Chief Executive Officer

Transplant House of Cleveland; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Transplant House of Cleveland (THoC) is seeking a visionary Chief Executive Officer to lead fundraising, operations, and governance for a $1.5 million annual budget. The role focuses on growing donor pipelines, leading a capital campaign, and strengthening relationships with hospital networks and major donors.

The CEO will recruit and mentor a small team, partner with the Board and external consultants, and cultivate a culture centered on patients and caregivers.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of professional fundraising and development experience, with a proven track record of personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts.
• Experience in an executive or senior leadership role within a nonprofit organization.
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Outstanding written, public speaking, and storytelling abilities for media and public engagement.
• Experience managing a $1M+ nonprofit budget and understanding nonprofit financial reporting.
• Bachelor's degree required.

Responsibilities

• Lead major gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship through the donor pipeline.
• Collaborate with the Capital Campaign Consultant and Board to execute campaign strategies and secure leadership gifts.
• Identify and cultivate new individual, corporate, and foundation donors to expand the donor base.
• Partner with development and marketing committees to achieve ambitious revenue goals.
• Implement donor acknowledgment and stewardship systems to build lifelong loyalty.

Skills

Major gift fundraising

Executive leadership

Interpersonal skills

Public speaking

Storytelling

Nonprofit budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Transplant House of Cleveland (THoC) is a mission-driven nonprofit organization providing affordable, temporary housing and a welcoming, supportive community to organ transplant patients and their caregivers who travel to Cleveland for care. Founded in 2014, THoC opened its doors as seven apartments and has since grown to 37 fully furnished, private apartments, having served more than 1,400 patients to date.

THoC’s mission is: To provide affordable, temporary housing and a welcoming, supportive community to organ transplant patients and their caregivers.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) serves as the visionary leader, chief fundraiser, and operational executive for Transplant House of Cleveland (THoC), reporting to the Board of Directors and overseeing its staff, volunteers, campus facilities, and $1.5 million annual budget.

The CEO will guide THoC through an exciting phase of growth, partnering closely with the Board of Directors and an external capital campaign consultant to launch and execute a transformative capital campaign. As the primary liaison to the Board, the CEO fosters strong governance partnerships and aligns Board talent with strategic priorities.

The CEO also serves as THoC’s chief spokesperson, an engaging, high energy relationship builder who authentically connects with major donors, hospital networks, medical professionals, and the community to expand THoC’s philanthropic footprint and regional visibility.

The CEO recruits, motivates, and mentors a dedicated team, championing a compassionate, collaborative culture that keeps transplant guests and their caregivers at the center of all operations. The CEO leads a team of 2 direct reports (Director of Development, Director of Operations) with a total staff of ~10 and a strong volunteer corps.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic, mission-driven fundraiser with a demonstrated record of personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts, developing high performing teams, managing financial and operational complexity, and building authentic, lasting relationships with diverse stakeholders.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leads individual major gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, successfully moving prospects through the donor pipeline.
• Collaborates closely with the retained Capital Campaign Consultant and the Board to execute campaign strategies and secure leadership level gifts.
• Actively identifies and cultivates new individual, corporate, and foundation donors to expand the current donor base.
• Partners with the Director of Development and the Development & Marketing Committee to achieve ambitious revenue goals.
• Implements robust donor acknowledgment and stewardship systems to build lifelong organizational loyalty.

Community Relations & Ambassador Role

• Serves as the public face and champion of THoC to hospital systems, medical professionals, transplant entities, media, and civic leaders.
• Oversees marketing and public relations initiatives to elevate regional and national brand awareness.
• Ensures all public messaging accurately conveys the impact of THoC’s services on transplant caregivers.

Campus Operations & Guest Services

• Sustains an operational model that guarantees safe, high quality, and supportive temporary housing for guests.
• Ensures consistently high levels of guests’ satisfaction.
• Directs management of the physical plant, campus property, and equipment in collaboration with the Facility Committee and landlords.
• Recruits, develops, and retains a high caliber, empathetic staff and volunteer cohort, fostering a supportive workplace environment.
• Enforces compliance with all health, legal, and safety regulations inherent to a medical hospitality lodging facility.

Board Governance & Strategic Direction

• Pairs with the Board President/trustees to map and execute short- and long-term strategic plans.
• Co-creates board meeting agendas, facilitates committee communications, and serves as an ex officio committee member.
• Delivers transparent, timely progress reports on strategic milestones and fundraising benchmarks to the Board.
• Directs the creation and management of the $1.5 million annual operating budget alongside the Finance Committee.
• Maximizes organizational efficiency by monitoring expenditures against budget restrictions.
• Ensures clean financial tracking, audit readiness, and compliance with nonprofit accounting standards.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 10 years of professional fundraising and development experience, with a proven track record of personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts
• Prior experience in an executive, assistant director, or senior leadership role within a nonprofit organization
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with a proven ability to build authentic, lasting relationships with diverse stakeholders, including institutional donors, corporate partners, and healthcare executives
• Outstanding written, public speaking, and storytelling skills to passionately convey THoC's mission to the media and the public
• Demonstrated experience managing an organization or department budget of a similar scale ($1M+), with a strong understanding of nonprofit financial reporting
• Bachelor's degree required

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree or Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) credential
• Leadership experience within healthcare hospitality, social services, or housing focused nonprofits
• Prior capital campaign management experience, or the foundational major gift skills necessary to partner effectively with an external campaign consultant
• Experience working with a Board of Directors or governing body
• Familiarity with the transplant, medical hospitality, or patient and family support space