Executive Director

ABOUT CRADLES TO CRAYONS:  

Cradles to Crayons (C2C), founded in 2002, provides children living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive—at home, at school, and at play. We supply clothing, shoes, diapers, school supplies, and more, free of charge. Our vision is that one day all children will have the essentials they need to thrive.

Two in 5 kids in the United States are currently facing Clothing Insecurity, going without basic essentials like pants, shoes, diapers, and school supplies during their critical development years. Three of the top 10 reasons kids miss school are rooted in Clothing Insecurity—just one example of the significant short- and long-term social and economic costs when these needs go unmet. Cradles to Crayons keeps Clothing Insecurity at the core of our mission and is the only large-scale nonprofit organization to focus on this resource gap. Since its founding, Cradles to Crayons has distributed more than three million customized packages of essentials to children in Massachusetts, Greater Philadelphia, Chicagoland, and nationally, through Giving Factory Direct—a first-in-kind online product donation platform launched in 2021.

Cradles to Crayons takes a three-pronged approach to mitigating Clothing Insecurity:

1. In-person Engagement—through tens of thousands of children and adults volunteering at our Giving Factory warehouses to sort and package high volumes of new and like-new donations from our communities for our Service Partners to distribute to the children they serve.
2. Online Product Donations—Giving Factory Direct matches product donors directly to children who need the items they have to donate. GFD is currently available in a growing number of communities as we expand our reach nationally.
3. Advocacy and Awareness—Cradles to Crayons is uniquely positioned to raise Clothing Insecurity as a national issue through awareness campaigns, data/evaluation, and legislative outreach.

Cradles to Crayons’ strong financial health and ongoing effectiveness and reliability have helped it earn a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator every year since 2009. C2C has a budget of $18.5M for FY26 and a total staff of approximately 100. C2C Philadelphia has a budget of $3M for FY26 and a total staff of 22.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

C2C is seeking an accomplished, innovative, and mission-driven leader to serve as Executive Director of Philadelphia, guiding one of the organization’s core markets in providing essential resources for children and families in need. Reporting into the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and sitting on C2C’s national Senior Leadership Team, the Executive Director will oversee all aspects of the Philadelphia operation—strengthening organizational capacity, building and leading a high-performing team and inclusive culture, and advancing C2C’s strategic priorities across Greater Philadelphia. This leader will cultivate a strong community of support, steward relationships with the Philadelphia Market Advisory Board, corporate and foundation partners, and individual donors, and serve as a compelling ambassador for C2C’s mission and brand.

The Executive Director is based at the Philadelphia Giving Factory and is expected to be onsite four days per week. All Cradles to Crayons staff participate in monthly in-person volunteer shifts to stay closely connected to our mission.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Model and lead a positive “One Cradles” culture, underpinned by Cradles’ Cultural Values and Norms

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the Philadelphia market, overseeing management of all functions, including development, programs, teams, operations, facilities management, purchasing and budgeting
• Sit on the national Senior Leadership Team, contributing insight and expertise to organizational strategy, initiatives and goals.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, expense management, and cash flow for a market budget of over $3 million
• In collaboration with the COO, set programmatic direction for site, evaluate opportunities for innovative new programs and ensure the effectiveness and satisfaction of current programs, including the learning and operational imperatives of The Giving Corps
• Build and steward relationships with key community stakeholders and supporters; leverage organizational assets and cultivate high impact partnerships
• Support C2C-wide initiatives – through staff participation, financial support and/or own time – and by collaborating with other markets on shared policies and tools that strengthen the entire organization

Fundraising and External Relations

• Grow and sustain the annual budget through a combination of individual donors, corporations, family philanthropy, foundations, galas, and event sponsorships
• In collaboration with the VP of National Philanthropy and national leadership, strengthen relationships with existing supporters and proactively identify and secure new funding opportunities to ensure robust budget support and long-term financial sustainability for the market
• Serve as the organization's primary spokesperson in the community, including for media engagements, events and related opportunities
• Maintain and grow a robust Family Leadership Circle

Operations & Program Management

• Provide inspirational leadership, management and professional development for the market Leadership Team and all staff (e.g., operations, development, volunteer engagement and community outreach) while promoting a culture of respect, inclusion, and collective accountability in delivering C2C’s mission and goals
• Collaborate with the COO and other market leaders to strengthen the overall distribution strategy, by ensuring fidelity to the program model, achieving key metrics, and aligning with national standards
• Participate in the selection and development of scalable systems that support operational efficiency and provide real-time information for effective decision-making
• Ensure accurate and consistent data collection and evaluation across programs; leveraging metrics to guide decisions related to quality control, new program development, partnerships and strategic initiatives, while ensuring financial targets are met
• Oversee local procurement through designated Operations staff
• Other tasks as assigned

Volunteer Management

• Oversee the strategic management and engagement of local volunteers in impact-based tasks related to the C2C mission;
• Proactively develop the Giving Corps program as a key strategy and resource for growth; dramatically increase the numbers of these volunteer leaders.

Required Experience/Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Passion for C2C’s mission and alignment with C2C values
• Demonstrated experience as a strategic leader, liaison, and collaborator with internal and external stakeholders
• 10+ years of leadership and strategic planning experience in complex, entrepreneurial and mission-driven organizations during periods of change and expansion; private sector executives must have demonstrated experience in a mission-driven setting, either on a board or in another significant way
• Demonstrated success in developing and implementing short and long-term fundraising strategies, including corporate sponsorships, foundations, individual donors and government agencies; proven track record of closing 5 and 6-figure gifts
• Experience working with and leveraging a strong, high profile and civic-minded Board
• Experience building, managing and leading high performing teams; an inspiring team builder who engenders trust and builds group commitment to goals and objectives
• Strong financial management skills; experience creating annual operating plans and budgets that support strategic objectives
• Previous experience building, cultivating and managing relationships with the nonprofit, public service, and social justice communities
• Experience in overseeing programs that rely heavily on volunteers, with expertise in volunteer recruitment, training, and stewardship
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal, with ability to tailor messaging to different audiences
• Fluency with Salesforce or other CRMs a plus

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

The estimated base salary for this position is $175,000-$185,000 annually. The compensation offered to the successful candidate may vary from the posted range based on geographic location, work experience, education, and/or skill level, among other things.

This is a benefits-eligible position. Cradles to Crayons offers a generous benefits package, which includes, but is not limited to:

• Health benefits including medical, dental, vision and a Health Reimbursement Arrangement
• A monthly cell phone and internet usage stipend
• Employer-sponsored short- and long-term disability and basic life insurance
• Retirement plan matching
• Annual professional development stipend

DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH:

Diversity and Inclusiveness are core values at Cradles to Crayons, and we continuously strive to be a team where everyone feels welcome and supported. It is the policy of Cradles to Crayons to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Individuals from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

Working Conditions:

This is an office/work from home remote virtual environment with regular visits to C2C Giving Factories. There are no hazardous or significantly unpleasant conditions.

Accommodation:

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is possible that requirements may be modified to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. However, no accommodations will be made by Cradles to Crayons which may pose serious health or safety risks to the employee or others, or which impose undue hardships on the organization.

To Apply:

Please send a cover letter and resume with relevant experience to https://www.cradlestocrayons.org/what-we-do/careers/ .

This is a benefits-eligible position. Cradles to Crayons offers a generous benefits package, which includes, but is not limited to:

• Health benefits including medical, dental, vision and a Health Reimbursement Arrangement
• A monthly cell phone and internet usage stipend
• Employer-sponsored short- and long-term disability and basic life insurance
• Retirement plan matching
• Annual professional development stipend