Executive Director

About GirlVentures

GirlVentures is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides opportunities for girls and gender expansive youth to develop outdoor skills and environmental awareness, explore identity and social justice, and expand their leadership capacity. We are a small, local nonprofit with an annual budget of approximately $800,000.

The ideal candidate, in addition to the skills listed below, has a collaborative leadership style that frequently requests and includes the opinions of those whom they supervise in major decisions and strategic planning.

We are looking for an Executive Director to lead GirlVentures into its next chapter of financial sustainability and conscientious program growth. Our ideal candidate has a record of demonstrated excellence in the following areas: 1) effective leadership and supervision of a diverse staff with a strong personal lens of social justice work, 2) has a strong background in development with exceptional fundraising and revenue acquisition skills, particularly in a small nonprofit setting with limited resources, and 3) exceptional organizational, administrative, financial and project management skills.

The Executive Director is accountable for the generation of all of the revenue for the organization. This includes applying for and managing grants and government contracts, developing relationships with major donors, working with consultants to develop events and managing funder data in our Salesforce database. They are also the direct supervisor of the organization's full time directors and provide all business operations oversight.

GirlVentures is based in Oakland, CA. We will be prioritizing local applicants who can work in person at our Oakland office 2 days/week. GirlVentures is committed to inclusion and diversity and welcomes inquiries from all interested applicants. BIPOC individuals and those identifying as LGBTQ+ are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties of this position include the following:

Leadership

• Direct all strategic planning, including organizational vision, program strategy, branding and communications, Board development, fundraising, and financial planning
• Work with the Board of Directors to ensure appropriate governance and oversight of the organization, and participate in all Board meetings, assigned committee calls, and an annual Board retreat
• Recruit Board members and maintain a pipeline of interested, skilled, and diverse Board candidates
• Foster a positive and engaged organizational culture, with commitment to organizational values of inclusion, integrity, empathy, creativity, and community
• Promote and facilitate diversity and inclusion in all aspects of organizational management, including staffing, programs, and the Board of Directors

Staff Management

• Supervise 2-3 FTE employees
• Create and revise annual review and performance management policies and procedures, including mediation and dispute resolution
• Perform annual and annual reviews; oversee annual review process of organization
• Create professional development plans with staff members
• Approve payroll on a bi-weekly basis
• Maintain up to date hiring and payroll documentation
• Maintain up to date job descriptions for all program positions
• Manage on-boarding and off-boarding of full time/year round employees

Development and Marketing

• Ensure sufficient funding to maintain program continuity and build organizational reserve
• Develop and manage relationships with new and existing funders, including foundations, corporations, government, and individuals
• Manage all foundation and government fundraising, including prospecting, writing grant proposals, and reports
• Participate in donor-mandated trainings and meetings (approximately 15 days/year)
• Cultivate individual and monthly donors through online outreach, individual meetings, and networking activities
• Design and deliver 1-2 hard and soft copy fundraising appeals each year
• Ensure timely and accurate invoicing and reporting for government contracts
• Work with other staff, Board, and contractors to deliver two annual fundraising events: eg: spring Hike for Girls and fall Gala, including planning, logistics, sponsorships, and donations, promotion etc
• Seek additional revenue streams and address current events as needed or as opportunities arise
• Oversee other events, including Banff Mountain Film Festival and No Man’s Land Film Festival
• Oversee Salesforce fundraising database and tracking of gifts
• Collaborate with the team to ensure alumni engagement in fundraising and marketing activities
• Ensure accuracy of brand representation across all channels via editorial oversight for external messages that have consistent, compelling and coordinated brand messaging across all channels.

Risk Management and Program Oversight

• Stay current with industry standards and certifications through professional development: conferences, training, re-certifications, etc.
• Review all incident reports annually and initiate a post-season debrief with the Program Director. Work with the Program Director to maintain an updated and thorough Field Staff Handbook
• Synthesize data from program evaluations for public sharing and grant reporting
• Serve as liaison between Board of Directors and programs, staff and impact of the work of GirlVentures

Financial Management

• Practice highly organized financial management on a monthly basis - track cash flow and budget forecasts with actual income and expenditure comparisons.
• Meet with board finance committee monthly to present the status of the organizational finances
• Create and implement internal audit or reconciliation controls
• Manage bookkeeper and external accountant
• Oversee annual preparation of IRS Form 990
• Prepare and manage program budget annually
• Set and adjust fee structure to reflect organizational values and promote diversity, equity inclusion

Operations

• Ensure HR compliance with evolving local, state, and federal laws and policies
• Maintain up to date employee handbooks
• Maintain comprehensive insurance for GV and staff, and manage all relationships and annual renewals, including liability and management insurance, worker’s comp, payroll insurance, and staff health insurance plan
• Complete annual State Fund Audit
• Retain and manage all organizational records (hard and soft copies) in accordance with state and federal laws and organizational policy
• Manage relationship with landlords, building, and all state and city entities relating to office occupancy
• Assess and address risks to organization, operations, programs, and fundraising
• Create and maintain program content on the website
• Oversee administrative systems such as company apps and computers and update as needed
• Lead the process of upgrading and maintaining online information management systems
• Maintain current business operating permits and up to date status with the State Treasury, Dept of Justice and the City of Oakland.

External Representation

• Participate in conferences, panels, and other speaking engagements to represent GirlVentures
• Attend networking events to build GirlVentures’ connections
• Write and engage in other forms of “thought leadership” to advance GirlVentures’ profile

QUALIFICATIONS

You Have:

• 8+ years of proven track record of grant writing and fundraising success, particularly through securing foundation, government and other event and program sponsorships, corporate gifts, individual and major gift support through personal solicitation, successful campaign management, and engagement of community supporters.
• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent work experience in related fields.
• Knowledge of development best practices, trends in nonprofit management, and fundraising tools and technology.
• Knowledge of the outdoor education industry is preferred.
• Proficiency with Salesforce strongly required
• Ability to manage multiple administrative tasks and details
• Ability to produce timely and highly accurate financial reports
• Familiarity with Quickbooks Online, Classy, Stripe, Instrumentl, Google Drive and MailChimp strongly preferred
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

You Are:

• Able to foster a positive and engaged organizational culture, with commitment to organizational values of inclusion, integrity, empathy, creativity, and community
• Able to spend ample time learning the nuances of the organization, work, and existing strategic plan and incorporate this into your own vision for the organization.
• Able to self-examine identity regarding class, race, privilege, able-bodiedness, gender, and other identities in a multicultural work environment oriented towards social justice
• Able to promote and facilitate diversity and inclusion in all aspects of organizational management, including staffing, programs, and the Board of Directors
• Able to work efficiently and effectively in a team environment and independently
• Possess strong interpersonal, planning, follow-through, information management, project management and time management skills.