Chief Executive Officer
Hybrid / Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, tens of thousands of students lack the resources they need to apply, get into, and succeed in college. Fulfillment Fund works to make college a reality for students growing up in educationally and economically under-resourced communities. To this end, their services build pathways to college, help students navigate educational barriers, create life-changing support networks, and empower future leaders.
Fulfillment Fund’s partnerships with local schools and community organizations allow them to bring their forward-thinking, high-quality, individualized programs to the first-generation and lower-income students who need them most. Each step of the way, they give these future leaders the tools they need to not only access and afford higher education but graduate college successfully while building invaluable life skills.
Fulfillment Fund effect is real. Last year, 96% of their high school students graduated. Of these promising students, 89% went on to enroll in college as compared to 70% of LAUSD graduates in recent years. Everything they do comes down to one powerful vision: “That all students, regardless of their circumstances, will one day have the opportunity to attend college, graduate, and actively participate in transforming their communities to create a better society.”
College Access Program
Fulfillment Fund’s College Access Program leads curriculum-based lessons covering college planning, self-advocacy, financial literacy, completing the classes necessary for college acceptance, and more. The program delivers services to students attending local Los Angeles partner schools. These services are provided through in-person classes and individualized counseling sessions and through virtual learning platforms, such as Google Classroom, which contains recorded lessons and access to additional resources such as upcoming webinars and scholarships.
College Success Program
Fulfillment Fund’s College Success Program ensures Fulfillment Fund’s empowering support continues beyond high school. Participants receive an array of valuable services, such as entry into Fulfillment Fund University, continued one-on-one advisement, peer mentoring, career readiness opportunities, webinars focused on life after college, and a robust scholarship administration program with key community partners.
30,000+ Los Angeles students served since 1977
"The counseling and guidance [I received] extended beyond pure academics. I am very grateful to have been a part of Fulfillment Fund, from high school to Santa Monica College and ultimately UCLA."— Jorge, UCLA ‘22
The Opportunity
Over the last four to five years, Fulfillment Fund has gone from good to great. Under the leadership of its dedicated Board Chair, Wendy Spinner, and in conjunction with the outgoing CEO, the organization has blossomed into one with a dedicated and impressive Board of Directors with a give/get policy of $25,000, an extremely strong bench in its leadership team, a sophisticated and diverse fundraising program, and a bold and exciting vision for its future. This was all accomplished while sadly recognizing and saying goodbye to its Founder, Dr. Gitnick, working through a pandemic and moving into a beautiful new office in Downtown Los Angeles, which emanates an energy for learning and collaboration to be enjoyed by students and staff.
As Fulfillment Fund emerged from Covid, having survived numerous internal and external challenges, the new CEO will want to know, “How has the organization adapted post-pandemic, how is the staff morale, and how would you characterize the organization’s current culture?” In the words of the Board Chair, “We have positioned culture as a top priority, and I am most proud of the collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing culture that has been established and embraced by its passionate staff.” Fulfillment Fund has thrived amidst unprecedented economic impacts, and the team is ready and enthusiastic about partnering with a new CEO to move the mission forward.
As the search for the new CEO progresses, the organization will be led by the current CFO/COO and Chief Program Officer acting as Interim Co-CEOs. This reflects the deep talent within the senior leadership bench and demonstrates, in practice, the collaborative, committed, and unified culture of Fulfillment Fund. The new CEO will inherit a staff and organizational culture that is mission-driven, supportive, and inspired by a shared vision. Utilizing the talent, historical knowledge, and passion for a mission inherent in Fulfillment Fund’s staff and board, the new CEO will have a unique opportunity to harness this collaborative energy to move the organization to the next level. With a strong focus on fiscal responsibility and sustainability, Fulfillment Fund now boasts more than one year of operational reserves and has a strong foundation to launch into the next phase of its journey.
Much research and work has been done towards its 2024-2027 strategic plan. With room for ideas and input, one of the first tasks of the next CEO will be to complete the strategic plan and begin its implementation. The plan lays out a bold vision:
“Fulfillment Fund's ‘north star’ is crystal clear: while we remain dedicated to creating accessible pathways out of poverty through the most enduring catalyst for upward mobility — a college education — we know college isn’t enough. Students need to be empowered and prepared to navigate the working world once they earn their degrees.”
Over the next three years, the CEO will utilize a wide range of resources and activities to address Fulfillment Fund’s four pillars of focus.
Career Ready College Grads: Combine the power of community volunteers with effective programming to ensure that each student in its College Success Program graduates from college with measured and proven skills such that within 12 months of college graduation, 75% obtain career ladder roles or are enrolled in graduate programs that advance their identified career goals.
Bigger and Better Together: Establish pathways for meaningful volunteer and partnership engagement that allows us to deepen and broaden our work.
Building An Alumni Community: Engage the Fulfillment Fund alumni community to participate as learners and leaders.
No Longer A Best Kept Secret: Elevate Fulfillment Fund’s brand awareness and community presence.
The incoming CEO will be joining a financially stable $4M nonprofit organization. The successful candidate should showcase a proven capacity to spearhead Fulfillment Fund’s strategic roadmap, culminating in sustainable revenue growth. Therefore, the incoming CEO, among other important attributes, must bring a comprehensive working knowledge and demonstrated track record of managing and implementing a successful, robust fundraising program.
The Board of Directors is seeking a CEO who will lead a high-performing, collaborative team and oversee programs that are ready for significant growth in revenue and services. The CEO will be charged with building upon the success of Fulfillment Fund by further enhancing the organization’s vision to achieve its goals for continued financial sustainability and expanded community engagement, while also strengthening the scope and impact of its programs. It is essential the incoming CEO fully embraces Fulfillment Fund’s visionary and collaborative organizational culture, which the organization takes great pride in. This is an excellent opportunity for a bold, visionary, and inspirational leader, who is committed to educational access and equity for all.
The Board is committed to ensuring the incoming CEO’s success and has established a “Transition Committee” tasked with onboarding and facilitating the CEO’s transition into the role.
Fulfillment Fund currently operates on a hybrid model, requiring the CEO to be in-office three days per week, with the understanding that they will also be onsite beyond this schedule as needed.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The CEO reports directly to the Board of Directors and oversees all strategy and operations, which includes strategic planning, financial management, fund development, marketing, community and local government communications, program management, people and culture, and administration.
Board and Strategic Visionary Leadership
Lead a collaborative process with the Board of Directors and its committees, executing critical decisions that are timely and effective, while also ensuring that the Board of Directors and its committees are informed of critical developments through clear, consistent, and timely communication.
In partnership with the Board of Directors and Senior Management team, develop and implement its strategic plan to foster the acceleration of Fulfillment Fund’s mission, support leadership, and nurture/sustain the engagement of all staff members.
Continue to support the development and cultivation of a strong Board of Directors, representative of Fulfillment Fund’s diverse community.
Lead, and with the Board Chair, contribute to the development of the board and play an integral role in developing prospects and cultivating major donors/funding agencies.
External Relations and Fundraising
Oversee all efforts in guiding increased awareness and impact of the organization, clearly articulating its mission, vision, programs, and strategic direction.
Develop and execute a comprehensive fund development plan encompassing the expansion of government grants, identification of individual and corporate prospects and donors, and the cultivation of a diversified funding base for both short- and long-term objectives.
Maintain and elevate the public visibility of Fulfillment Fund by serving as a key spokesperson and advocate for the organization. Additionally, strive to be a prominent, visionary, and influential leader and fundraiser within the community.
Define and execute the strategy of effectively mobilizing volunteers in support of its programs.
Continuously assess community needs, evaluating partnership opportunities to promote programs uniquely suited to the mission.
Program Management
Maintain and support the high-quality, evidence-based programming that has positioned Fulfillment Fund as a thought leader in the field.
Evaluate existing and future programmatic needs, including potential areas for program expansion, to ensure services remain in alignment with its mission and Fulfillment Fund’s strategic vision.
Assess, oversee, and execute programmatic excellence by establishing operational benchmarks and setting timelines to achieve strategic goals.
Continually review and evaluate programs and report findings to the Board of Directors accordingly.
People and Culture
Embrace, maintain, and cultivate Fulfillment Fund’s culture, which emphasizes a commitment to program excellence through the lens of a collaborative, passionate, and cohesive staff.
Provide direction to ensure that the organization is appropriately structured and staffed with skilled and high-performing employees.
Oversee an effective performance management system for all employees including goal setting and annual evaluations.
Inspire, develop, guide, and mentor, a high-performance management team and provide mentoring as a cornerstone to management development.
Foster engagement, team building, and consensus-building through regular meetings, collaboration, and other effective methods.
Oversee key cultural initiatives and promote collaboration with all department leaders.
Financial and Operational Management
Oversee all financial reporting including budget and revenue management; oversee facilities, risk management, and operational management.
Provide guidance to direct reports in developing budgets and operational plans.
Collaborate with finance personnel to assess fiscal requirements.
Fulfill additional responsibilities as assigned by the Board of Directors.
Professional Experience and Qualifications
Passion for Fulfillment Fund’s mission and objectives with prior experience in comparable nonprofit endeavors.
A minimum of 7 years of senior management experience, with increasing levels of responsibility and leadership in overseeing staff, preferably with direct stewardship of Boards of Directors.
A demonstrated track record in fundraising and stewarding relationships with individuals, corporations, foundations, and government entities.
Experience as the leader or member of a senior team in steering a complex organization through strategic planning, significant growth, and/or transformation.
Proven track record of managerial accomplishments with comparable profit and loss (P&L), strategic planning, and operational responsibilities.
Adept in collaborating effectively with diverse constituencies, including key community leaders, volunteers, and organizations.
A proven capacity to plan and operate strategically, to build public support, to strengthen infrastructure, to inspire staff and the Board of Directors, and to devise impactful programs.
Exceptional financial, organizational, and administrative abilities.
Excellent knowledge of fiscal management, budgetary oversight, and cash flow management.
Capacity for strategic planning, goal setting, organization, and follow through.
Exhibits strong interpersonal and communication skills and proven capacity to collaborate effectively with and earn the respect and support from diverse and evolving constituencies, including staff, Board members, potential donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders.
Proficient in team building with a history of effective staff management, including recruitment, recognition, and retention of talented managers and administrative staff.
Capable of handling multiple responsibilities concurrently, adept at operating independently, while remaining adaptable within collaborative environments
Proficiency in Word and Excel, with capacity to learn database software.
Bachelor’s degree is a prerequisite, while an advanced degree is advantageous.
The successful candidate will possess the following attributes
Entrepreneurial spirit, visionary leadership, and unwavering integrity.
Creativity and receptiveness to new ideas from all stakeholders while respecting and valuing the organization’s progress thus far.
Commitment to the agency’s mission, with the credibility and persuasiveness to secure support from others.
Leads by example and embodies the values and ethics of the organization.
Highly organized with strong creative and conceptual abilities.
Collaborative and inclusive, avoids autocracy and politics, fosters teamwork with a flexible, creative, energetic, and fair-minded approach.
Decisive and resourceful, willing to take ownership of outcomes and achieve results even with limited resources.
A leader who champions, deepens, and sustains the organization’s positive and cooperative culture.
Initiator of action when appropriate, with the ability to strike the balance between assertiveness and consideration, while remaining sensitive to others’ feelings and perspectives.
Energetic, emotionally mature, and dependable; fosters a collegial atmosphere.
Compensation
The position offers a salary range of $230,000 to $265,000 with a comprehensive benefits package.
Please contact Sarah Agee for a confidential conversation and to learn more about this opportunity.
Phone: (949) 903-2891 or (917) 670-1555
Email: Sarah@SterlingSearchInc.com or Vanessa@SterlingSearchInc.com
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