The Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) works to advance reproductive autonomy and justice for everyone by providing financial, logistical, and emotional support to people seeking abortion services, and by building collective power and fostering partnerships for political and cultural change.
In the ongoing fight to protect reproductive choice and expand reproductive justice, CAF has provided direct financial assistance to thousands of people, $46,000 to 156 so far in 2018 alone. CAF was able to provide this crucial support thanks to the generous contributions of its funders and the fundraising efforts of its active board, dozens of committed volunteers, and hundreds of supporters who raised $55,000 during this past year’s annual Bowl-A-Thon. Efforts like this have enabled CAF to increase the financial support it provides grantees by $20,000, meaning larger grants and an expansion of our logistical and emotional support programs by establishing pre- and post-abortion services for all grantees.
Not only has CAF succeeded in growing its impact, it has also grown as an organization. CAF recently recruited and onboarded four new board members, expanded its presence online and in the community, and was accepted into the National Network of Abortion Fund’s policy cohort to help shape the strategies around promoting proactive policies that affirm abortion as a valid choice, block restrictions on reproductive freedom, and expand reproductive justice.
These are exciting times for CAF and we’re seeking a bold leader with transformative ideas to build upon our successes and guide us as we enter our next phase of growth and impact.
Position Summary: The ideal Executive Director (ED) will have a deep knowledge of the reproductive justice movement, abortion funds, helplines, and the status of abortion access in Illinois, as well as at the federal and national levels. They will be responsible for overseeing CAF’s helpline and abortion funding work, advocacy, evaluation and expansion of existing programs and services, community engagement, staff, and day-to-day operations. The ED will also be responsible for regularly evaluating CAF’s activities and priorities to ensure they meet the organization’s mission and financial objectives, while also remaining nimble enough to respond to emerging opportunities and community needs.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Leadership & Management
- Advocate for reproductive justice and abortion access by centering the best interests of CAF’s grantees; serve as the face of CAF and represent the organization at public speaking engagements, media interviews, meetings with elected officials, etc.
- Participate in reproductive justice movement-building initiatives; collaborate with existing partners and develop new partnerships in service area communities and nationally.
- Coordinate all programmatic, managerial, and administrative activities of CAF.
- Implement CAF’s strategic vision by developing and implementing innovative and forward-thinking programs; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals; ensure ongoing programming excellence via regular program evaluations.
- Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors; communicate regularly with the Board and its subcommittees, and provide, in a timely and accurate manner, all information necessary for the Board to function properly and make informed decisions.
- Actively engage and energize volunteers, board members, event committees, grantees, partnering organizations, and funders in furthering CAF’s mission and strategic goals.
- Oversee the legal and financial management of CAF to ensure that the organization is compliant with relevant laws and maintains sound fiscal practices.
- Supervise and oversee work of other CAF staff members.
Development & Communication
- Develop and ensure adherence to an annual budget, which effectively and responsibly allocates resources in a manner consistent with CAF’s mission and strategic goals.
- Implement a diversified and sustainable development strategy that supports current programming and operations and accommodates CAF’s growing need and desire to support more grantees; expand CAF’s grants portfolio and fundraising footprint.
- Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger organizational profile.
- Build relationships with supporters, networks, organizations, and other stakeholders important to CAF’s growth and success.
Required Qualifications:
- Demonstrated commitment to social justice and at least five years experience working with and for low-income communities and communities of color.
- Five or more years of experience in nonprofit management and program development, management, and evaluation.
- Five to seven years of organizational management experience with the ability to develop, coach, and manage high-performance staff and teams including setting and achieving strategic objectives within organizational budgets.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to clearly articulate ideas in relation to programmatic and organizational goals and purpose.
- Demonstrated coalition building experience at the individual, organizational, and government levels.
- Experience handling confidential information in a discreet and professional manner.
- Excellent communications skills-written, oral, interpersonal and online.
Desired Qualifications:
- Work experience in reproductive justice and a social change-oriented framing strongly preferred.
- A persuasive and passionate communicator.
- Strong abilities in multidisciplinary approaches to projects and programming.
- Experience in research, policy, outreach, and advocacy.
- Experience with some combination of Google docs, Office, task management software, and social media.
- Experience with nonprofit bulk email, interactive marketing, and donor management software (i.e. SalesForce).
- Experience building and cultivating collaborative teams.
Salary Range: $70,000 - $80,000, commensurate with experience. CAF also offers stipends for health insurance, transit, and cell plans, in addition to paid vacation and paid time off (includes holidays).
Deadline: January 14, 2019 at 11:59 PM CT. Early applications highly encouraged.
Estimated Date of Hire: February 2019
Interested applicants should email their cover letter, resume, three references, and work sample (i.e. project proposal, grant application, program evaluation, etc.) to [email protected] with this subject line: [First and Last Name] - Executive Director Application. Please be sure to describe your personal connection or commitment to CAF’s mission in your cover letter.
The Chicago Abortion Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and member of the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF), a membership organization of over 70 funds across the U.S.
The Chicago Abortion Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to build and maintain a diverse and inclusive team with regard to race, culture, ethnicity, class, religion, physical ability, age, gender, and sexual orientation. As an organization working in solidarity with the reproductive justice movement, CAF is committed to fostering the leadership of people of color, Native people, immigrants, refugees, low income people, LGBQ+ people, trans people, women, people with disabilities, teenage parents, people who were formerly incarcerated, people who have received funding for abortions, and people living in the many intersections of these experiences.