The Lawrence Community Shelter is seeking a dedicated leader to serve as the next Executive Director. The Executive Director plays a crucial leadership role, responsible for both the strategic direction and daily operations of Lawrence Community Shelter. As a key figure directly accountable to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is instrumental in shaping the organization's mission, fostering a culture of compassion, nurturing valuable community relationships and partnerships, and ensuring financial sustainability. This role demands a dynamic leader dedicated to advancing the shelter's commitment to compassion, social justice, and community service.
To ensure Lawrence Community Shelter remains responsive to the evolving needs of our community and individuals facing homelessness, the Executive Director will be expected to the address the following immediate priorities and future opportunities:
● Expanding immediate access low-barrier emergency shelter services, especially during inclement weather, to support single adults experiencing homelessness.
● Enhancing warehouse space utilization to increase capacity for our night-by-night program and to create a more segmented environment for distinct populations.
● Implementing shelter options through the use of pallet shelters in an adjacent parking lot.
● Establishing a community outreach and day center facility that provides essential hygiene services such as bathrooms, showers, and laundry facilities, to promote dignity and public health, and space for community partners to offer additional supportive services.
● Managing an off-site pallet shelter "village" with communal facilities for hygiene and storage, providing vital support to those in need.
● Ensuring single women and families with children have immediate access to low-barrier emergency shelter services.
● Collaborating with community partners to reduce the Douglas County Annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count for unsheltered individuals by 50 percent.
The incoming Executive Director will serve as a pivotal force in driving positive change, ensuring that Lawrence Community Shelter remains a beacon of hope, offering essential resources, compassion, and sustainable solutions to individuals facing homelessness in Lawrence and Douglas County, Kansas.
ORGANIZATION:
Founded in 2005, Lawrence Community Shelter is rooted in the principles of human rights, social justice, and community service. Our mission is to advance compassionate solutions for people facing homelessness through advocacy, shelter, and housing. We believe in the inherent dignity of all individuals and are dedicated to ensuring that every person has access to the basic necessities of life.
Lawrence Community Shelter is committed to providing year-round safe shelter, nourishment, support services, and a pathway to a positive future for every member of the Douglas County community. With a dedicated team of more than 30 employees, Lawrence Community Shelter embraces a Housing First approach, offering immediate and low-barrier access to those in the midst of a housing crisis. Under the guidance of an interim executive director since April 2022, we continue to fortify our mission to create lasting change.
Our mission is closely aligned with and guided by the comprehensive Housing and Homelessness Strategic Plan, known as ‘A Place for Everyone: A Community Plan to End Homelessness.’ This strategic framework, developed by the City of Lawrence and Douglas County, in collaboration with key community stakeholders, informs our efforts to tackle the complexities of homelessness. For more information, please visit www.lawrenceshelter.org.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROLE:
As the primary leader reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) holds comprehensive accountability for both the strategic direction and daily operations of Lawrence Community Shelter.
This pivotal role involves:
● Providing visionary leadership to fulfill the organization's mission and demonstrate dedication to compassionate solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness.
● Engaging with community stakeholders, fostering partnerships, and ensuring positive community relations to promote understanding and support.
● Skillfully managing shelter programs, operational functions, and financial matters while adhering to legal and ethical standards.
● Carefully stewarding all resources associated with Lawrence Community Shelter, including time, talent, and well-being of self, staff, and volunteers.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Organizational Leadership
● Engages staff and board in regularly reviewing and updating the organization’s strategic vision, plan, and goals.
● Fosters a collaborative environment with staff, volunteers, community partners, and the Board that encourages creative thinking, innovation, and progress toward shared goals.
● Maintains all necessary filings, registrations, and certifications to comply with state requirements for nonprofits.
● Ensures that funding, contract, and reporting requirements are completed accurately and on time, providing supervision and support to the teams responsible for these tasks.
2. Administration and Human Resources
● Ensures compliance with Lawrence Community Shelter policies and adherence to relevant workplace and employment laws, fostering an ethical and transparent organizational culture.
● Fosters a culture of trust, personal empowerment, and continuous growth for staff and volunteers, ensuring a positive and supportive work environment.
● Supports staff and volunteers in establishing and evaluating program goals and in identifying lapses or gaps, providing effective supervision as needed.
● Proactively identifies potential conflicts and disagreements and implement strategies to address and resolve them.
● Ensures an effective staffing and volunteer structure.
● Ensures inclusivity and diversity in recruiting, hiring, engaging, leading, evaluating, and retaining a team with varied backgrounds, experiences, and qualifications, including providing necessary supervision and mentorship.
● Follows established and appropriate policies and procedures for hiring staff, ensuring that they receive adequate supervision and support.
● Provides effective oversight, including appropriate training, supervision, evaluation, and recognition for all staff members and volunteers.
● Ensures the maintenance of personnel records, employee leave, and accrual records.
3. Financial Management
● Maintains a day-to-day knowledge of the financial status of Lawrence Community Shelter, ensuring appropriate disbursement of funds with a focus on responsible and prudent management of resources.
● Prepares an annual budget, produces financial reports, regularly assesses the financial health of Lawrence Community Shelter, and reports on adherence to the budget, initiating changes when necessary.
● Prepares and maintains financial projections and contingency plans to aid in decision-making during times of expected and actual budgetary constraints and shortfalls.
● Ensures all financial records are accurate and maintained in compliance with relevant standards, laws, and regulations.
● Ensures adequate control and accounting of all funds, including maintaining sound financial practices.
● Manages affiliated entities' operational plans, budgets, and fiscal practices.
● Oversees all expenditures and reviews monthly actuals and cash flow reports.
● Understands and ensures compliance with the requirements of all grants and contracts.
● Reviews and approves financial reports for HUD, City of Lawrence, Douglas County, and other funders as needed.
● Coordinates an annual independent financial audit and facilitates financial audits by granting agencies to ensure transparency and accuracy.
● Coordinates the annual independent financial audit in a timely manner and ensures the expeditious facilitation of financial audits by granting agencies to guarantee transparency and accuracy.
● Approves payables, bank reconciliations, budget-to-actual reports, and payroll, maintaining a keen eye on financial transactions.
4. Program Management and Supervision
● Meets regularly with the senior leadership team, program directors, and staff to maintain a high level of quality in service delivery and to understand program challenges, working collaboratively to identify solutions and opportunities.
● Provides on-call support to maintain program operations as needed, including overseeing and supervising staff during these periods.
● Collects and analyzes data, including the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to identify gaps in services and strategies to address those gaps.
● Ensures all program activities are conducted in a safe and secure manner, prioritizing the well-being of both staff and guests.
● Provides guidance and support in conducting the annual HUD Point-in-Time Count.
● Collaborates with the senior leadership team and program directors to regularly review policies and procedures for the organization and all programs to ensure compliance and to identify necessary and appropriate changes.
● Utilizes program, client, and community data to develop, evaluate, or discontinue program activities, with a focus on maximizing mission alignment, program effectiveness, and financial impact. 5. Fundraising, Community Engagement, and Resource Development
● Represents the organization in a professional manner by serving as a public spokesperson with the media and other key constituents.
● Maintains a consistent, pervasive presence in social media outlets for the purposes of supporting the shelter’s mission and fundraising.
● Participate in public forums and media opportunities to educate and raise awareness about homelessness and create support for Lawrence Community Shelter.
● Works with senior leadership team and financial staff to oversee the creation and maintenance of a resource development plan aligned with the annual budget that sets realistic, ambitious plans for acquiring funds.
● Works with senior leadership team and development staff to establish and implement a donor engagement plan to identify new donors, re-engage previous donors, maintain positive relationships with donors and recognize their contributions.
● Actively supports all fundraising activities and donor engagement activities, including identification, development, writing, and management of government and other contracts and grants.
● With development staff, serves as a liaison for all federal, state, county, and city governments, agencies, and other funding entities.
● Prepares and annual report, sharing the success of Lawrence Community Shelter with the community.
5. Fundraising, Community Engagement, and Resource Development
● Represents the organization in a professional manner by serving as a public spokesperson with the media and other key constituents.
● Maintains a consistent, pervasive presence in social media outlets for the purposes of supporting the shelter’s mission and fundraising.
● Participate in public forums and media opportunities to educate and raise awareness about homelessness and create support for Lawrence Community Shelter.
● Works with senior leadership team and financial staff to oversee the creation and maintenance of a resource development plan aligned with the annual budget that sets realistic, ambitious plans for acquiring funds.
● Works with senior leadership team and development staff to establish and implement a donor engagement plan to identify new donors, re-engage previous donors, maintain positive relationships with donors and recognize their contributions.
● Actively supports all fundraising activities and donor engagement activities, including identification, development, writing, and management of government and other contracts and grants.
● With development staff, serves as a liaison for all federal, state, county, and city governments, agencies, and other funding entities.
● Prepares and annual report, sharing the success of Lawrence Community Shelter with the community.
● Provides high quality communication to stakeholders, staff, clients, and the community.
● Works with the Continuum of Care toward the goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.
● Ensures partnership agreements are well executed, promoting collaboration, synergy, and effectively managing any conflicts or disagreements that may arise to maintain positive collaborations.
6. Board Engagement
● Attends all Board meetings, or provides a representative, and reports regularly about progress toward organizational goals, financial status of the organization, and other issues of concern.
● Ensures Board members are kept informed and educated about the condition and finances of the organization, the status/outcomes of programs, the support of the staff, community and issue changes, and opportunities and challenges.
● Collaborates with the Board to develop strategies for achieving Lawrence Community Shelter’s mission, goals, and financial viability.
● Supports and advises Board committees as necessary to accomplish the work of the organization.
● Works with Board officers to ensure the Board is effective as a body and that there is an appropriate plan for recruitment and orientation of new and diverse board members.
● Works closely with the Board chair to create effective Board meeting agendas that develop and monitor strategic plans for the organization, and appropriately conducts regular financial and administrative business.
● Performs other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.
7. Legal Compliance
● Ensure strict adherence to all applicable laws, including but not limited to the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) and the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA).
● Familiarize oneself with the requirements and obligations outlined in KOMA and KORA and ensure that all organizational activities, meetings, and record-keeping practices align with the stipulations of these laws.
● Uphold the principles of open and transparent governance in all aspects of organizational operations, fostering a culture of accountability and legal compliance.
● Ensure compliance with all legal agreements with other organizational entities, such as special use permit conditions and requirements.
Experience Has a minimum of five years of nonprofit leadership, financial management, and supervision experience during which time the applicant has demonstrated:
● Commitment to preventing, addressing, and ending homelessness.
● Success in community collaboration and partnership building with diverse stakeholders, fostering positive relationships and achieving shared goals.
● Success in developing and managing an organizational budget.
● Success in managing private and government grants/contracts.
● Success in fundraising and securing large grants, contracts, and gifts from donors.
● Success in creating and implementing strategic plans.
● Success in using data in assessment and decision making.
● Strong skills in written, oral, and interpersonal communication.
● Honest, transparent, and ethical professional behavior.
● Strong conflict resolution skills, with the ability to navigate disagreements and disputes effectively.
● Demonstrates maturity, compassion, empathy, and cultural competence, connecting with individuals of diverse backgrounds, including race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic status, language, disability, nationality, and age.
Education
● Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as social work, nonprofit management, public administration, public health, community development, or business administration.
● Relevant training and experience may be considered in place of formal education requirements.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
● Graduate degree in a relevant field such as social work, nonprofit management, public administration, public health, community development, or business administration.
● Understanding of federal policies, program regulations, documentation practices, and reporting procedures related to HUD grants.
● Familiarity with evidence-based practices in addressing homelessness.
● Proven experience collaborating with a board of directors.
● Strong grant writing and grant management skills.
● Proficiency in both English and Spanish.
SALARY RANGE:
$90,000 to $120,000 annually, salary commensurate with experience.
FRINGE BENEFITS:
● Health, dental, and vision insurance (effective the 1st of the month after hire date).
● Annual leave and sick leave (accrued immediately upon hire).
● Paid time off for 9 Lawrence Community Shelter observed holidays.
● Basic life and AD&D insurance (100% employer paid).
● Employee assistance program (100% employer paid).
DATE OF ANNOUNCEMENT:
November 8, 2023. Applications will be accepted until November 28, 2023.
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references (including name, relationship to applicant, and contact information) to Charlie Bryan via email at [email protected]. Please include "Executive Director Application" in the subject line.
After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email to acknowledge receipt. If you do not receive a confirmation within 5 business days, please contact Lawrence Community Shelter at 785-832-8864 for assistance. Applications will be accepted until November 28, 2023.
Please visit us at www.lawrenceshelter.org/edsearch.