Chief Executive Officer

Job Description

The Opportunity
This is an exceptional opportunity to take the reins of a truly innovative organization that created the crowdsourcing marketplace sixteen years ago and is in no small part the reason crowdsourced philanthropy is actively utilized and widely understood today. But making a market is just part of the equation: GlobalGiving is also admired for its role as a thought leader and influencer transforming the field of international development by demonstrating that local solutions to local problems is a powerful model for aid in philanthropy. GlobalGiving was the first to figure out how to find local leaders in nearly every country, vet their organizations to ensure accountability to donors, send funds and maintain ongoing communications between donors and recipient organizations at scale.

GlobalGiving has developed a practice and reputation for collaboration in the sector, catalyzing partnerships that would not have come into being without its willingness to serve as convener or facilitator. This has allowed the organization to develop a trusted profile with institutional funders. In addition, the organization is a trusted brand among individual donors, corporate partners, the international development community, and grassroots nonprofits the world over. The next CEO will take over a high-functioning organization in a solid financial position with an experienced and talented global team fueled by passion, data and smarts. She or he will have the opportunity to write the next chapter in GlobalGiving’s story by identifying new ways to leverage its platform to provide greater impact and support of community-led solutions while maintaining the organization’s commitment to financial sustainability.

Key Priorities & Responsibilities
The new Chief Executive Officer will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for GlobalGiving’s staff, programs, finances, future strategy development and fulfillment of its mission. It will be important for the new CEO to develop strong relationships with the Board of Directors, which includes the founders, actively engaging them in governance and strategically deploying their strengths and interests in the highest support of the organization.

GlobalGiving’s impact derives from a combination of innovation (new features) and scale (funding mobilized, number of projects and countries supported). GlobalGiving’s ability to innovate at scale is underpinned by its financially self-sustaining business model. The next chief executive will be able to lead on all three dimensions of strategy and operations.

The following represent the key priorities in the CEO’s first year:

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

• Vision: Determine “what’s next” for the organization that invented the crowd-funding model, is leading the charge to democratize and accelerate aid and philanthropy, and continues to be a catalytic force in the sector.
• Business Model: Evolve GlobalGiving’s business model to grow resources to support the team’s cadence of continual innovation of the platform and services while maintaining the practice of financial sustainability and a healthy balance sheet.
• Partnerships: Identify, evaluate and act on critical strategic opportunities—partnerships, collaborations, business deals, grants/investments—that increase the platform’s reach and impact.
• Awareness: Continue to build on GlobalGiving’s role and reputation as a sector leader and trusted partner among players driving resources to community led nonprofits globally—its leadership in building the collaboration that resulted in BRIDGE* being just one example.

TEAM LEADERSHIP

• Build a shared understanding of the organization’s strategy and continue to develop its impact framework to ensure all staff are clear on how their specific roles contribute to the wider strategic context.
• Inspire and challenge the leadership team to identify and deliver on opportunities for financial growth and organizational impact while providing effective internal leadership, coaching, performance management and professional development.
• Embrace and exemplify GlobalGiving’s core values and maintain a strong organizational culture that motivates the team to deliver its best.

SECTOR LEADERSHIP

• Serve as the public face and key spokesperson for GlobalGiving, representing the organization with credibility and enthusiasm, leveraging its strong brand and clearly communicating its vision and value proposition to diverse stakeholder audiences.
• Advance GlobalGiving as an influencer and advocate among leaders in international development, philanthropy, business and the nonprofit sector.
• Differentiate this US-based, hybrid tech startup/nonprofit as the organization in the field with an authentically global mission, personality and orientation.

The Ideal Candidate
The next CEO is at his/her core an innovator and visionary who is as passionate about the potential of technology for good as she or he is about democratizing philanthropy and aid. The ideal candidate has the business acumen to move a successful and healthy organization to a higher level of impact by building on what’s working, scanning the horizon for what lies ahead and managing the right level of risk, all without sacrificing the values-driven culture which is GlobalGiving’s heart and soul.

The successful candidate is a sharp strategist who possesses the operational chops to run a complex organization and is a servant leader who makes it possible for a high performing team to do its best work. GlobalGiving has an ambitious agenda to transform the way international aid and philanthropy are delivered and candidates must be able to help the team assess strategic opportunities, manage competing priorities, make hard decisions and ensure the technology and services maintain the highest standards of quality, all while remaining competitive in a crowded market. The CEO is an action-oriented, entrepreneurial and adaptable leader who will bring fresh thinking about the types of business models that will support GlobalGiving’s next phase of growth and development.

Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills are required to be an effective and inspiring public-facing advocate for the organization. A high level of emotional intelligence, diplomacy and impeccable relationship-building skills will allow the CEO to easily and comfortably engage with a wide variety of audiences around the world, be they grassroots community leaders or Fortune 500 executives. The role requires someone who is a natural networker and influencer. The successful candidate is a persuasive and passionate communicator who is open, approachable and readily engenders trust.

The CEO is an inspiring leader whose enthusiasm for what GlobalGiving has already accomplished and whose vision for what it has yet to do energizes the team, current/potential funders, individual donors, aid agencies, partners and the media. Confident and well versed in international development with strong cultural competency, yet humble in recognizing that the world’s greatest experts are GlobalGiving’s community partners, the CEO will be a thoughtful and considerate ally to all stakeholders.

Qualifications
Candidates should have at least ten years of senior executive leadership in a dynamic and innovative social sector organization, preferably in a CEO or Executive Director role. Private sector or corporate leadership experience when combined with significant community and/or philanthropy engagement (as demonstrated by noteworthy leadership roles on boards, committees or task forces) will be considered. A background that blends both nonprofit and for-profit is ideal, as is familiarity with international development and working in a global context. Genuine passion for technology’s role connecting people and resources globally as well as an innate curiosity about tech innovation is essential. Experience with business development, fundraising, or running a revenue generating social enterprise, along with the financial acumen to oversee a complex P&L, is important. An ability to be equally at ease with leaders of grass-roots social change organizations in countries around the world as with foundation leaders, business executives and international development professionals is critical to success in this role. Candidates should possess a demonstrated track record managing high performing teams and rapid innovation in an entrepreneurial environment.

About the Organization

GlobalGiving is the first and largest global crowdfunding community that connects nonprofits, donors, and companies in nearly every country around the world. We make it possible for local organizations to access the funding, tools, training, and support they need to become more effective and make our world a better place.