Executive Director

State Democracy Project

State Democracy Project (SDP) offers fiscal sponsorship to projects, especially those rooted in historically marginalized communities, that align with SDP’s mission to improve American democracy by encouraging increased citizen participation and more responsive government institutions at the local, state, and federal levels.

SDP believes that a thriving democracy depends on regular people having the capacity to create community, educate themselves on the public policies that shape their lives, and develop leaders who can represent and advocate for them in the halls of power.

As a fiscal sponsor, SDP provides structures and support that allow its projects to thrive as they work to strengthen our democracy. A core tenet of SDP’s mission is its commitment to keeping sponsorship fees as low as possible for the projects and their funders.

The Opportunity

SDP seeks an experienced and strategic Executive Director to lead the organization into its next chapter. The incoming Executive Director will play a pivotal role in shaping SDP’s future, expanding its impact, and continuing to strengthen its partnerships with new and existing projects and funders. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a small, dedicated team with an outsized impact and to work with an array of grassroots projects, emerging leaders, and their funders as they fight to protect our democracy at an urgent moment for our country.

The ideal candidate for this role is a seasoned non-profit leader and excellent communicator who has demonstrated experience managing complexity and developing strong relationships. You have expertise in ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory, and accounting rules for non-profits, fiscal sponsors and their projects, and with grant administration. You work with Boards of Directors as a strategic partner. You demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the current political ecosystem as well as the donor and foundation landscape. You manage risk and scrutiny. You are flexible, resourceful, and comfortable leading in an environment of ambiguity and change.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for both the day-to-day operations and the long-term direction and growth of the organization. The Executive Director will ensure that SDP works successfully toward its mission of supporting grassroots projects to help expand and protect our democracy.

The Executive Director is responsible for all aspects of SDP’s internal operations. Working closely with the team, the Executive Director ensures that all programmatic activities are executed in strict compliance with the law and reflect the organization’s commitment to transparency and integrity. The Executive Director will also continue to build and strengthen SDP’s organizational infrastructure.

The Executive Director also serves as the voice of the organization, with direct responsibility for outreach and building partnerships that advance the mission and expand the organization’s impact by cultivating and sustaining strong relationships with projects, donors, funders, government agencies, and auditors.

The Executive Director ensures that institutional and individual donors can rely on SDP’s commitment to compliance and charitable stewardship. In practical terms, this entails reviewing all formal proposals and reports and monitoring emerging legal and regulatory issues.

Finally, the Executive Director will partner with the Board of Directors on decision-making, strategic planning, and goal setting.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure outstanding programmatic work, financial management, administration, compliance, communications, and operations.
• Manage a complex organization with strategic vision, an agile mindset, and a roll-up-your-sleeves work ethic.
• Ensure excellent services for SDP’s projects, with a commitment to transparency in accounting, low fees, and timely fund distribution.
• Support SDP’s projects, as appropriate, with advice and counsel on fundraising, reporting, and organizational development. Serve as a thought partner to project leadership.
• Build relationships and recruit new potential sponsored projects with an eye toward organizational capacity and fit.
• Develop and maintain relationships with the Board of Directors while building their involvement in setting SDP’s strategic direction.
• Develop external partnerships with funders, supporters, and stakeholders.
• Lead, coach, develop, and support SDP’s staff and consultants, contributing to an organizational culture of mutual respect and care.
• Ensure effective systems to track progress and regularly evaluate the program to measure successes that can be communicated to the board, partners, and other constituents.
• Manage all aspects of SDP’s communications, as well as partner, funder, and stakeholder reporting.

Qualifications

Note: These qualifications are guidelines, so if you have most of the qualifications listed, we encourage you to apply. Experience can include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work that helped you to build the competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for this position. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

Strong candidates will offer:

• Experience with and a demonstrated commitment to building power for marginalized communities, social justice, and a more responsive democracy.
• A sophisticated understanding of fiscal sponsorship, coupled with a commitment to using its models to build the power and integrity of sponsored projects. Experience working in or with or leading fiscal sponsorship organizations is highly desirable.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in senior leadership of nonprofit organizations.
• Ability to develop and maintain internal and external partnerships with a variety of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience in development, including institutional fundraising. Understanding of the donor and foundation landscape and experience working directly with funders is a plus.
• Ability to manage change, complexity, and ambiguity in the work environment.
• Ability to assess and manage risk.
• Experience working with Boards of Directors and Board committees.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Salary and Benefits

Benefits include generous PTO, a full suite of health benefits, and 401(k) plan. Salary range: $130,000-$150,000.

This position will be remote.