President & Chief Executive Officer

Enduring Hearts; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Enduring Hearts seeks a transformational President & Chief Executive Officer to lead the organization into its next era of growth and mission impact. You will drive the narrative, fundraising agenda, and external engagement in close partnership with the Board and staff.

You will build a scalable fundraising engine spanning corporate partnerships, individual philanthropy, grants, and events, while expanding national visibility and collaboration with families, clinicians, and donors.

Qualifications

• Seasoned nonprofit executive with experience leading teams, managing budgets, and working with a Board to advance mission and sustainability.
• Proven track record securing corporate investments and building long-term partnerships through corporate philanthropy, sponsorships, or related strategies.
• Ability to build authentic, trusted relationships with corporate executives, donors, researchers, families, and community partners.
• Demonstrated strong strategic judgment, executive presence, and communication skills with the ability to set measurable goals and mobilize solutions.
• Ability to translate complex research, clinical insights, and family experiences into a compelling case for investment that resonates across audiences.
• Leadership grounded in humility, integrity, accountability, and fostering trust and collaboration.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Transform and scale Enduring Hearts’ fundraising enterprise across corporate partnerships, grants, recurring giving, and individual gifts.
• Build the systems and infrastructure needed for sustainable performance with clear goals, metrics, CRM discipline, reporting, and scalable development processes.
• Expand and lead a strategic corporate partnerships program by growing sponsorships, cause marketing, employee engagement, and multi-year commitments.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, close, and steward individual gifts and strategic partnerships.
• Lead a focused event strategy for two annual events, centered on profitability and engagement.
• Partner with marketing to expand reach and deliver compelling impact stories and annual reporting.
• Equip Board members, staff, and ambassadors with consistent storytelling and messaging.

Job description

DHR Global is pleased to be partnering with Enduring Hearts in the search for their President & CEO. Enduring Hearts is dedicated to extending and improving the quality of life for children living with transplanted hearts by advancing pediatric heart transplant research, improving long-term outcomes, and supporting children and families throughout their lifelong transplant journey. Founded in 2013 by the Gahan family following their daughter’s heart transplant, the organization was created to address a critical need in pediatric transplantation and has since become a leading force in funding innovative research at accredited institutions worldwide. Through a unique combination of medical research, family support, philanthropy, and patient advocacy, Enduring Hearts brings together corporate, healthcare, foundation, and individual partners to create meaningful, lasting change and help ensure that every child who needs a new heart has the opportunity for a healthier future.

Enduring Hearts is also advancing collaboration across the pediatric heart transplant community through the newly established Pediatric Heart Transplant Alliance. This coalition unites leading organizations, academic institutions, companies, and advocates to improve outcomes for children with transplanted hearts. Through shared research, education, advocacy, and action, the Alliance raises awareness, builds partnerships, accelerates progress in pediatric transplantation, and supports patients and families throughout their journey.

The Position

Enduring Hearts is seeking a transformational President & Chief Executive Officer to lead the organization into its next era of sustainable growth, national leadership, and mission impact. The CEO will drive the organization’s vision, strategy, and fundraising agenda while serving as its chief advocate and ambassador. In close partnership with the Board and a dedicated network of staff, researchers, clinicians, families, donors, volunteers, and corporate partners, the CEO will advance the 2026–2028 Strategic Plan and strengthen Enduring Hearts’ position as a national leader in pediatric heart transplant research and family support.

This leader will shape the organization’s future by accelerating growth, expanding strategic partnerships, strengthening operational capacity, and elevating Enduring Hearts’ national voice. A key priority will be building and leading a world-class fundraising and partnership enterprise, with particular emphasis on expanding corporate engagement and securing strategic investment.

The CEO will bring enterprise-level vision and hands-on leadership to build scalable, sustainable fundraising systems across corporate partnerships, individual philanthropy, grants, recurring giving, stewardship, and mission-driven events. This executive will cultivate transformational relationships with business leaders, foundations, families, and the broader philanthropic community to unlock new opportunities for impact.

The CEO will align fundraising, operations, visibility, and mission delivery to strengthen Enduring Hearts' leadership and advance its mission of improving outcomes for children living with transplanted hearts. Reflecting the realities of a growth-stage organization, the President & CEO leads across strategy, fundraising, operations, and external engagement. The Board seeks a leader who can deliver results today while building the capacity, team, and infrastructure needed for the Foundation's next phase of growth and evolution.

Strategic Context: 2026–2028

The Enduring Hearts Strategic Plan 2026–2028 marks a pivotal moment of opportunity for the organization. The next President & Chief Executive Officer will be charged with leading Enduring Hearts into its next era of growth and influence by building a stronger fundraising engine, advancing organizational excellence, expanding national impact, and elevating the organization’s powerful story of hope and outcomes for children living with transplanted hearts.

Strategic Priorities

• Diversify and strengthen revenue. Drive sustainable growth by establishing a diversified revenue model that significantly expands corporate partnerships and philanthropic investment while strengthening donor engagement and long-term financial resilience.
• Build organizational capacity. Align staff roles with strategic priorities; improve financial, fundraising, CRM, and grant management systems; clarify Board and staff responsibilities; and strengthen planning, reporting, and oversight.
• Increase visibility and influence. Expand national visibility and influence through strategic partnerships, targeted engagement, digital reach, and collaboration with families, clinicians, Board members, and ambassadors.
• Deliver a clear and consistent mission narrative. Develop and equip the Board and staff with a unified impact narrative that connects research, family experiences, clinician insights, innovation, and measurable outcomes. Strengthen storytelling and publish an annual Research & Impact Report.

First 18-24 Month Success Measures

• Accelerate sustainable revenue growth through a diversified fundraising enterprise that expands corporate, foundation, and individual support while leveraging strong pipelines, disciplined systems, effective stewardship, and clear performance measurement.
• Strengthen organizational effectiveness through aligned teams, sound financial planning, transparent Board reporting, and clear accountability.
• Elevate Enduring Hearts’ national visibility and impact through strategic partnerships, compelling storytelling, and meaningful community engagement.
• Advance the mission through increased research collaboration, deeper family engagement, and strong trust among the Board, staff, and broader community.

Scope and Responsibilities

Fundraising, External Relations, and Strategic Partnerships

• Transform and scale Enduring Hearts’ fundraising enterprise by establishing a diversified growth strategy across corporate partnerships, strategic investments, individual giving, grants, recurring philanthropy, and mission-driven events.
• Build the systems and infrastructure needed for sustainable performance through clear goals, metrics, CRM discipline, reporting, and scalable development processes.
• Expand and lead a strategic corporate partnerships program by growing sponsorships, cause marketing, employee engagement, matching gifts, and multi-year commitments while developing a strong pipeline across healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, insurance, and related industries.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, close, and steward individual gifts and strategic partnerships.
• Lead a focused event strategy for two annual events, centered on profitability and engagement. Strengthen relationships with donors, foundations, healthcare leaders, partners, and advocates while increasing visibility through targeted conferences and forums.
• Partner with marketing to expand reach and deliver compelling impact stories and annual reporting.
• Equip Board members, staff, and ambassadors with consistent storytelling and messaging.

Organizational Leadership and Strategy

• Partner with the Board to translate the 2026–2028 Strategic Plan into actionable annual operating plans, priorities, budgets, and measurable goals that drive organizational progress.
• Build a positive and supportive culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Develop and mentor a high-performing team, align roles and resources with strategic priorities, and drive accountability and results across all key functions.
• Advance organizational excellence by strengthening planning, governance, performance measurement, and cross-functional alignment.
• Clarify Board and staff roles, optimize strategic investments, and ensure resources are focused on delivering measurable impact, operational effectiveness, and sustainable growth.

Research Mission and Community Leadership

• Serve as the principal steward of Enduring Hearts’ research mission and relationships with scientific, clinical, transplant, and family communities.
• Build credibility with pediatric cardiologists, researchers, academic partners, families, and organizations serving children with heart disease.
• Increase co-funded research and strengthen collaboration through the Pediatric Heart Transplant Alliance and other mission-aligned partnerships.
• Ensure the organization clearly communicates the measurable impact of research investments and advances in pediatric transplantation.

Board Engagement and Strategic Leadership

• Partner with the Board Chair and Directors to align leadership, advance strategy, and foster trust, transparency, and accountability.
• Deliver timely, disciplined reporting on strategy, fundraising, finances, priorities, risks, and progress to enable effective oversight and decision-making.
• Engage Board members as ambassadors and strategic partners, and supporting committees in advancing organizational goals.

Financial Management and Operations

• Own the organization’s financial health, budgeting, forecasting, resource allocation, and progress toward a diversified revenue model.
• Work with finance leadership and the Board to make annual planning and financial reporting disciplined, timely, transparent, and predictable.
• Evaluate and prioritize investments in people, systems, and capabilities required for sustainable growth.
• Ensure strong controls, compliance, operational discipline, and effective use of organizational resources.

Key Selection Criteria

• Seasoned nonprofit executive with experience leading teams, managing budgets, driving organizational performance, and working effectively with a Board to advance mission and sustainability.
• Proven track record of securing significant corporate investments and building long-term partnerships through corporate philanthropy, sponsorships, cause marketing, or related strategies.
• Ability to build authentic, trusted relationships with corporate executives, donors, researchers, physicians, families, and community partners.
• Demonstrated strong strategic judgment, executive presence, and communication skills, with the ability to set measurable goals, make data-informed decisions, address challenges directly, and mobilize solutions.
• Strong communication skills to translate complex research, clinical insights, and family experiences into a compelling case for investment that resonates across audiences and channels.
• Ability to lead with humility, integrity, and accountability by fostering trust, transparency, empathy, and meaningful connections across the organization and its broader community.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; advanced degree preferred. Comparable experience will be considered.