Executive Director

Job Title: Executive Director

Organization: Dave McGillivray Finish Strong Foundation

Location: Remote - Greater Boston Area, Massachusetts

About Us:

Our mission at the Dave McGillivray Finish Strong Foundation is to inspire and empower youth across New England and beyond to increase physical activity, expand literacy, and build community and self-esteem through running, reading, and performing acts of kindness.

Our vision is rooted in a belief that discovering a passion for physical activity, reading, and acts of kindness at a young age gives individuals self-confidence and self-respect, which empowers them to move forward—one step at a time.

We carry out this mission and vision through three programs: Running Is A Right, the Dream Big Marathon, and our bi-annual Finish Strong Grants.

Running Is A Right provides young people living with limb loss the access they need to recreational prosthetics. We’ve partnered with Shriners Hospitals for Children to produce special events across the country. At these events, their patients are fitted with free running blades, trained in using them to run and enjoy the sports they love, and are given an opportunity to meet and engage with other children just like them!

The Dream Big Marathon is a classroom-based, 16-week experience focused on running 26 miles, reading 26 books and completing 26 acts of kindness. This year, we estimate that more than 500 children will take part and earn their Dream Big medal in schools from coast to coast.

Twice each year, the Dave McGillivray Finish Strong Foundation awards grants to organizations that share our mission to help youth discover a passion for running, reading, and acts of kindness, leading to an increase in their self-confidence and self-respect while empowering them to move forward—one step at a time. These grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to assist with programming that features one or more of our mission elements.

The Foundation was created by Dave McGillivray, an award-winning entrepreneur, philanthropist, motivational speaker, author, and athlete. Dave is best known for his athletic feats including his 80-day trek across the United States, running the 3,452 miles from Medford, Oregon to Medford, Massachusetts in the summer of 1978 to benefit the Jimmy Fund. In addition, he’s received great acclaim for directing or consulting on more than 1,400 events throughout the world including the Boston Marathon, the Olympic Marathon trials, and the Olympic Games.

Position Overview:

We are seeking a strategic leader to serve as our Executive Director. The Executive Director will be responsible for providing leadership, direction, and management oversight to ensure the organization's mission is effectively carried out and its goals are achieved. This individual will serve as the primary liaison between the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, donors, partners, and the community at large. They will be the primary driver of development and ensure the financial growth of the foundation. The Executive Director will report directly to the President and Founder.

To summarize the role, we expect that the time spent by the Executive Director will be:

• 70% development and community engagement
• 30% administrative and project management

Key Responsibilities:

Development

• Leading fundraising efforts and revenue planning including the launch of an annual fundraising event
• Creating annual fundraising goals
• Creating sponsorship guides
• Soliciting donations and sponsorship

Strategic Planning and Project Management

• Project management of overall foundation activities
• Development of a strategic plan (3-5 years) for the foundation

Correspondence

• Responding to email correspondence about general foundation matters
• Forwarding email inquiries to the appropriate board member or staff member

Meetings

• Scheduling general foundation meetings
• Sending meeting invitations and reminders
• Developing agendas for foundation meetings
• Leading general foundation meetings
• Taking meeting minutes and documenting action items

Administrative & Financial

• Filing and tracking foundation documents and assets
• Record keeping and budget tracking
• Managing inventory of office supplies and foundation swag
• Shipping foundation swag and other items
• HR tasks and onboarding for new staff or new contractors
• Proofing and approving documents and marketing materials
• Conducting research on various items for foundation initiatives
• Paying invoices, approving expenses, and granting reimbursements
• Compiling and organizing information for reports or presentations
• Managing vendor relationships and negotiating pricing

In-Person Support

• Leading the setup and manning of the foundation booth at events
• Networking and acting as a spokesperson for the foundation

HR

• HR tasks and onboarding for new staff or new contractors

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum of 5 years of senior leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, with a proven track record of success in organizational management, fundraising, and community engagement
• Strong strategic thinking and planning skills, with the ability to translate vision into action
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage and inspire diverse stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships with donors, partners, volunteers, and the community
• Financial acumen and experience managing budgets, financial reporting, and fiscal accountability
• Commitment to the organization's mission and values, with a passion for making a positive difference in the community

Application Instructions:

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter. Applications will be accepted until July 19. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.