Chief Executive Officer

Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County (BGCDC) seeks a visionary CEO to lead a high-impact, multi-site organization with deep community roots and a strong track record of youth impact. The CEO will partner with the Board, staff, donors, and partners to guide strategy, expand programs, and strengthen financial sustainability.

The role requires significant senior leadership experience, a proven ability to grow diverse revenue streams, and a commitment to building durable capacity and relationships

Qualifications

• Senior executive leadership experience in a complex multi-stakeholder organization.
• Proven track record of growth, revenue generation, and diversified funding streams.
• Strong budgeting, resource allocation, and operational oversight.
• Experience partnering with a Board of Directors or equivalent governance body.
• Executive presence with external credibility and compelling communication.

Responsibilities

• Shape and execute a forward-looking strategy for growth and impact across multiple sites.
• Partner with the Board to develop strategic plans and ensure sustainable growth.
• Strengthen infrastructure, capacity, and systems to support a growing organization.
• Lead fundraising, donor engagement, and development of marketing/institutional visibility.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Fundraising

Stakeholder engagement

Financial acumen

Board governance

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree or equivalent leadership experience

Tools

CRM software

Financial reporting software

Job description

Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County (BGCDC) offers a rare opportunity to lead an organization with deep community roots, significant scale, and a powerful record of impact. The next CEO will build on a strong foundation while helping shape the organization’s next chapter—strengthening its institutional capacity, deepening community relationships, and ensuring its impact continues to grow.

This is an important moment of transition and evolution. The next leader will have the opportunity to strengthen the organization’s institutional capacity, deepen relationships throughout Dane County, build sustainable financial and development infrastructure, and ensure that the community more fully understands the extraordinary work happening every day with young people.

Working closely with the Board, staff, donors, and community partners, the CEO will help guide thoughtful decisions about the organization’s future growth and impact—ensuring BGCDC continues to meet the evolving needs of young people and families across the region. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity in one of the most dynamic and community-oriented cities in America. The CEO will shape the next chapter of BGCDC’s legacy—ensuring that youth across Dane County have access to the safety, mentorship, and opportunities they need to thrive.

As a powerful testament to the Club experience, an astounding 54% of national Club alumni have expressed that the Club had a life-altering impact on them. This highlights the incredible opportunity to make a profound and transformative difference in the lives of young people—creating opportunities, changing trajectories, and leaving a lasting impact on the communities they serve.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Direction

• Shape and execute a forward-looking strategy that builds on the organization’s strong foundation and guides its next chapter of growth and impact.
• Partner with the Board to develop and implement the next strategic plan, including thoughtful decisions around geographic expansion, unmet community needs, and program growth.
• Strengthen the organization’s infrastructure and institutional capacity so its success, reputation, and sustainability are not dependent on any one individual.
• Assess organizational needs, develop leadership talent, and build the team and systems necessary to support a growing, multi-site organization.

Mission Impact & Community Leadership

• Champion high-quality programs and measurable outcomes that support young people from early childhood through college, career, and adulthood.
• Build personal credibility and meaningful relationships across Dane County by engaging authentically with youth, families, community leaders, partners, and stakeholders.
• Elevate public understanding of BGCDC by shifting the narrative beyond events and fundraising to the organization’s daily impact and outcomes for young people.
• Strengthen strategic partnerships with schools, nonprofit organizations, government, businesses, and other community partners to expand access and impact.

Revenue Growth & Institutional Resource Development

• Lead a comprehensive resource development strategy that strengthens and diversifies revenue across major gifts, grants, annual giving, corporate partnerships, events, public funding, and earned revenue.
• Cultivate and steward meaningful relationships with donors, foundations, corporations, and community partners while strengthening donor retention and long-term engagement.
• Build the development and marketing infrastructure needed to ensure fundraising and community visibility are sustained by strong systems—not dependent on any one individual.
• Elevate the organization’s public story by connecting fundraising and community engagement to the measurable impact BGCDC has on young people and families.

High-Performing Board Partnership

• Partner with the Board to advance the organization’s mission, strategy, financial sustainability, and long-term growth.
• Leverage Board leadership in fundraising, donor engagement, community partnerships, governance, and strategic decision-making.
• Keep the Board informed and positioned to provide effective oversight of financial stewardship, growth, and key priorities.
• Lead disciplined financial stewardship, including budget oversight, capital planning, reserves, debt, and facility obligations.
• Strengthen the finance function and build the systems needed to support a growing, multi-site organization.
• Partner with the Board to ensure sound financial governance and make informed decisions about long-term sustainability, growth, and investment.
• Balance current resources with future needs, including strategic decisions around facilities, expansion, and program growth.

Culture, Talent & Organizational Leadership

• Stabilize, support, and re-engage a capable team as the organization continues through a period of transition and loss.
• Assess organizational talent, retain and develop strong leaders, and build capacity where additional expertise is needed.
• Foster a culture grounded in trust, collaboration, accountability, and care for the people who deliver the mission.
• Lead with the emotional intelligence and judgment to know when to create momentum and when to give the organization space to recover and regroup.

Community Leadership, External Relations & Brand Elevation

• Serve as a visible and trusted ambassador for BGCDC across Dane County’s nonprofit, business, philanthropic, education, and civic communities.
• Build and deepen relationships with community leaders, schools, government, employers, funders, and strategic partners.
• Elevate BGCDC’s visibility and reputation by clearly communicating the organization’s impact and the value it brings to young people and families.

Organizational Leadership, Safety & Accountability

• Ensure a strong culture of safety, accountability, and operational excellence across all Club, school, and workforce development sites.
• Maintain effective systems, policies, and practices that support compliance, risk management, and consistent delivery of high-quality programs.
• Lead with transparency and sound judgment, proactively identifying challenges and strengthening the organization’s capacity to serve youth and families.

Qualifications

• Significant senior or executive leadership experience in a complex, multi-stakeholder organization, with responsibility for strategy, operations, and organizational growth.
• Strong track record of identifying and pursuing growth opportunities, generating revenue, and building sustainable financial resources across multiple funding streams.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including budgeting, resource allocation, and operational oversight.
• Advanced knowledge and expertise in asset management, including financial resources and property.
• Experience partnering effectively with a Board of Directors or comparable governing body.
• Compelling communicator with executive presence and external credibility.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or equivalent senior leadership experience preferred.