Executive Director

Job title: Executive Director

About the Role With GC transitioning from a start-up to a sustainable, globally visible organization, the Executive Director will provide vision, strategy, and program leadership. This role is ideal for a builder who values grandmother insights and is motivated to create lasting impact by growing partnerships, programs, and governance. The ED will lead vision, strategy, and program development, expand philanthropic partnerships, fundraise, and steward a growing network of partners, researchers, practitioners, and community leaders. They will work closely with the Board to ensure a smooth transition from startup to a sustainable organizational model with strong governance practices, honoring the founding vision and values while expanding programs and engagement for long-term impact.

What You'll Do

• Lead the organization's strategic planning process, setting a clear roadmap for scale over the next 3-5 years.
• Translate GC's research insights and community wisdom into a coherent organizational strategy and programs.
• Build an inclusive organizational culture rooted in grandmother insights and collaboration.
• Partner closely with the Board of Directors to understand GC's history, values, and community relationships, ensuring these elements are embedded in future strategy and programming.
• Work collaboratively with the Board to clarify governance roles, decision-making processes, and a healthy Board-ED partnership model.
• Strengthen core operational systems including finance, HR, compliance, data, technology, and administrative processes to ensure GC is equipped for growth.
• Lead all day-to-day operations of the organization and its programs, with ultimate accountability for the success of implementation. This includes budgeting, contracts, and managing volunteers, student interns, and consultants.
• Develop staffing and people resource plans; hire staff/consultants as resources grow.
• Implement internal policies, procedures, and tools that support a healthy, transparent, accountable organization.
• Ensure sound fiscal management, including audits, financial controls, and reporting. Prepare clear operational and financial reports that inform the Board as the organization evolves.
• Create and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy and goals to support GC's next stage of growth.
• Cultivate relationships with foundations, individual donors, and corporate/community partners.
• Lead grant writing, reporting, and donor stewardship with excellence.
• Identify earned revenue opportunities aligned with mission.
• Engage Board of Directors in donor cultivation and storytelling where appropriate, leveraging their networks while building sustainable development systems.
• Represent GC publicly with partners, funders, policymakers, and the media; develop and deliver at speaking opportunities, events and conferences.
• Amplify the GC narrative and messaging through communications, social media, publishing thought leadership, and engaging press opportunities to engage a larger audience.
• Develop programs and events to support organizational mission.
• Strengthen and expand partnerships with community organizations, researchers, and practitioners across geographies.
• Support monitoring, evaluation, and learning efforts to document impact.
• Elevate grandmother leadership in programmatic decision-making.
• Bring and embody thought leadership for the organization and work with researchers and partners to define research goals and translate evidence into programs, tools, and messaging.

What We're Looking For

• 10+ years of leadership experience in nonprofit, social impact, community organizing, or philanthropic organizations with a strong track record of strategic leadership.
• Proven fundraising track record with foundations, major donors, and/or institutional giving.
• Comfort in building from scratch; demonstrated resilience and a willingness to take on tasks large and small to achieve goals; previous experience as an entrepreneur or intrapreneur welcomed.