Full-Time Executive Director
Job Description
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF) envisions a world where gender equity is realized, differences are embraced, and women and girls thrive. In this world, women and girls build strong, supportive networks; experience widespread opportunities for advancement and fulfillment; command the resources to advocate for themselves as well as for others; and are empowered to lead and be agents of change. CWEALF advances women’s rights and opportunities through three core program strategies: legal education, policy and advocacy, and advancement and leadership initiatives. CWEALF serves clients statewide and primarily serves low-income women of color, including immigrant communities, who have at least one dependent.
Legal Information and Access
CWEALF helps bridge the justice gap by providing information about the legal rights of women and girls, as well as connecting them with resources and providing them with individual support as they navigate the justice system. The program components include information and referral, client advocacy services, and “know your rights” community education.
Public Policy and Advocacy
CWEALF protects and promotes the rights of women and girls by identifying and articulating the challenges they face and elevating their interests and voices through public policy and advocacy. CWEALF fights gender discrimination with a focus on: a) economic security, b) access to justice, c) workplace and education equity, d) freedom from violence and harassment, and e) sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Advancement and Leadership Initiatives
CWEALF provides a platform for women’s and girls’ voices and issues. CWEALF promotes advancement opportunities for women and girls to reach their potential in school, at work, in the home, and in the community. This work includes coalition building with partner organizations to increase impact.
CWEALF’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND IMPACT
- CWEALF leads the Campaign for Paid Family Leave, a coalition of more than 75 organizations from across Connecticut. In 2019, CWEALF led the Campaign’s advocacy efforts to pass one of the strongest paid family and medical leave programs in the nation.
- CWEALF founded and has continued to serve in leadership of the Connecticut Collective for Women and Girls, a coalition of organizations and funders from across the state who are committed to the advancement of women’s and girls’ (including those who are cisgender, transgender, and non-binary) rights, equity, and justice through collective power.
- CWEALF launched She Leads Justice, an exciting and innovative program that develops former CWEALF clients into advocates and agents of change in their communities.
- CWEALF is a leading voice for pay equity in Connecticut. In 2018, CWEALF led the advocacy effort to prohibit employers from inquiring about a prospective employee’s salary history during the application process.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, CWEALF has convened a group of advocacy organizations to collectively urge state leaders and lawmakers to prioritize the needs of the state’s most underserved populations in its ongoing response to the pandemic.
- CWEALF increased its advocacy and free legal services to the undocumented community in response to the Trump administration’s aggressive anti-immigration and xenophobic policies. CWEALF was one of the only organizations in the state to educate and guide undocumented community to understand and complete Connecticut’s Family Preparedness Plan, which provides undocumented parents and guardians a clear legal plan for the care of their children should the parent face immediate deportation.
- CWEALF created a comprehensive Know Your Rights guide, in English and Spanish and provides free virtual workshops to support workers to understand their rights and what programs are available to them in the workplace during the pandemic.
- CWEALF led the evaluation of the Hartford Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, a federally funded grant awarded to the City of Hartford. The project successfully reduced teen birth rates in Hartford by 56% through evidence-based sexual and reproductive health programs, clinical partnerships, and youth-led community mobilization initiatives.
Job Description:
Overall Day-to-Day Operations and Staff Management
- Provide leadership, staff management, oversight, and financial management for all day-to day operations of CWEALF.
- Maintain an anti-racist, feminist organizational climate which attracts, keeps, and motivates a racially diverse and highly qualified and valued staff, volunteers, and donors.
- Operate using a participatory management, shared leadership model, encouraging staff empowerment, development, and accountability.
- Demonstrate leadership for CWEALF’s journey towards becoming an anti-racist organization and in intentionally using a racial justice and intersectional lens both internally and externally.
- Recruit, hire, supervise, and support staff, and ensure equitable human resource practices are in place.
- Serves as a key spokesperson and a visible leader of the organization.
Fund Development and Stakeholder Relationship Building and Partnerships
- Work with Board and Resource Development Committee to develop, implement and adapt a fundraising strategy to ensure short and long-term financial sustainability of CWEALF and new sources of income.
- Develop and cultivate ongoing relationships with funders, individual donors, elected officials, key community, city, and statewide leaders, and other stakeholders and partners, especially those from BIPOC communities.
- Direct and expand CWEALF’s individual donor and other fundraising activities in collaboration with Board and staff; explore income-generating strategies.
Program Strategy and Development, Strategic Planning, and Evaluation
- Provide leadership, with board and staff for creating and implementing a strategic plan with a racial equity and intersectional lens every three to five years.
- Collaborate with staff in innovative program design and development of annual goals, ensuring all programs and initiatives are integrated and aligned with strategic plan.
- Stay up to date with a working knowledge of significant developments and trends related to gender and racial equity within Connecticut, regionally, and nationally.
- Ensure CWEALF’s programs and advocacy are regularly assessed using equity evaluation models.
Financial Management
- Work closely with financial consultant and Board Finance Committee to prepare and manage annual budgets and bring financial reports to the Board.
- Provide oversight of all contract management, compliance for funding sources, and budgeting and accounting.
Work with the Board of Directors
- Work in partnership with the Board to assure the development of an effective and motivated Board.
- Assist the Board in developing and cultivating relationships with individual donors and other funders and external stakeholders.
- Assist the Board in recruitment, cultivation, and orientation of new Board members.
Qualifications
Leadership Style and Personal Attributes
- Has a deep understanding of and demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and dismantling racist practices and white supremacy within organizational cultures, programs and advocacy, and external partnerships and coalitions.
- Aligned with intersectional feminist (or womanist) issues which are pertinent to gender and racial equity.
- Shares power as a leader with staff and in relationships with key partners, stakeholders, community members, and involves appropriate staff in building those relationships.
- Willingness and interest in decentralized collaborative decision-making.
- Flexible, facilitative, and collaborative leadership style.
- Committed to developing staff as professionals and leaders.
- Emotional intelligent, including the capacity for self-insight, learning, and growth.
- Visionary and innovative
Desired Skills and Experience
- Strong background in racial and gender equity, social justice, and advocacy field within the nonprofit sector.
- Demonstrated experience in fund development and strategy, especially with individual donor cultivation and solicitation.
- Demonstrated experience with nonprofit financial management and budgeting.
- Proven record of ability to effectively build relationships with donors, other key stakeholders, and partnering organizations; can navigate and engage with communities across race, class, geographic locations, and other intersections.
- Demonstrated experience leading nonprofits with a racial equity lens preferred.
- Experience with shared power and distributive leadership and management models is a plus.
- Facilitative and flexible leadership and supervisory skills.
- Effective public speaking and writing skills.
- Experience engaging community volunteers in the work of nonprofits.
Benefits
CWEALF’s benefits package includes
- Paid time off
- Professional development budget
- Health insurance package
Salary: $90,000 – $110,000
How to Apply
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
CWEALF is committed to providing opportunities for all employees and applicants and centers racial and gender equity in its work internally and externally. We strongly encourage people of all traditionally marginalized identities to apply. CWEALF does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under local, state, or federal laws. If you require an accommodation to complete an application, including the writing sample; or for the interview process, please contact Judy Freiwirth, CWEALF Transition Consultant at [email protected].
TO APPLY OR REFER CANDIDATES
This search is being conducted by Judy Freiwirth, Psy.D., Principal, Nonprofit Solutions Associates and CWEALF. Referral to potential candidates and other inquiries should be directed to Judy Freiwirth at [email protected].
Format and deadline: Please upload your application at https://cwealfedsearch.org. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential. Applications are due Friday, April 16 or until position is filled.
Applications should include the following documents listed below. Only complete applications will all four components listed below will be accepted for review.
- A Cover Letter which addresses the following questions:
- Why you are interested in this position and where did you learn of the position?
- What has been your experience in addressing systemic and institutional racism and gender inequity within nonprofits and their organizational culture and/or movements, and in the larger political environment?
- How would you develop a fund development strategy and implementation plan using a racial equity lens?
- Resume
- A one- or two-page work-related writing sample
- List of three work-related professional references which includes past or current supervisor/board member; past or current supervisee, and third professional reference. Please include email, phone number, and your relationship to them. As CWEALF upholds confidentiality, references will not be contacted until the finalist stage; candidates will have an opportunity to notify references in advance.