Executive Director - Western Wake Crisis Ministry

Are you driven to partner with those in crisis to help them gain stability? Do you believe we all can achieve a brighter future by cultivating a healthy, hunger-free, and housing-stable community?  

Are you a relationship-centered leader? The kind of leader who believes people are an organization’s most important asset and who knows how to build, nurture, and inspire a community internally and externally.  

Are you a visionary who sees today’s realities and tomorrow’s possibilities and blends them together to forge an innovative plan for growth built on data, input, and a deep understanding of community needs? 

Why? 

You may be Western Wake Crisis Ministry’s (WWCM) next Executive Director. 

For 40 years, WWCM has provided assistance to residents. What started in the basement of a local Baptist church serving a handful of families, now serves over 5,600 individuals each year in Apex, New Hill, Friendship, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, and Willow Springs. 

While Apex has been named one of the best places to live, it is not immune to the struggles of food and housing insecurity, even homelessness. These vulnerabilities are even more prevalent across the rural areas of Western and Southwestern Wake County. In response, WWCM partners with residents to provide food, financial assistance, community connections, and education.  WWCM is a $1.6M organization, of which $700K is in-kind donations, with 6 staff members (3 full-time and 3 part-time), more than 10,000 volunteer hours each year, and a board of 6. 

Want to know more? Visit WWCM’s website at https://wwcm.org/.  

What will you do as Western Wake Crisis Ministry’s next Executive Director? 

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director provides the leadership and management to execute WWCM’s mission. The Executive Director is responsible for overall strategic planning, revenue generation, resource (financial, personnel, and facility) management, organizational development, and staff and volunteer team management.  

Leadership and Strategic Impact 

• Serves as the primary leader, community builder, spokesperson, and administrator.  
• Develops and leads the strategic vision of the organization driving a collaborative process with the Board of Directors, staff, and key stakeholders. 
• Maintains regular communications with the Board of Directors and provides them with the necessary support, counsel, and information required for effective governance. 
• Builds relationships with strategic partners on behalf of WWCM to fulfill the vision. 
• Actively engages and energizes WWCM’s volunteers, donors, and partners. 
• Establishes good working relationships and collaborative arrangements with community groups, funders, politicians, and other organizations to help achieve the goals of the organization. 

Operational and Financial Oversight   

• Manages the day-to-day operations of WWCM (managing a $1.3 million+ annual budget) including programs, development, finance, HR, IT, and office administration.  
• Oversees preparation of the annual budget and other necessary financial documents.  
• Ensures strong internal controls, fiscal responsibility, accountability, regular financial statements, and efficient, accurate, and consistent financial operations and practices.  
• Makes certain WWCM has the appropriate systems, physical space, and technology to operate efficiently and effectively. 
• Responsible for the stewardship of facilities and equipment.  
• Ensures high-quality program delivery, evaluation, and reporting that promotes the effective utilization of personnel and financial resources. Provides direction for expanding or modifying programs and services as it relates to the strategic plan.  

Fund Development 

• Leads fundraising efforts including the Board’s involvement in fundraising, personally cultivating and soliciting donors, and developing sustainable fundraising plans and processes for the organization. 
• Oversees all fund development plans and activities, including acquisition, cultivation, and stewardship of donors, annual appeals, events, grant writing, and identifying new resources. 
• Responsible for the consistent flow of revenue to the organization, supporting programs and activities through diverse and multi-faceted income streams. 
• Builds long-term relationships with key donor segments based on mission, cultivation, and stewardship, program outcomes, and sound fiscal management. 

Staff Development    

• Builds a positive work culture that supports a productive, mission-focused work environment.  
• Develops organizational structure, job descriptions, assignments, and supervisory and evaluative procedures to engage and motivate staff to achieve strategic goals effectively and efficiently.  
• Hires, assigns, supervises, delegates, coaches, evaluates, and terminates staff in accordance with organizational policies and applicable laws. 
• Works with staff to ensure a positive volunteer experience, maintaining focus on the engagement and retention of volunteers. 

Communications and Outreach 

• Articulates the vision in an inspiring way to internal and external constituencies.  
• Oversees the development of a strategic communication and marketing plan that provides a clear and concise conveyance of WWCM’s story. 
• Promotes WWCM’s visibility and welfare through participation and membership in community forums, cross-denominational unity efforts, civic organizations, and activities that are aligned with mission and vision. 
• Builds and manages positive relationships with partner organizations, the local community, media outlets, and churches.  
• Advocates at the local and state levels for the community served by WWCM. 

Key lived experiences, attributes, and skillsets sought in the Executive Director 

• Passionate about WWCM mission, vision, and values. 
• Experience working in a sector that partners with those impacted by poverty or homelessness is preferred. 
• Equity and empowerment focused; respecting the dignity of each client without judgment; recognizing that systems of inequity are primary contributors to poverty; and honoring that all people have the right to choose their own path. 
• Experience casting a vision, building a strategy, and hands on leadership executing a plan. 
• Experience in nonprofit management (3-5 years minimum).  
• Decision-maker who understands how to build consensus. 
• Inspiring communicator who can motivate staff, the Board, donors, partners, and volunteers.  
• Listener who is open-minded, focused on understanding. 
• Demonstrated fundraising experience with success in building dynamic relationships with key stakeholders, church, business, and foundation leaders, and others who can influence individual, corporate, and foundation, giving; experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts; grant experience preferred.  
• Direct experience with personnel and employment matters, as well as structuring, hiring, onboarding and continually building a strong staff team. 
• History of demonstrating the sound judgment, administrative skill, and financial acumen necessary to oversee day-to-day operations, direct staff, and manage a budget of at least $500,000.  
• Detail-oriented, logical, and methodological approach to problem-solving. 
• Technologically proficient and curious with an appreciation for the power of technology to improve processes. 

Think you are the next Western Wake Crisis Ministry Executive Director? 

Please provide all requested information to be considered. In case of any technical problems, contact [email protected].  

No phone calls, please, and no applications will be accepted by email or directly from third-party posting sites. Salary is commensurate with the requirements of the position and is in the $70K to $80K range. Benefits include health insurance (70% employer paid); life and long-term disability insurance; SIMPLE IRA retirement plan; flexible work schedule; generous paid time off program; and reimbursement for professional development. 

Western Wake Crisis Ministry is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Western Wake Crisis Ministry offers equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, gender expression, sex, age, national origin, military or veteran status, pregnancy, ethnicity, citizenship status, genetic information, disability status or any other class protected under federal and state law.