CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Covenant House California (CHC) - a non-profit agency serving young people (ages 18-24) overcoming homelessness and human trafficking with sanctuary and supportive services - seeks a compassionate, joyful, and inspiring leader as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO will lead with courage, emotional intelligence, and resilience developing a committed team of 170 across five sites. Close to 1/3 of young people facing homelessness in the U.S. are in California with 12,000 youth experiencing homelessness each night. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a dynamic organization that is well-positioned to help solve California’s homelessness crisis with a bold vision and holistic approach. Centering the needs of a diverse population of young people and influencing statewide systems and laws, the CEO will ensure CHC continues to provide quality services and support while leading expansion that makes a significant difference in the lives of youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking across the state.

COVENANT HOUSE CALIFORNIA

Covenant House California provides sanctuary and support for young people overcoming homelessness by addressing it when it begins, when hope and possibility are still strong. CHC empowers young people to harness their strengths, so that they may leave homelessness behind for good. As an affiliate of Covenant House International (CHI) - the largest, primarily privately funded charity in North and Central America with sites in more than 30 cities across the United States, Canada, and Latin America that has provided immediate and long-term support for young people facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking for over 50 years - CHC is part of a proven model that believes that no young person deserves to be homeless; that every young person in California deserves shelter, food, clothing, education…and most importantly, to be loved. CHC ensures shelter, love, and opportunity for California’s homeless youth through:

IMMEDIACY

Covenant House immediately meets the basic needs of youth experiencing homelessness through a nourishing meal, a shower, clean clothes, medical attention, and a safe place to sleep.

Sanctuary

Covenant House provides a safe haven from the hardships of homelessness. We recognize the fundamental worth of every human being and create a safe setting where all youth – regardless of life experience or identity – are served without judgement.

Value Communication

Covenant House leads by example to demonstrate that caring relationships are based on love, trust, respect, and honesty

Structure

Covenant House provides the stability and structure necessary to build a positive future.

Choice

Covenant House fosters confidence; encouraging young people to believe in themselves and make informed choices for their lives.

Today, CHC serves more than 1,500 youth annually with approximately 170 highly committed team members serving locations in Southern California (Los Angeles and Anaheim) and Northern California (Oakland, Santa Clara, and Hayward) at a budget of $25 million. CHC’s doors are open 24/7 and, in the last year, CHC reached 1,544 young people through its core programs and services provided free of charge. CHC takes a comprehensive approach to serving youth offering more than just shelter with comprehensive signature Housing Programs and a suite of Supportive Services - including medical and mental health care and aiding in completion of education to job placement - designed to ensure a young person's experience with homelessness remains brief and one-time. All sites strive to provide a full continuum of services, either directly or through referrals and partnerships, with multidisciplinary teams working to create safe, inclusive, and outcomes-based environments for all.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to CHC’s 19-member Board of Directors and in close collaboration with CHI’s CEO, CHC’s CEO will steward CHC’s mission, providing strategic and empathetic leadership and programmatic and facility oversight across the organization’s five sites in Northern and Southern California. The CEO will champion a culture of excellence, equity, and care as they helm CHC’s eight-member Executive Leadership team and serve as the face of CHC’s efforts to ensure every young person in California has a home. This is a rare and powerful opportunity to lead a new strategy and cultivate new funding opportunities to support bold ambitions in the next phase of innovation, growth, and impact.

CHC is well-positioned, with a bold vision and a holistic approach, to continue to provide youth with quality services and support while expanding impact. CHC has experienced steady program growth in the last few years, quadrupling the number of youth served, and yet homelessness continues to rise among young people statewide. To ensure CHC becomes an even more effective organization amidst a tumultuous political environment threatening nonprofit funding, the Fiscal Year 2026 Strategic Plan identifies the need to strengthen administrative infrastructure, expand private funding, and continue to build the operating reserve fund to guard against unexpected drops in funding. The next CEO will expand organizational capacity and revenue diversification while opening additional housing in Hayward, Oakland, and Hollywood and influencing the systems and laws that create homelessness across California.

CHC seeks an adaptive, mission-driven leader to serve, protect, and safeguard youth experiencing homelessness across the state of California while leading, mentoring, and motivating a strong and committed team across programs, operations, and development. The CEO must be equally visionary, capable of seeing multiple pathways for achievement of CHC’s long-term goals, and pragmatic, capable of focusing on realistic and sustainable strategies and building organizational capacity in a rapidly changing environment. The CEO will build and foster trusted stakeholder relationships across California with ease inspiring young people, staff, partners, funders, donors, government officials, community members, and more.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

People and Culture

• Build, inspire, lead, and support effective teams at all levels across all sites, from a talented, mission-aligned, and effective executive leadership team to committed, well-equipped front-line staff
• In close partnership with the Senior Vice President, People and Culture, create and maintain an inclusive culture of trust, accountability, and transparency that reflects CHC's Values and prioritizes the dignity, voice, and agency of the young people served
• Build and maintain an organizational culture that celebrates the richness of the human experience and encompasses a variety of backgrounds, identities, and perspectives where everyone can participate and contribute to the attainment of the mission
• Lead the recruitment and coaching of team members, providing opportunities for staff’s professional development
• Partner with Covenant House CEOs across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America to share best practice and expertise

Programs and Services

• Serve and engage thoughtfully with youth experiencing homelessness, trauma, and/or hardship across the state of California demonstrating absolute respect and unconditional love
• In close partnership with the Chief Program Officer and regional Senior Vice Presidents, Programs, lead, provide strategic direction to, and support CHC's programs and services
• Ensure the highest standards of care, safety, and effectiveness in CHC programs, aligned with and as a champion of CHI’s Program Model
• Ensure that programs and services keep youth safe, continuously improving outcomes for youth, and advance the mission to end youth homelessness

Fundraising

• Foster long-term engagement and financial support of CHC’s mission and growth across the state as chief fundraiser
• Provide strategic direction to and support the fundraising team, ensuring that fundraising goals are achieved
• In close partnership with the Chief Development Officer and Senior Vice President, Strategy and Administration; personally engage with major donors, key stakeholders, and potential funding partners to cultivate and steward donors
• Cultivate funds from both public and private sources and utilize financing to contribute to CHC's revenue portfolio
• Nurture the Board’s involvement leveraging their networks, expertise, and resources to support fundraising goals
• Collaborate with CHI to promote and jointly implement fundraising efforts that will sustain and grow CHC's programs

Finances

• In close partnership with the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer (CFAO), understand and manage CHC’s finances across revenue and expenses; budget and actuals; profit and loss; cash flow; assets and liabilities; and short- and long-term projections and planning and empower others to understand, work within, and develop budgets annually
• In close partnership with the CFAO and CHI’s Senior Vice President, Housing and Development, oversee management of capital improvement projects
• Ensure CHC maintains financial stability and strength and avoids deficits
• Safeguard, verify, and maintain the accountability of CHC's assets and oversee the formation of the annual budget, in partnership with the CFAO
• Report successes and challenges in a way that fosters trust and collaboration

Governance

• Ensure CHC has efficient and effective governance systems, including a strong and engaged Board of Directors, and is transparent and receptive to oversight and governance by the Board and CHI
• Partner with the Board of Directors to execute on the organization's existing strategic plan and, at the appropriate time, craft a new plan with deep responsiveness to youth needs that builds on CHC's work across the state
• Maintain and develop effective systems to institutionalize performance management and data-informed decision making; optimize financial processes; and enhance information technology performance

External Relations and Advocacy

• Represent CHC in the media, with funders, and in public policy settings to elevate the voices of youth and secure critical partnerships
• Serve as a compelling spokesperson for CHC’s vision, strategy and programs among staff, volunteers, donors, key stakeholders, and the community at large
• Serve as CHC's primary ambassador within the broader California community
• Develop and nurture relationships with key government officials, donors, and external constituencies that further CHC’s mission
• Support CHC’s advocacy efforts at the local, state, and national levels

THE IDEAL CEO

The CEO will possess strong people, program, operational, financial management, and fundraising skills inclusive of direct experience with youth who have experienced trauma and have complex needs; effectively managing and developing a Board of Directors; setting and executing organizational strategy; and cultivating funds from a variety of sources including individuals, foundations, corporations, and/or government agencies to support diverse revenue streams for a comparably sized program, initiative, or organization.

The CEO should also have strong ties in California or the ability and passion to learn about and connect more deeply with communities across the state. The ideal CEO will possess many of the following professional experiences, personal attributes, and expertise along with other transferable lived experiences, values, and skills:

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Mission-Driven, Values-Aligned Experience

• Driven by CHC's mission with demonstrated compassion for young people - especially the most vulnerable in our communities, including those identifying as LGBTQIA+, people of color, and pregnant and/or parenting
• 10-15+ years of progressively responsible senior leadership experience in youth development, homeless services, housing, and/or related social services
• Multi-site residential, youth-serving program, and/or lived experience with homelessness, trafficking, or related trauma is a plus

Inclusive People Management Approach

• Thoughtful, humble, and emotionally intelligent organizational leadership and management style
• Deep commitment to building and maintaining a community where doors are open to all youth and staff across a variety of backgrounds, identities, and perspectives

Stakeholder Engagement and Management Track Record

• Track record of building, managing, and developing effective relationships with boards, staff, external funders, and more
• Authentic, clear, and passionate communicator as the public representative of an organization or issue across diverse audiences
• Experience in advocacy working with California political officials is a plus

Fundraising Expertise

• Proven expertise with fundraising from a variety of sources including individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies
• Fundraising results at or near the scale of CHC
• Track record making successful big asks in support of community needs

Commercial Acumen

• Experience leading an organization of relevant size, complexity, and stature
• Comfort leveraging data to make sound decisions and drive continuous improvement

Financial Acumen

• Financial skills with experience developing, analyzing, managing, and being accountable for complex budgets at or near $25 million+
• Nonprofit finance knowledge is a plus

Organizational Capacity Building through Change Experience

• Experience managing complex change, crisis, and/or competing priorities with resilience in a dynamic environment
• Leadership with an eye toward organizational and programmatic capacity building, compassion, and accountability
• Stays centered and grounded communicating effectively under high stress situations modeling and inspiring others to use a healing-centered approach

LOCATION

The CEO must be based in Northern or Southern California, ideally in the Bay Area or Los Angeles metro areas, and willing to be an adaptable leader with significant in-person presence required in both Southern and Northern California across five sites: Los Angeles, Oakland, Anaheim, Santa Clara, and Hayward. All sites strive toward excellence as sanctuaries for young people - regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression - and are open 24/7, 365 days a year. However, there are distinct microcultures, demographics, needs, strengths, challenges, and priorities including brand new sites, sites undergoing significant renovation, and sites expanding their footprint. The CEO must get to know, build trust within, and effectively support the organization across each site.