Executive Director

HOST Executive Director

A survey of N.C. State students in 2017 indicated that almost 10% of students experienced homelessness in the prior year. That rate of homelessness climbed to 15% during the pandemic, a rate consistent with other U.S. campuses. Sleeping outside, in cars, and in campers, in unstable and sometimes dangerous circumstances – this is a harsh reality for students within our own community. 

HOST (Housing Options for Students Today) is a 501(c)3 community-engaged strategy to support local students experiencing housing insecurity. We match students who need short-term housing with hosts who provide a safe, private, affirming space in their homes. Students prepare for long-term stable housing with support from a caring case manager advocate. Our mission is clear - we believe every college student deserves an opportunity to thrive, and every graduate is an asset to our community.

We are seeking an innovative, experienced, and mission-driven Executive Director to drive the organization’s strategy with a focus on program effectiveness, long-term success, and sustainability. Working with an engaged volunteer Board of Directors, the Executive Director will provide leadership for overall program management and development activities and will spearhead private and public fundraising efforts. As the principal spokesperson for the organization, the Executive Director will champion HOST’s vision in the community to maximize the program’s impact.  

Priorities:

• Lead the ongoing management, implementation, and monitoring of a robust and refined strategic plan to continue program excellence and development.
• Help implement a sustainable funding model through refinement of HOST’s fundraising strategy, including short and long-term goals for donors, business support, and grants.
• Develop and manage outreach plans and activities to meet goals for recruitment and retention of hosts, while ensuring a sufficient number and variety of hosts are regularly in place to meet diverse student needs. 

Primary Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning and Program Development

• Assure that HOST is adhering to its mission, vision, values, and goals to provide community-based host home solutions to support students who experience housing insecurity.
• Leverage knowledge of local/state/national issues, best practice research, trends in the field, and program utilization data/feedback to inform recommendations for ongoing improvements and growth strategies.

Fundraising and Financial Management

• Work with the Board of Directors to create an annual budget and fundraising plan; provide sound fiscal management and oversight to ensure that financial resources are available to support strategic programmatic and organizational goals.
• Serve as lead in all fundraising efforts; personally develop and execute cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation of all donors and major gifts.
• Utilize grant management expertise to identify opportunities, cultivate potential donors, and manage the grant application process; ensure that all grant funds are properly expended and documented.

Community Engagement 

• Ensure consistent community awareness of and support for the HOST program through the development and oversight of community engagement and public relations plans, to include media opportunities, speaking engagements, newsletters, social media campaigns, etc.
• Serve as an advocate of HOST, building and maintaining strong and effective relationships with key stakeholders, including local, state, and federal government agencies, academic institutions, community groups, service organizations, elected officials, and the general public. 

Board Relations and Governance

• Engage and collaborate with the Board of Directors in all organizational planning, financial/resource development, and governance responsibilities.
• Ensure open and consistent communication with the Board, providing regular reports on the organization’s performance, program effectiveness, financial status, challenges, and applicable recommendations for improvement.

Operations and Management

• Support and advise staff on the overall direction of the organization’s day-to-day activities, operations, and services.
• Promote a collaborative, high-performing organizational culture that fosters passion for the mission, high-quality programs, effective communication and teamwork, and a sense of shared purpose.
• Support sound administrative and personnel policies to ensure inclusive and equitable staff experiences. 

The ideal candidate will have these qualifications:

• Commitment to and passion for HOST’s values and mission of ending college student homelessness.
• Inspiring leader with senior-level/executive experience in human services program administration and development.
• Successful fundraiser with proven track record leading fundraising activities, donor cultivation, and grant development and management from both public and private sources.
• Exceptional communicator with executive presence, government relations experience, and strong public speaking skills to represent and advocate for the organization to diverse stakeholders.
• Empathic leader with knowledge of the issues related to homelessness and the commitment to integrating student voices and cultural humility in all aspects of HOST operations.
• Experienced collaborator with strong people leadership and relationship management skills, strengths in staff and Board relations, and ability to drive positive team culture.
• Results orientation and the ability to clearly articulate strategy and goals, develop action plans, and execute to get things done.
• Strong financial manager with demonstrated business acumen and solid fiscal management and budget expertise. 

Additional desired skills and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree; advanced degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Direct experience in nonprofit management is highly desired. 
• Candidates with an equivalent combination of education and experience in social services, housing, community organizing, or another relevant field may also be considered.  

Location/Hours: This position will primarily work out of a dedicated office and meeting space in Raleigh, NC, but many job duties can also be performed remotely as needed.  Must have the ability to travel and work outside of standard working hours (i.e., evening activities and occasional weekends).