Position:     Executive Director
Location:    Remote (Local to East Long Island, New York)
Type:           Independent Contractor

About The Ellen Hermanson Foundation

The Ellen Hermanson Foundation (TEHF) was established in 1997 to honor the memory of Ellen Hermanson, ensure access to state-of-the-art breast health care, and empower people affected by cancer. The Foundation primarily serves breast cancer patients on the East End of Long Island, New York, and fulfills its mission by:

• funding the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital to ensure the highest quality technology, early detection, and care, and enabling access for all patients, regardless of insurance or ability to pay for treatment;
• providing educational outreach about the importance of early detection, and access to mammography and treatment to medically underserved communities;
• funding free psychosocial support services through Ellen’s Well to address the broad range of issues facing breast cancer patients, survivors, spouses, families, and friends.

Ellen’s Run, an annual 5k (3.1-mile) race, is the signature fundraising event of TEHF. For nearly three decades it has been an innovative, grassroots event that raises awareness about breast cancer and early detection. Held on the East End of Long Island, where breast cancer diagnosis and mortality rates are among the highest in the State of New York, Ellen’s Run draws on the strength of the community and gives back by providing mammography screenings, support, and education. Proceeds from TEHF support the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital by funding state-of-the-art technology. Funds also support Ellen’s Well, a program that provides psychosocial support for breast cancer survivors under the leadership of a specially trained oncological social worker.

As we approach our 29th year, Ellen’s Run has grown to over 1,000 annual participants and TEHF has awarded more than $6 million in grants. Some of these grants support partnerships with local organizations such as The Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, OLA (Organizatión Latino-Americana of the East End), The Retreat – All Against Abuse, and The Shinnecock Indian Health Center. These grants enable outreach to women for breast health services.

Position Summary

Reporting to The Ellen Hermanson Foundation’s Board of Directors, the Executive Director is principally responsible for TEHF’s development function (including fundraising, marketing, and community relations); event logistics; and administration related to governance and meetings and business of TEHF’s Board of Directors. With supportive leadership from a Director of Administration and a Controller, the Executive Director is also responsible for overseeing financial planning, management, and compliance; cyclical and ad hoc organization-wide planning; program implementation and grantmaking; operations; and emerging projects as assigned, like organizational development initiatives, strategic planning and analysis, and board development.

Responsibilities

Development Responsibilities

The Executive Director leads the Foundation’s development (fundraising) function across all revenue sources including individual, corporate, and institutional donors across both major and secondary events.
 
This role is accountable for all fundraising strategies and activities, including planning, cultivation, solicitation, and renewals. This entails all planning, implementation and knowledge management related to development. The role requires complete, accurate and timely record keeping and a very proactive, hands-on approach to fundraising. Approximately 60% of this role entails the following Development responsibilities:

Events
For all TEHF events, most especially the Foundation’s three annual signature events (Ellen’s Run, the TEHF Gala, and Spring Fundraiser):

• developing the event strategy in partnership with the Board of Directors
• managing core logistical elements, including dates, venues, honorees, auctions, host committee, sponsorship and ticket pricing
• driving and overseeing all corporate sponsorship and individual donor cultivation strategies, outreach, solicitations, and acknowledgements
• following-up to secure pledges and ensure renewals

Donors
For all individual, corporate, and institutional fundraising:

• identifying and managing data and information related to all individual donors (this includes high quality record keeping in our DRM system) in partnership with Director of Administration
• developing a cultivation strategy and plan, including a calendar for hosting cultivation events or gatherings in partnership with the Board of Directors
• coordinating and making phone calls to donors to acknowledge their gifts and invite them to cultivation opportunities
• developing annual thank you and impact emails
• coordinating social media and marketing aimed at raising awareness across current and prospective donors in partnership with social media personnel
• developing and mailing annual brochure
• developing and sending year-end solicitation emails

Event Logistics Responsibilities

The Executive Director oversees the Foundation’s event planning and coordination function for all events. These are primarily EHF’s three annual signature events (Ellen’s Run, the TEHF Gala, and Spring Fundraiser). With significant support from an Events Coordinator on logistics and implementation, this portion of the role’s responsibilities is largely managerial and will account for approximately 20% of the Executive Director’s time. Related responsibilities include:

• managing budgets and reasonable expenses for events with approval from the Board of Directors
• developing and distributing of all invitations for and promotions of all events, including save the dates, invitations, social media, website updates, and advertising schedules (work in partnership with social media personnel)
• managing an Events Coordinator for all logistics, including but not limited to: rentals and delivery; entertainment and music; permits; catering and menus; venue selection and coordination; programs; honoree selection, coordination and acknowledgements; run of show development and oversight; volunteers; attendance tracking; day-of management; libation donations; press; photography; auctions; tech and sound; banners, ground signs; t-shirts; medals, flowers and awards; website registration; preparation and rehearsals; and peer-to-peer fundraising

Administrative Responsibilities

The Executive Director is responsible for stewarding the Foundation’s annual work plan, which details cyclical activities necessary to carry out TEHF’s work over the course of the year. This includes governance, planning and operations projects. Administrative leadership accounts for approximately 20% of the role. Responsibilities include:

• partnering with the Board Chair to ensure compliance with all board governance mandates, including but not limited to development and implementation of the annual organization workplan and monitoring, board resolutions, and board meeting minutes
• ensuring effective and timely communication and coordination with the Board of Directors and support for the Chair in the planning and execution of all Board meetings and committee meetings as required
• providing project management support to the Chair with respect to quarterly and ad hoc Board meeting materials
• with supportive leadership from the Controller and oversight of the Board of Directors, supervising financial management to ensure complete, accurate, timely and responsible financial management, planning, and general ledger
• with supportive leadership from the Director of Administration, overseeing program implementation and grantmaking
• working closely with the Controller and Board of Directors to ensure that operational areas are managed efficiently and effectively to ensure a low administrative cost
• assuming projects as assigned by the Board of Directors

Desired Qualifications

Hard Skills and Experience

• Extensive fundraising experience, particularly corporate and/or individual donors
• Event planning experience
• Knowledge of non-profit management and governance, including how Boards of Directors operates
• Experience with financial planning
• Experience with social media and marketing
• Computer skills, particularly with Excel, Power Point, DRM tools, and design software
• Experience managing or supervising personnel

Soft Skills and Competencies

• Creative thinking
• Excellent oral communicator and writer
• Enthusiasm and drive for TEHF’s mission
• Positive partner
• Integrity
• Humility

Capacity and Location

The Executive Director is an independent contractor, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and not an employee. As such, the Executive Director has the right to perform services for others during their tenure and has the sole right to control and direct the means, manner, and method by which their work will be performed. This role is not a full-time position: that is, it is not designed to require full-time commitment. The Executive Director may work from any location. An office may be made available by a member of the Board of Directors for periodic or regular use. In addition, the Executive Director should understand that TEHF’s events and related planning activities, to which the Executive Director’s presence is critical to success, will take place in person primarily on the East End of Long Island and occasionally in New York City. Therefore, candidates local to the East End of Long Island are preferred.

Compensation

The Executive Director will be paid a monthly retainer of $5,500 for a 12-month renewable contract.

How to Apply

Please send a one-page resume and one page cover letter to [email protected].

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Ellen Hermanson Foundation is firmly committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity laws. TEHF prohibits discrimination because of the individual’s race or color, religion or creed, immigrant, citizenship or non-citizen status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, intersex status, sexual and reproductive health decisions or decision making (of employees or their dependents), disability, marital status, familial status, domestic partnership status, genetic information, or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, pre-employment arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by law.