March 2023

Job Announcement

POSITION: Executive Director
ORGANIZATION: Dominican Sisters — Vision of Hope

Los Angeles/SF Bay Area, California

Vision of Hope is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded by the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, and exists to support a network of eight urban Catholic elementary schools with annual tuition assistance, academic support and program investments. Vision of Hope strengthens and sustains Catholic education for the children of these schools and their communities, helping to transform lives and break the cycle of poverty.

In 2000, Vision of Hope was incorporated, and the Board launched an $8 million endowment campaign for tuition assistance. That goal was realized in July, 2005. As of August 2022, VOH raised in excess of $4.5 million through their Delivering on a Dream Campaign.

Today, the Vision of Hope network includes five schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (Sacred Heart, St. Frances X Cabrini, St. Ignatius, St. Michael, and Santa Teresita), and three schools in Northern California (St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception, St. Elizabeth and St. James). The Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose continue to provide mentoring and spiritual support to staff, students and their families.

Annually, Vision of Hope provides each of its schools with $125,000 in tuition assistance. The financial support Vision of Hope provides to its schools’ accounts for approximately 10-15% of each school’s annual budget.

As such, Vision of hope is one of the most significant and consistent sources of support for its schools.

Position Summary:

The executive director provides leadership that upholds the values and mission of the Dominican Sisters, while ensuring the sustainability of the organization. The Executive Director is ultimately responsible for the overall management of VOH including: extensive and multi-faceted annual fundraising; setting and leading the strategic direction, in concert with the Board of Directors; oversight of the organizational budget; management of personnel; fiscal and legal oversight and compliance; oversight of program development, evaluation of and grant making to partner schools; public relations and networking; and board development.

Budget & Staff:

VOH operates with 7 staff members (some part-time) and 1 full-time volunteer. The annual budget is approximately $2M, which includes an operational budget of $650,000 and $1.3M given in support to the 8 Vision of Hope schools.

Reporting Relationships/Organizational Structure:

The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors (who serve the Dominican Sisters Congregational Leadership — the ultimate legal entity that oversees VOH). The ED directly supervises 5 of the following positions:

Full time:

• Business Manager
• Marketing & Communications Director
• Program Director – Parents in Action

Part-time:

• Donor Relations/Data Manager
• Annual Fund Director
• Program Coordinator – Parents in Action

Responsibilities:

Specifically, the VOH Executive Director:

• Provides leadership to the organization by modeling and upholding the mission and values of the Dominican Sisters Vision of Hope.
• Responsible for fundraising. With staff – plans, leads and helps execute all VOH fundraising activities, including the submission of grant proposals, as well as orchestrating a variety of fundraising events, efforts, and donor campaigns.
• In collaboration with the BD and staff, cultivates relationships with funders and prospective donors and has major responsibility for helping to maintain and enhance revenue streams.
• Takes overall responsibility for the VOH programs by ensuring comprehensive planning, development and evaluation by and with staff.
• Maintains collegial relationships with the Dominican Sisters and their leadership team, Principals and staff of the Vision of Hope schools, Diocesan/Archdiocesan school leadership, and represents VOH in coalitions and collaborative projects.
• Develops the annual budget, reviews monthly financial statements, oversees the investment portfolio, meets with the BD Finance Committee quarterly, and ensures proper fiscal accounting and controls in accordance with the guidelines of funding sources and with sound accounting practices. Maintains fiscal solvency.
• Responsible for evaluation of each VOH school’s performance, using BD approved metrics. Monitors enrollment and makes recommendations to the BD for annual tuition assistance grants. Executes annual funding agreements with each school.
• Engages and encourages a strong, active Board of Directors that assists VOH in fundraising and in fulfilling its mission. Ensures that the BD is actively involved in governance, planning, fundraising and outreach activities that help build relationships for VOH.
• Leads long-range planning and visioning, including assessment of programs in partnership with the BD and staff. Ensures that the VOH strategic plan is fulfilled and updated as necessary.
• Ensures all financial, human resources and operational systems are running smoothly and are in compliance.
• Ensures the highest quality of service and the attainment of established goals and priorities through team building, collegial management, and collaborative decision-making.
• Oversees and meets with two regional Advisory Boards who assist VOH with local fundraising, event promotion, and who help grow and maintain relationships that support Catholic education, as well as introduce VOH to local prospective donors.
• Along with staff and BD, serves as an agency spokesperson and acts as a liaison with schools foundations, partners and businesses.
• Actively engaged in public relations and media communications. Provides strategic oversight in all marketing and communications.
• Ensures that the personnel policies of VOH are adhered to in all hiring and employment practices. Provides staff development activities that upgrade employee skills and motivate performance.

Required Background:

• Demonstrated passion for and commitment to Catholic/faith-based education and serving the most vulnerable. Tell us about this in your cover letter.
• Minimum of 8 years experience in nonprofit management as an executive director, development director, senior manager or equivalent, including a working knowledge of the laws governing charitable organizations.
• Knowledge of the Catholic school system, governance structure of Catholic schools, and a demonstrated understanding of and appreciation for the Catholic faith and its teachings.
• Substantial record of successful fundraising from public and private sources to support nonprofit programs.
• Experienced manager — staff supervision, personnel and human resources, budgeting and financial management. Experience working with Boards of Directors.
• Proven ability to build and maintain highly-motivated and diverse staff. Visionary yet grounded.
• Exemplary communication skills including public speaking and writing, and an ability to network with community partners, government representatives, business executives, foundation officials, donors and the media.
• Possess integrity, a strong work ethic and strong commitment to upholding the VOH mission, values, philosophy and practice.
• A degree in a related field or commensurate experience. A background in education is highly desirable.
• Ability to travel monthly to either Los Angeles or SF Bay.

Compensation:

The compensation package is competitive. Final salary offered will be based on the candidate meeting job qualifications and commensurate relevant experience. Comprehensive benefits package. Annual salary range: $100,000 – $125,000. Office location in either Los Angeles or Bay Area —and moderate travel required between the two locations.

To Apply:

Submit your credentials, and a letter of interest that articulates your passion and commitment to Catholic/faith-based education as well as serving the most vulnerable no later than 5PM, PST: April 7, 2023, to:

moc.ytirgetnietalucitranull@HOV

Dominican Sisters Vision of Hope is an equal opportunity employer committed to developing the leadership skills of people from diverse backgrounds. VOH does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender identity nor sexual orientation.

Articulate Integrity is committed to identifying and recruiting a broad and diverse pool of qualified candidates for this position.