The Executive Director is responsible for connecting with all 26 YMCA Associations from across the State of Iowa to build capacity to impact local communities, carry out the Y mission and cause, speak with a unified voice and establish a strong statewide presence. The position is responsible for the effective execution of Y-USA key deliverables per agreement with Y-USA including: building the organizational capacity of individual YMCAs; building strong networks to provide opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and support; developing Alliance infrastructure; forming collaborations to advance the strategic goals of the Alliance; and advocating and advancing the Alliance’s legislative priorities. The Executive Director will be recognized as the principle advocate at the state level for Iowa YMCAs focused on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
Alliance Operations: Manages day-to-day operations of the Alliance.
- Ensures the Alliance has a long-range strategy that achieves its mission, and toward which it makes consistent and timely progress.
- Promotes active and broad volunteer participation in Alliance work through local YMCAs.
- Identifies and coordinates strategic state-wide initiatives that support and advance the objectives of the Alliance strategic plan and the Y National Movement.
- Provides support to Alliance YMCAs through strategic planning and board development guidance.
- Identifies and secures public and private funding opportunities that support Alliance and/or YMCA Association goals (i.e. chronic disease prevention, education funding, childhood obesity, child care, summer camp, child safety, safety around water etc.) and either pursues or refers funding opportunities to local Ys as appropriate.
- Recruits, trains, supervises and releases any Alliance personnel (interns, Alliance staff).
- Develops and maintains a budget, operating within the budget guidelines and reports to the Executive Board of the Iowa Alliance of YMCAs on the same.
- Works closely with the Alliance fiscal agent to ensure that all state and federal requirements are met, documents are properly filed, policies and procedures are in place and reviewed annually.
- Identifies struggling associations in need of intervention support from Y-USA.
- Plans and administers key conferences for the Alliance, including CEO meetings, State Advocacy Day and Leadership Conference.
- Facilitates the building of organizational capacity of all the state’s Ys and provides opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and support.
- Works with the Alliance fiscal agent staff in the effective execution of key deliverables for the Alliance.
- Aligns Alliance work with that of Y-USA both programmatically and legislatively.
Alliance Communications: Manages proactive communications with internal and external audiences.
- Conducts official correspondence of the Alliance, and executes legal documents jointly with designated officers of the Executive Board of the Iowa Alliance of YMCAs.
- Creates and delivers a plan for sharing statewide community benefit of all Y Associations in the Alliance; implementing targeted communications to advance advocacy and proactive communications of Alliance activities and events.
- Develops and implements an internal and external communications plan that includes applicable, up-to-date communications tools and channels.
- Manages Alliance marketing and public relations.
- Engages in open sharing of information, best practices, opportunities and challenges with other state alliances and YMCA of the USA.
Collaborations: Identify and participate in strategic alliances and coalitions with like-minded organizations to meet Alliance objectives; connect and align with Y-USA priorities and sharing opportunities; support statewide program initiatives.
- Convenes Y leaders to facilitate the development of statewide program initiatives that allow for impactful change in youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
- Builds relationships, forms partnerships and joins key coalitions to position the YMCAs of Iowa as leading nonprofits and legislative advocates.
- Identifies and facilitates management agreements, shared service and merger discussions.
- Serves on statewide task forces, coalitions or committees as agreed upon with the Executive Board of the Alliance, and works to get YMCA staff and volunteers assigned to such.
- Hosts statewide events and engages Alliance member YMCAs in common program initiatives to raise the profile of the Y statewide and to generate statewide impacts that are measured and clearly and consistently communicated.
Advocacy: Leverages collective influence around policy change at the local, state and national levels. Facilitates Alliance Y’s speaking with one voice in support of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
- Builds the capacity of Y staff and volunteers to develop relationships with public officials and members of the community.
- Actively advocates on behalf of the YMCAs of Iowa.
- Actively engages YMCA advocates in supporting public policy priorities/legislative agenda, and engages staff and volunteers in Alliance legislative activities through trainings, meetings, calls, etc.
- Develops annual legislative agenda with input from Public Policy Committee, the Alliance contract legislative partner (Advocacy Strategies), Alliance staff members and volunteers. Hosts/supports annual advocacy events for federal and state lawmakers.
- Actively manages the Alliance contract legislative partner ensuring delivery of contract provisions. This includes evaluating their performance annually with input from Alliance members, developing and issuing a RFP where applicable, and communicating and strategizing regularly to ensure accurate representation of Y legislative agenda and positions.
- With guidance from the contract legislative partner, monitors and authors legislation that may have adverse and/or positive effects and communicate issues effectively to Ys.
- Facilitates subject matter experts among Y CEOs, staff and volunteers to respond to statewide issues or serve on agency task forces that have direct effect on the Y’s mission.
Miscellaneous
- In partnership with the Executive Board of the Iowa Alliance of YMCAs, seeks legal counsel where applicable.
- Consistently communicates with and visits member YMCAs and attends Y events, as appropriate.
- Minimum 5 – 10 years leading or consulting in non-profit or corporate environments.
- Professional, well-organized, detail oriented, self-motivated and proactive.
- Comfortable in a collaborative work environment and work well with a team of staff and volunteers.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- The ability to work on a variety of duties and issues, and manage multiple tasks.
- Appropriately and professionally work closely with Alliance YMCAs.
- Travel (approximately 40-50%) as needed.
- Familiarity with the YMCA movement, culture, mission and purpose. Commitment to the mission and core values of the YMCA.
Salary: $95,000.00 - $125,000.00