Executive Director

Organization Overview

 Founded in 1963 as United Good Neighbors, the local United Way Board changed the name in 1973 to United Way of Skagit County (UWSC) to align with our national United Way organization. Since then, UWSC has evolved from a fundraising organization to a community impact agency. Committed to the organization’s mission of “Uniting Skagit County to build a positive and sustainable quality of life”, the UWSC has focused on developing evidence-based programs that demonstrably improve the well-being of our community members. Key initiatives include the Diaper Bank of Skagit County, the Financial People Project, Youth United Varsity in Volunteerism, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Spanning from early childhood through adult financial literacy, our aim is to cultivate initiatives that profoundly benefit the lives of Skagit County residents.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assumes pivotal leadership in advancing United Way's community mission.
• Chairs key task forces and committees addressing community issues
• Engages regularly with stakeholders including corporate executives, government leaders, and organizational representatives.
• Cultivates a supportive environment to empower volunteer leadership and the Board of Directors.
• Promotes an inclusive, positive, and engaging work environment for staff.
• Enhances staff efficiency, productivity, and skill development.
• Provides strategic leadership in securing financial resources for community impact goals.
• Collaborates with volunteers and staff to raise funds from various sources including workplace campaigns, individuals, corporations, government grants, foundations, and planned gifts.
• Ensures consistent communication with donors.

Primary Responsibilities - Essential Functions

General Overview: The Executive Director leads a diverse team of community leaders, staff, and volunteers to realize the vision set by the Board of Directors. They prioritize collaboration across private, public, and corporate sectors to maximize United Way's positive impact in Skagit County. Dedicated to achieving measurable goals for community benefit, they develop, resource, and leverage strategies for broad investment and influence while upholding trust in the United Way brand and ensuring its ongoing relevance.

Community Impact: The Executive Director drives United Way of Skagit County's overall impact on the community, enhancing its capacity for transformative change. They collaborate closely with the Board to refine strategies and secure funding to support these initiatives. Building relationships with top community leaders across business, government, and nonprofits, they foster alliances that advance United Way's mission.

Resource Development:  Responsible for achieving key outcomes in resource development, the Executive Director identifies and cultivates prospective donors and corporate partners. They leverage personal and professional networks to secure fundraising opportunities and instill a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization, engaging both staff and board members.

Strategic Management: As the principal advisor to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director provides strong leadership in policy development and interpretation. They collaborate with the Board and Executive Team to establish organizational goals and strategies, ensuring alignment across all United Way activities in community impact, resource development, and staff coordination.

Organization Management: The Executive Director builds and leads high-performing teams, fostering alignment and collaboration to achieve organizational goals. They ensure operational and fiscal integrity within Board policies, assessing organizational capacity and addressing system and staffing needs. Upholding inclusivity and diversity among staff and volunteers, they oversee budget compliance, program implementation, and goal setting in partnership with committee chairs and staff

Qualifications and Requirements

• Integrity: Long-term Perspective; Accountability
• Practicality, Wisdom, Good Judgement
• Fair Management, Flexibility, Courage
• Excellent Communication Skills (written and verbal)
• Dynamic and Positive Approach
• Nonprofit Experience (United Way preferred)
• 2-3 years of management experience preferred
• Experience working with a board of directors and engaging volunteers
• Successful Fundraising Track Record
• Relevant Degree (Bachelor's or Associate's)
• Broad Knowledge of Skagit County Community
• strong Listening, Writing, Public Speaking and Presentation Skills
• Visionary Leadership and Community Engagement
• Commitment to Diversity and Collaboration
• Stakeholder Confidence and Respect
• Team Building and Fiscal Management Expertise

HOW TO APPLY:

Prospective candidates must submit a current resume, two letters of recommendation tailored for this positive, and a detailed cover letter outlining how they align with the primary responsibilities of the UWSC Executive Director role by JULY 26TH.

Please submit application materials in PDF format via email to: info@unitedwayskagit.org

Timeline: The UWSC Board aims to notify all applicants of our interest in considering them for phone screenings and in-person interviews by August 2,2024. Final selection will be completed by August 19th, with an anticipated start date of September 1st. Thank you for your interest.