Executive Director

Social Impact Commons, Inc.; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits package through PEO

Hybrid work schedule

Travel across Wisconsin

Job summary

Center for Community Stewardship (C4CS) in Madison, WI seeks an Executive Director to lead a small team and coordinate with partners. The role blends hands-on management with strategic oversight of finances, reporting, and fundraising.

You will strengthen project communication, establish financial foundations, and connect projects to funders while supporting project leaders and keeping staff aligned with mission and equity goals.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of nonprofit leadership or senior management experience.
• Strong financial acumen: able to explain numbers to a board and to non-financial audiences.
• Success in fundraising or revenue development, including relationship-based fundraising and proposals.
• Track record of building systems and processes, and comfort adopting financial and project management tech.
• Natural connector who brings people and organizations together without taking over their work.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, credible as the public face of the organization.
• Sound judgment and discretion with sensitive personnel matters.
• Genuine commitment to equity and reducing barriers for community-based organizations.

Responsibilities

• Strengthen communication across sponsored projects, staff and the Board, clarifying responsibilities and support.
• Review portfolio and establish criteria for accepting new projects and sponsorships.
• Build financial and operational foundations: budget, reporting, controls, and documented processes.
• Lead, support and develop a small team and partner with the Board.
• Roll out tools to give projects up-to-date visibility into funds and resources.

Skills

Nonprofit leadership

Financial acumen

Fundraising

Systems & processes

Relationship building

Communication

Discretion

Equity commitment

Job description

Welcome to the Management Commons Job Board! Below you will find career opportunities with dynamic fiscal sponsors and other innovative organizations!

Finance Management Non-Profit/Volunteering Leadership Capacity Building Strategic Planning

Job Type:
Full Time

Work Location:
Hybrid

About the Job

C4CS is entering a new chapter, and we are looking for an Executive Director to lead it. This is a hands-on role in a small organization: an Executive Director, a Program Manager and an Accounting Manager carry the day-to-day work. Outside partners support specific functions: SustainableHR, our PEO, handles HR administration, payroll and benefits; Johnson Block is our independent auditor; and our Fiscal Sponsorship Commons membership offers a national peer network, templates and advisory support. The Executive Director is the connector who draws on these partners, rather than carrying every function alone.

Our next Executive Director will start by strengthening communication across projects, staff and the Board; clarifying how we manage and support our project portfolio; and strengthening the organization’s financial and operational foundations. From there, you will help our projects become more connected, more visible and better funded. You will not direct our projects; their leaders are capable and know their work. You will give them dependable systems, clear and transparent information, and ways to pool resources across the network so no project has to build every function alone.

Primary Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities (your first-year priorities):

• Strengthen communication across sponsored projects, staff and the Board so project leaders understand their finances, know whom to contact, receive timely updates, and have clear expectations about available support and mutual responsibilities.
• Review the existing portfolio and establish consistent criteria for accepting new projects and managing sponsorships over time, with attention to mission alignment, administrative demands and staff capacity.
• Build the financial and operational foundations: a realistic budget, regular reporting on cash, reserves and revenue, strong financial controls, a review of our fee and cost-share model, and documented processes so knowledge lives in the organization and not in any one person.
• Lead, support and develop a small team, and partner openly with an engaged Board.
• Then, with the Board and staff, sequence further work: a step-by-step rollout of tools that give each project up-to-date visibility into its funds, shaping our service model around what projects need, strengthening our brand and project spotlights, and connecting projects to one another and to funders.

Job Requirements

Requirements:

• 5+ years of nonprofit leadership or senior management experience, including supervising staff.
• Strong financial acumen: comfortable with financial statements and budgets, and able to explain the numbers to a board and to non-financial audiences.
• Success in fundraising or revenue development, including relationship-based fundraising and proposal writing.
• A track record of building systems and processes, and comfort adopting financial and project management technology.
• A natural connector who brings people and organizations together without taking over their work.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, and credibility as the public face of the organization.
• Sound judgment and discretion with sensitive personnel and organizational matters.
• A genuine commitment to equity and to reducing barriers for community-based organizations.

Salary & Benefits

Full benefits package through our PEO, SustainableHR, including health insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan and paid time off. Hybrid schedule with flexibility to work remotely and some travel across Wisconsin.

Salary Range

Starting at $90,000, based on experience

About the Organization

The Center for Community Stewardship (C4CS) is a Madison, Wisconsin nonprofit fiscal sponsor for community-led projects and organizations across the state. We handle the finances, compliance and administration so project leaders can focus on their missions. Our values guide the work: Taking Thoughtful Risks, Increasing Access, Building Community, and Fostering a Growth Mindset.