OVERVIEW

The board of directors of CAIN is seeking an experienced nonprofit leader to work collaboratively with our talented staff, volunteers, and community partners to battle food insecurity and combat poverty in our community. The Executive Director will be responsible for ensuring the sustainability and ethical growth of CAIN, managing its budget, overseeing two community spaces, and fostering deep partnerships with grassroots organizations, neighbors, and mutual aid networks. The ideal candidate will have experience leading through collaboration and community engagement.

ABOUT CAIN

CAIN, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993, is a community-based organization that provides food access and community support to individuals and families in Northside and beyond. CAIN serves a diverse community through its food pantry, community dinners, and Annette’s House community hub. Additionally, CAIN supports the Poverty Liberation Collective (PLC) and its grassroots anti-poverty work.

CAIN is dedicated to moving beyond traditional charity by fostering community-driven solutions, reducing economic barriers, and ensuring joy, dignity, and self-determination for all. We believe in centering those most impacted by poverty in our work while providing essential resources that empower individuals and families.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Leadership & Strategy

• Collaborate with staff, board, volunteers, and guests  to ensure mission-fulfillment through programs, strategic plan implementation, and community outreach.
• Provide oversight to all programs and services to ensure relevancy, effectiveness, and efficiency. Monitor day-to-day delivery of all services and ensure they continue to be rooted in community needs, responsive to structural inequities, and are aligned with CAIN’s strategic vision.
• Maintain outcome management systems to track data and evaluate program effectiveness and impact (financial and otherwise) utilizing best practices.

 Philanthropy, Volunteerism, & Development

• Increase annual revenue consistent with strategic goals through various avenues of fundraising, and manage the annual development plan.
• Collaborate with staff to research grant funding sources, write grants and proposals, and be an active leader in fundraising events.
• Identify, cultivate, steward, and request funds from existing and prospective individual and corporate donors who align with CAIN’s core values.
• Work with CAIN’s team to bolster a volunteer and community organizing model that centers around dignity, autonomy, and shared learning.

Community Engagement

• Embody CAIN’s core values and mission in a community-facing capacity, and help amplify the voices of those most impacted by poverty and food insecurity - both in CAIN’s  internal operations and external communications.
• Review local and national trends to ensure CAIN remains innovative in its advocacy for systemic change in food, housing, and economic justice.
• Cultivate a welcoming and empowering space where neighbors, volunteers, and staff collaborate as equals in CAIN’s work.

Financial Management & Operations

• Ensure CAIN’s operational actions are consistent with best practices. This includes the design and implementation of a balanced budget, compliance with appropriate operational and human resource policy, and oversight of annual audits.
• Align budgetary needs with CAIN’s programs and services to ensure resource allocation in line with CAIN’s strategic plan and goals.
• Administer CAIN’s operations effectively and efficiently, including appropriate staffing oversight and development,  management of facilities and campus, and implementation of procedures that ensure staff, guest, and volunteer safety.

Governance

• Collaborate and serve as the executive liaison to the board of directors through communication, reporting and attending relevant meetings of the board and its committees.
• Deliver reports to the board at regular meetings that illustrate progress to strategic goals and objectives and provide insight on internal and external issues that may affect CAIN’s funding, mission- fulfillment, image, and reputation.
• Maintain official board records and documents and ensure CAIN’s  compliance with (501[c][3]) regulations.

Position Requirements and Experience

• Proven experience with initiating and growing strategic partnerships and collaborations
• Demonstrated success in nonprofit fundraising
• Exhibited success in staff management and team building; must be able to manage with empathy - drive, encourage, collaborate with, and lead the CAIN team of staff and volunteers
• Community-centered leadership: experience in power-sharing, consensus-building
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to share CAIN’s story with diverse audiences
• Operations experience preferred - including budgeting, staff development, policy and procedure implementation, and facilities management
• Familiarity with the Spanish language is a plus
• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• At least five years experience in the nonprofit sector, preferred

Physical Demands:

• Position requires ability to stand and walk for large portions of the day
• Position requires ability to lift 50lbs on a consistent basis
• Position requires ability to climb stairs on a daily basis

CAIN provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.