Executive Director

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Madison (WI); Remote; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care stipend

Matching IRA retirement plan

Job summary

Own It: Building Black Wealth is seeking an Executive Director to provide strategic and operational leadership. The role reports to the Board and drives fundraising, partnerships, and program strategy, with a focus on expanding impact in Madison and surrounding areas.

The Executive Director will lead staff, ensure financial sustainability, and steward organizational health while advancing the mission of increasing generational wealth through homeownership for Black and brown families.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership experience in nonprofit, business, government, or community-based organization.
• Experience with fundraising, donor relationships, and revenue generation.
• Experience with nonprofit governance and working with or reporting to a Board of Directors.
• Commitment to racial equity and Own It's mission of increasing generational wealth through homeownership for Black and brown families.

Responsibilities

• Lead Own It's fundraising strategy, including grants, applications, reporting, and compliance.
• Partner with the Board of Directors on strategic planning and organizational direction.
• Oversee organizational operations, including data management, technology platforms, and workflows; manage budget and contracts.
• Cultivate relationships with education, housing, and community partners; represent Own It in meetings and events.
• Provide strategic leadership for the Education Program, Down Payment Grant Program, and Ambassador Network.

Skills

Leadership

Fundraising

Governance

Financial Management

Strategic Planning

Job description

Executive Director - Position Description

Hours: Full-time

Reports to: Board of Directors

Location: Remote, open to candidates residing in the Greater Madison area, Wisconsin

Annual Salary Range: $100,000 - $120,000 annual salary, dependent on experience. Benefits include a health care stipend and a matching IRA retirement plan.

Position Summary

The Executive Director provides strategic and operational leadership for Own It: Building Black Wealth, advancing its mission to increase generational wealth through homeownership for Black and brown families and addressing racial disparities in the real estate market. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director leads the organization's strategy, fundraising, partnerships, staff, financial sustainability, and overall operations while ensuring long‑term organizational health and measurable community impact.

About the Moment:

Own It is in a season of growth — building the staff and systems infrastructure that will let the organization scale beyond what one founder‑leader can carry alone. This is a chance to lead an organization with real traction: an Education Program, a Down Payment Grant Program, and an Ambassador network already in motion, all in service of closing the racial wealth gap through homeownership. The next Executive Director will inherit a strong vision and the mandate to operationalize and systematize what comes next.

Who You Are:

You lead with integrity and follow through on commitments: to the community you serve, to funders, and to the board. You think strategically about where Own It is headed while staying grounded in its mission of building generational wealth through homeownership for Black and brown families. You build real relationships—with community, partners, donors, and board members—and you know how to steward trust once you've earned it.

Competencies & What You'll Own

Fundraising, Integrity & Accountability

- Lead Own It's overall fundraising strategy, including grant strategy, applications, reporting, and compliance. Cultivate and steward relationships with donors, funders, and sponsors. Report fundraising progress to the board with transparency and follow-through. Operate with the kind of accountability that builds long‑term trust — with funders, staff, and the community.

Board Partnership & Governance

- Partner with the Board of Directors on strategic planning and organizational direction. Maintain clear boundaries between executive and board roles. Prepare board meeting agendas, reports, and materials in collaboration with board leadership. Ensure compliance with 501(c)(3) nonprofit regulations and reporting requirements. Oversee board committees, including Executive, Fundraising, and Donor Management.

Community Partnership & Rootedness

- Cultivate and expand relationships with education, housing, and community partners. Represent Own It in the community through meetings, events, and public speaking. Build and strengthen relationships with real estate professionals, financial institutions, and strategic partners. Provide strategic leadership for the Ambassador Program, including recruitment, engagement, and stewardship.

Strategic & Mission Leadership

- Lead strategic planning in partnership with the board. Ensure long‑term sustainability, effectiveness, and impact through strategic leadership. Provide strategic oversight of the Education Program and Down Payment Grant Program. Establish long‑term program goals and evaluate program effectiveness.

People-First Leadership & Reputation

- Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, and performance management for staff and contractors. Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Serve as Own It's primary spokesperson and main point of contact for press. Oversee communications strategy to ensure consistent messaging across audiences.

Position Description

Core Responsibilities

Fundraising, Integrity & Accountability

• Lead Own It's overall fundraising strategy, including grant strategy, applications, reporting, and compliance.
  Cultivate and steward relationships with donors, funders, and sponsors.
  Report fundraising progress to the board with transparency and follow-through.
  Partner with the Fundraising Committee to achieve fundraising goals.

Board Partnership & Governance

• Partner with the Board of Directors on strategic planning and organizational direction.
  Maintain clear boundaries between executive and board roles.
  Prepare board meeting agendas, reports, and materials in collaboration with board leadership.
  Ensure compliance with 501(c)(3) nonprofit regulations and reporting requirements.
  Oversee board committees, including Executive, Fundraising, and Donor Management.

Operations & Financial Management

• Oversee organizational systems, infrastructure, and processes that support day‑to‑day operations, including data management, technology platforms, and internal workflows.
  Manage the organization's budget in partnership with the Treasurer/Finance Committee, including monthly reconciliation, cash flow monitoring, and variance reporting.
  Select, negotiate, and oversee contracts with vendors and outside contractors, ensuring accountability to scope, budget, and timeline.
  Ensure sound financial controls, recordkeeping, and audit‑readiness in accordance with nonprofit accounting standards.
  Maintain scalable operational systems that support organizational growth without adding unnecessary complexity.
  Manage risk—including insurance, contracts, and compliance—proactively rather than reactively.

Community Partnership & Rootedness

• Cultivate and expand relationships with education, housing, and community partners.
  Represent Own It in the community through meetings, events, and public speaking.
  Build and strengthen relationships with real estate professionals, financial institutions, and strategic partners.
  Provide strategic leadership for the Ambassador Program, including recruitment, engagement, and stewardship.

Strategic & Mission Leadership

• Lead strategic planning in partnership with the board.
  Ensure long‑term sustainability, effectiveness, and impact through strategic leadership.
  Provide strategic oversight of the Education Program and Down Payment Grant Program.
  Establish long‑term program goals and evaluate program effectiveness.

People-First Leadership & Reputation

• Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, and performance management for staff and contractors.
  Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
  Serve as Own It's primary spokesperson and main point of contact for press.
  Oversee communications strategy to ensure consistent messaging across audiences.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership experience in a nonprofit, business, government, or community‑based organization.
  Experience with fundraising, donor relationships, and revenue generation.
  Experience with nonprofit governance and working with or reporting to a Board of Directors.
  Commitment to racial equity and Own It's mission of increasing generational wealth through homeownership for Black and brown families.
  Strong financial acumen, experience with building and being accountable to annual budgets, as well as knowledge of grant management.
  Strong relationship‑building and communication skills, including public speaking.

Preferred Qualifications

• Executive Director or senior nonprofit leadership experience
• Familiarity with housing finance, homeownership programs, or community development.

Work Expectations

• Full‑time, available for standard business hours, with flexibility to accommodate occasional evening and weekend meetings, events, and community engagements.
• Remote position, with occasional local travel required for meetings and events, as well as being present for in‑person events and gatherings in community settings.
• Must be able to work independently while collaborating effectively with staff, contractors, the Board of Directors, and community partners.