San Francisco

Executive Director, Friends of the Children San Francisco

The Organization

Friends of the Children has been helping children break the cycle of generational poverty for nearly 30 years. They have redefined the youth mentoring field by creating the first and only long-term professional mentoring program in the country with 25 chapters nationwide. Their model is based on research showing that the single most important factor in overcoming childhood adversity is a long-term, nurturing relationship with a consistent and caring adult. Research and real-world experience continue to affirm how much these relationships matter.

Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area (Friends-SF) is an independently funded and managed member of the Friends of the Children network, which opened its doors in the Bayview Hunters Point community in 2017. It has grown to serve 110 children with a staff of 23. Most of the children in the program live in affordable or public housing, all self-identify as people of color, as do most program staff. Friends-SF has a 2022 budget of $2.3 million and a scaling plan that calls for serving 400 children by 2030.

Their Method:

Friends-SF systematically identifies and enrolls kindergarteners in their community who face multiple systemic obstacles and amplifies their voices as they write their own stories of hope and resilience.

Their Model:

Friends-SF commits to each child for the long-term — 12+years, no matter what! Each child is paired with a full-time, salaried – not volunteer – professional mentor.

It Makes Economic Sense and it Works:

  • 83% earn a high school diploma or GED.
  • 93% remain free from juvenile justice system involvement.
  • 98% wait to parent until after their teen years.
  • 92% of Friends of the Children graduates go on to enroll in post-secondaryeducation, serve our country or enter the workforce.

Position Overview

CANDIDATE OVERVIEW

Friends-SF seeks an inspirational Executive Director who will provide vision, leadership, management and significant fundraising skills to accomplish the long and short-term strategic goals of this impactful organization. The new leader holds a passion for working with youth and their families to break the cycle of generational poverty and embodies these values:

CANDIDATE OVERVIEW

  • Put Children First
  • Build Relationships on Love
  • Commit to Empowerment
  • Pursue Goals Relentlessly
  • Demand Equity The successful candidate has experience in living and working in a racially, culturally and economically diverse community with a proven track record of scaling organizations, enhancing their external footprint, and navigating the local, statewide and political landscapes.

    The new Executive Director will also have a proven ability to identify new opportunities, initiate new ideas and establish new relationships while leading this well-run organization to the next level of growth. She/He/They must have the ability to scale the work while keeping existing relationships and operations moving forward effectively.

    The successful candidate will devote the majority of his/her/their time to working, in partnership with the outstanding Friends-SF development staff (currently three members) and its dedicated Board of Directors, to pursuing the private and public funding necessary to honor the organization’s long-term commitment to each child and to reach its strategic goal of serving 400 youth.

    A critical role for the new leader will be to build upon the strong, trusted and effective relationships internally and externally that include board, staff, donors, kids and families served and other key constituencies. This individual must also have the ability to represent the organization in local, state and national settings that will continue to advance and strengthen its reputation, reach and impact.

    Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area is part of a national network. The new leader will report directly to the Friends-SF Board and work collaboratively with the National executive team and with the Executive Directors of other Friends of the Children chapters to continue to build a high performing, sustainable organization that leverages the network’s best practices.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Leadership

  • Provide enthusiastic leadership, inspiration, strategic direction, and long-term vision for the chapter.
  • Be the champion and passionate spokesperson, ambassador and advocate for the organization internally and externally.
  • Lead and model the commitment to diversity and equity and foster an atmosphere of inclusion, empowerment and support.
  • Work closely with the Board Chair and Directors to encourage active participation in the organization with an emphasis on development activities, understanding the programs and good governance practices.

Strategic Planning

  • In partnership with the Board, senior management and staff, develop and execute long and short-term plans, including strategic plans, annual operating plans and budgets.
  • Work with the nonprofit community to identify, implement and sustain strategic partnerships and collaborations.
  • Explore potential sites for other SF Bay Area locations.

Development

  • Work closely with the Director of Development, Board Chair and Board committees to establish clear development goals and objectives.
  • Cultivate new donors and sustain strong relationships with existing major donors.
  • Identify and pursue new streams of funding (foundations, corporations, government) to build the foundation necessary to honor the long-term commitment the organization makes to each child, sustain Friends – SF’s growth trajectory toward serving 400 San Francisco children, and support potential sites in other SF Bay Area locations.

Program

Work closely with the Director of Programs and staff to achieve fidelity to the basic Friends of the Children model, while developing innovations to address the unique needs of the children, families and communities Friends-SF serves.

  • Ensure that youth and their caregivers are receiving the highest quality of service and that effective feedback loops are maintained for program participants (youth and caregivers).
  • In partnership with the Director of Programs set expectations for organizational performance and ensure the outcomes are monitored.
  • Provide resources and support for the training and development of program staff to meet the requirements of the program model with regards to skills, knowledge, and understanding of program content.

Financial, Human Resources and Administrative Management

  • Work closely with the senior management team to ensure that the organizational culture is positive and has a high emphasis on employee morale and retention.
  • In partnership with the senior management team, focus on ensuring effective supervision, guidance, development, and evaluation is provided to all staff.
  • Maximize organizational efficiency without compromising program and organizational performance.
  • Establish and meet aggressive, achievable expense budgets.
  • Collaborate with and benefit from the National organization’s team of Finance, HRand Operational resources.
  • Ensure accurate and timely communications with Board and Staff.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

  • Demonstrated passion for serving at-risk youth.
  • Eight to ten years of experience in non-profit or similar management experience,preferably in a rapidly-growing organization.
  • Substantial fundraising experience with a track record of cultivating both new and current donors/investors. Well versed in developing meaningful and long-lasting relationships with key funders including individual donors, corporations, foundations and government entities.
  • Strong and engaging leadership style with experience partnering with staff to translate broad strategies into financial, operational, and programmatic goals and objectives.
  • Effective and efficient decision-making with an established record of developing, motivating and inspiring staff.
  • Strong presence and credibility, along with the ability to serve as an external ambassador.
  • Collaborative management style that values the input of an outstanding Board, a strong senior staff, and a highly experienced program staff.
  • Accomplished communicator with a clear sense of how to adapt messages to specific and diverse audiences.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a keen eye for detail.
  • Interpersonal skills necessary to cultivate and sustain relationships with a wide variety of constituencies, including Board members, staff, children, caregivers, current and potential donors, and community partners.
  • Flexibility and can-do attitude necessary to deal with unforeseen developments in a rapidly evolving organization. Strong decision-making, time management and delegation skills.
  • Ability to switch easily from high-level strategic thinking to granular detail.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS/QUALITIES

The Executive Director embodies the following characteristics and qualities.

  • Intuitive communicator with both verbal and written communication skills; a leader, organizational ambassador and bridge-builder who can communicate with diverse audiences and manage diverse viewpoints in a professional and compelling manner.
  • Results oriented, resourceful, proactive, strategic, and operational.
  • Confidence and ability to make and delegate decisions as needed, work well under pressure, and adapt easily to changing situations and priorities. Good judgment and consensus-building skills.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with Board, staff, external partners and funders.
  • Self-confidence, ability to inspire creativity, curiosity, compassion, optimism andhumility.
  • Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent work experience.

COMPENSATION

A competitive salary and benefits package will be provided to the successful candidate.

How To Apply

PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY

Please email resumes and cover letters to:

Tarek Azzani
Azzani Search Consultants tazzani@azzanisearch.com

Eunice Azzani: is available for questions at 415-987-3300

Friends of the Children SF Bay Area is committed to workforce diversity.

Executive Director, Friends of the Children San Francisco

The Organization

Friends of the Children has been helping children break the cycle of generational poverty for nearly 30 years. They have redefined the youth mentoring field by creating the first and only long-term professional mentoring program in the country with 25 chapters nationwide. Their model is based on research showing that the single most important factor in overcoming childhood adversity is a long-term, nurturing relationship with a consistent and caring adult. Research and real-world experience continue to affirm how much these relationships matter.

Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area (Friends-SF) is an independently funded and managed member of the Friends of the Children network, which opened its doors in the Bayview Hunters Point community in 2017. It has grown to serve 110 children with a staff of 23. Most of the children in the program live in affordable or public housing, all self-identify as people of color, as do most program staff. Friends-SF has a 2022 budget of $2.3 million and a scaling plan that calls for serving 400 children by 2030.

Their Method:

Friends-SF systematically identifies and enrolls kindergarteners in their community who face multiple systemic obstacles and amplifies their voices as they write their own stories of hope and resilience.

Their Model:

Friends-SF commits to each child for the long-term — 12+years, no matter what! Each child is paired with a full-time, salaried – not volunteer – professional mentor.

It Makes Economic Sense and it Works:

  • 83% earn a high school diploma or GED.
  • 93% remain free from juvenile justice system involvement.
  • 98% wait to parent until after their teen years.
  • 92% of Friends of the Children graduates go on to enroll in post-secondaryeducation, serve our country or enter the workforce.

Position Overview

CANDIDATE OVERVIEW

Friends-SF seeks an inspirational Executive Director who will provide vision, leadership, management and significant fundraising skills to accomplish the long and short-term strategic goals of this impactful organization. The new leader holds a passion for working with youth and their families to break the cycle of generational poverty and embodies these values:

CANDIDATE OVERVIEW

  • Put Children First
  • Build Relationships on Love
  • Commit to Empowerment
  • Pursue Goals Relentlessly
  • Demand Equity The successful candidate has experience in living and working in a racially, culturally and economically diverse community with a proven track record of scaling organizations, enhancing their external footprint, and navigating the local, statewide and political landscapes.

    The new Executive Director will also have a proven ability to identify new opportunities, initiate new ideas and establish new relationships while leading this well-run organization to the next level of growth. She/He/They must have the ability to scale the work while keeping existing relationships and operations moving forward effectively.

    The successful candidate will devote the majority of his/her/their time to working, in partnership with the outstanding Friends-SF development staff (currently three members) and its dedicated Board of Directors, to pursuing the private and public funding necessary to honor the organization’s long-term commitment to each child and to reach its strategic goal of serving 400 youth.

    A critical role for the new leader will be to build upon the strong, trusted and effective relationships internally and externally that include board, staff, donors, kids and families served and other key constituencies. This individual must also have the ability to represent the organization in local, state and national settings that will continue to advance and strengthen its reputation, reach and impact.

    Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area is part of a national network. The new leader will report directly to the Friends-SF Board and work collaboratively with the National executive team and with the Executive Directors of other Friends of the Children chapters to continue to build a high performing, sustainable organization that leverages the network’s best practices.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Leadership

  • Provide enthusiastic leadership, inspiration, strategic direction, and long-term vision for the chapter.
  • Be the champion and passionate spokesperson, ambassador and advocate for the organization internally and externally.
  • Lead and model the commitment to diversity and equity and foster an atmosphere of inclusion, empowerment and support.
  • Work closely with the Board Chair and Directors to encourage active participation in the organization with an emphasis on development activities, understanding the programs and good governance practices.

Strategic Planning

  • In partnership with the Board, senior management and staff, develop and execute long and short-term plans, including strategic plans, annual operating plans and budgets.
  • Work with the nonprofit community to identify, implement and sustain strategic partnerships and collaborations.
  • Explore potential sites for other SF Bay Area locations.

Development

  • Work closely with the Director of Development, Board Chair and Board committees to establish clear development goals and objectives.
  • Cultivate new donors and sustain strong relationships with existing major donors.
  • Identify and pursue new streams of funding (foundations, corporations, government) to build the foundation necessary to honor the long-term commitment the organization makes to each child, sustain Friends – SF’s growth trajectory toward serving 400 San Francisco children, and support potential sites in other SF Bay Area locations.

Program

Work closely with the Director of Programs and staff to achieve fidelity to the basic Friends of the Children model, while developing innovations to address the unique needs of the children, families and communities Friends-SF serves.

  • Ensure that youth and their caregivers are receiving the highest quality of service and that effective feedback loops are maintained for program participants (youth and caregivers).
  • In partnership with the Director of Programs set expectations for organizational performance and ensure the outcomes are monitored.
  • Provide resources and support for the training and development of program staff to meet the requirements of the program model with regards to skills, knowledge, and understanding of program content.

Financial, Human Resources and Administrative Management

  • Work closely with the senior management team to ensure that the organizational culture is positive and has a high emphasis on employee morale and retention.
  • In partnership with the senior management team, focus on ensuring effective supervision, guidance, development, and evaluation is provided to all staff.
  • Maximize organizational efficiency without compromising program and organizational performance.
  • Establish and meet aggressive, achievable expense budgets.
  • Collaborate with and benefit from the National organization’s team of Finance, HRand Operational resources.
  • Ensure accurate and timely communications with Board and Staff.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

  • Demonstrated passion for serving at-risk youth.
  • Eight to ten years of experience in non-profit or similar management experience,preferably in a rapidly-growing organization.
  • Substantial fundraising experience with a track record of cultivating both new and current donors/investors. Well versed in developing meaningful and long-lasting relationships with key funders including individual donors, corporations, foundations and government entities.
  • Strong and engaging leadership style with experience partnering with staff to translate broad strategies into financial, operational, and programmatic goals and objectives.
  • Effective and efficient decision-making with an established record of developing, motivating and inspiring staff.
  • Strong presence and credibility, along with the ability to serve as an external ambassador.
  • Collaborative management style that values the input of an outstanding Board, a strong senior staff, and a highly experienced program staff.
  • Accomplished communicator with a clear sense of how to adapt messages to specific and diverse audiences.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a keen eye for detail.
  • Interpersonal skills necessary to cultivate and sustain relationships with a wide variety of constituencies, including Board members, staff, children, caregivers, current and potential donors, and community partners.
  • Flexibility and can-do attitude necessary to deal with unforeseen developments in a rapidly evolving organization. Strong decision-making, time management and delegation skills.
  • Ability to switch easily from high-level strategic thinking to granular detail.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS/QUALITIES

The Executive Director embodies the following characteristics and qualities.

  • Intuitive communicator with both verbal and written communication skills; a leader, organizational ambassador and bridge-builder who can communicate with diverse audiences and manage diverse viewpoints in a professional and compelling manner.
  • Results oriented, resourceful, proactive, strategic, and operational.
  • Confidence and ability to make and delegate decisions as needed, work well under pressure, and adapt easily to changing situations and priorities. Good judgment and consensus-building skills.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with Board, staff, external partners and funders.
  • Self-confidence, ability to inspire creativity, curiosity, compassion, optimism andhumility.
  • Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent work experience.

COMPENSATION

A competitive salary and benefits package will be provided to the successful candidate.

How To Apply

PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY

Please email resumes and cover letters to:

Tarek Azzani
Azzani Search Consultants tazzani@azzanisearch.com

Eunice Azzani: is available for questions at 415-987-3300

Friends of the Children SF Bay Area is committed to workforce diversity.

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