, outcomes, and strategic progress
  • Collaborate with RWCF’s infrastructure and governance team to continue to build out and strengthen RWCFs organizational infrastructure

Oversee the effective administration of RWCF’s programmatic strategy, fiscal management, and operations

  • Support and provide leadership for RWCF’s Racial Justice Fund, Restaurant Futures Loan Program, and Restaurant Managers Network
  • Create programmatic goals with well-defined metrics and accountability
  • Partner with the Finance Committee and advisors to develop an impact investing strategy
  • Oversee effective administration of RWCF’s operations
  • Work closely with the Director of Finance and Operations to ensure RWCF is compliant with all existing or future federal, state, and local regulations governing the operation and management of the organization
  • Support the leadership of the Director of Finance and Operations to design and build processes and systems throughout RWCF to increase its capacity
  • Work closely with the Director of Finance and Operations to prepare annual budget and periodic financial statements that accurately reflect the financial status of the organization
  • Collaborate with the Director of Finance and Operation and the Finance Committee to align revenue and expenses with strategic priorities, including budgeting, financial planning, and reporting

Build and maintain a strong partnership with the Board of Directors by clearly communicating organizational initiatives, successes, and opportunities

  • Recruit and hire qualified staff to help RWCF transition RWCF’s Board of Directors away from running the  organization’s day-to-day operations to instead overseeing the organization’s critical functions
  • Ensure that RWCF’s board committees are meeting regularly, communicating with each other, and supporting organizational priorities
  • Work with the Board President to prepare for and lead quarterly and special board meetings and ensure board materials are prepared for maximum Board member engagement
  • Develop, manage, and refine the onboarding and offboarding experiences for new and departing Board members, respectively, collaborating with the Governance Committee as necessary
  • Support overall Board and Executive Committee engagement, relationship management, and communications
  • Collaborate with Board members to develop organizational and programmatic strategies for new initiatives

Lead RWCF fundraising and development  efforts to support long-term financial stability

  • Advance and implement a comprehensive development strategy
  • Identify and successfully pursue new funding opportunities
  • Oversee design, development, and execution of information systems that increase fundraising and outreach capacity
  • Develop and oversee the development of all major grant proposals and coordinate with the Director of Finance and Operations to satisfy any grant reporting requirements
  • Collaborate with the development team member and the Board of Directors to plan and execute all fundraisers and special events

Maintain internal and external communications to build and strengthen relationships with RWCF stakeholders and the public

  • Become an authority on RWCF’s program areas and serve as the organization’s primary voice to media, funders, nonprofit partners, and the larger restaurant community
  • Manage RWCF’s social media director and Communications Committee to build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders and increase RWCF’s reach across various platforms
  • Oversee design, development, and execution of CRM or other relevant software that supports effective management of key partner and donor relationships
  • Develop partnerships with other organizations and businesses to maximize grant-making and programmatic resources
  • Work with team members to create and maintain collateral and presentations to both inspire and inform stakeholders about RWCF’s work and the work of RWCF’s grantees
  • Develop and execute a plan to support RWCF’s volunteer management and engagement

How To Apply

Please complete this form by June 15. Applications without cover letters and resumes will not be considered.

RWCF welcomes applicants from historically underserved and marginalized communities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. 

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