Hiring Executive Director in Baltimore

Baltimore Homecoming is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 to mobilize the 300,000+ Baltimore-area alumni living across the United States to reinvest in the city’s neighborhoods, small businesses, public schools, and cultural institutions. Since our launch, we have facilitated over $2.1M in alumni-directed grants, hosted 12 citywide homecoming events drawing 15,000+ annual attendees, and built a registered network of 45,000+ alumni across 48 states. Our work has funded 72 small business grants, 15 neighborhood public space revitalization projects, and 28 after-school program grants for Baltimore City Public Schools, with 92% of our raised funds directed directly to program services as validated by our 2023 Charity Navigator 4-star rating.

We are seeking a mission-driven, experienced Executive Director to lead the next phase of Baltimore Homecoming’s growth, overseeing strategic expansion of our alumni network, fundraising operations, and citywide programming. This senior leadership role reports directly to our 12-member board of directors, is based in our downtown Baltimore headquarters in the Power Plant Live! district, and offers 2 flexible hybrid remote days per week for focused strategic work once onboarding is complete. This is a high-visibility position with regular interaction with Baltimore City leadership, major regional philanthropic partners, and the city’s most prominent alumni across industries including healthcare, finance, technology, and the arts.

Key responsibilities for this role include:
1. Lead end-to-end strategic planning aligned with the board’s 3-year roadmap, with measurable goals to grow the registered alumni network by 40% and increase annual grantmaking to $5M by 2027.
2. Oversee all fundraising operations, including cultivating relationships with major individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation partners, leading annual giving campaigns, and ensuring full 501(c)(3) compliance for all grant applications and donor stewardship reporting, with a target of raising $1.8M in annual operating and grant funds within the first 18 months.
3. Manage a team of 8 full-time staff and 15 part-time seasonal event staff, including hiring, professional development, performance management, and fostering an inclusive, equitable workplace aligned with our core values of racial justice and community-centered decision-making.
4. Plan and execute 3 annual large-scale citywide homecoming events (spring, fall, and winter) alongside 6 smaller neighborhood-focused pop-up events, managing vendor contracts, city permitting, volunteer coordination, and post-event impact reporting to ensure 90%+ attendee satisfaction rates.
5. Build and maintain strategic partnerships with Baltimore City government agencies, local small business associations, public school systems, and cultural institutions to align alumni giving with identified city needs, including developing a formal partnership framework with the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts to support public art installations in underserved neighborhoods.
6. Oversee the organization’s $1.2M annual budget, including detailed financial reporting to the board, quarterly budget reviews, and ensuring 85% of all raised funds are directed to program services rather than administrative overhead.
7. Serve as the primary public spokesperson for Baltimore Homecoming, including media interviews, keynote speaking engagements at regional alumni and nonprofit conferences, and quarterly transparent newsletter updates to the full alumni network.
8. Lead evaluation of all program impact, including tracking metrics for grant distribution, alumni volunteer hours, and small business support, publishing an annual public impact report shared with donors, board members, and the broader Baltimore community.

Our team operates with a flat, collaborative structure where every staff member’s input is valued in strategic decision-making. We prioritize work-life balance, with mandatory paid time off policies, flexible scheduling for staff with caregiving responsibilities, and regular team retreats focused on alignment and team building. We are an explicitly anti-racist organization, with all staff required to complete annual equity training, and we center the voices of Baltimore community members in all programming decisions. The downtown office offers access to onsite fitness facilities, discounted public transit benefits, and a collaborative open workspace with quiet rooms for focused work.

Ideal candidates will bring 7+ years of professional experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, or community engagement, with at least 3 years of experience managing teams and overseeing six-figure+ budgets. A proven track record of raising at least $1M in annual funds for a 501(c)(3) organization, with demonstrated experience cultivating major individual and corporate donors, is required. You will have a deep, authentic connection to the city of Baltimore, with a clear understanding of the city’s unique history, neighborhood dynamics, and existing community assets. Experience planning and executing large-scale public events with 1,000+ attendees is strongly preferred. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives for donors, media, and community stakeholders, are required. Proficiency in standard nonprofit tools including Salesforce for donor management, QuickBooks for financial tracking, and Asana for project coordination is required. A bachelor’s degree in Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, Business, or a related field is required; a Master’s degree in a relevant field or CFRE certification is strongly preferred. We strongly encourage candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color, LGBTQ+, or who have lived experience in Baltimore’s underserved neighborhoods to apply, as we are committed to building a leadership team that reflects the community we serve.

The Executive Director role offers a competitive annual salary of $125,000–$145,000, adjusted for experience, with a comprehensive benefits package including 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for the employee and 80% coverage for dependents, a 5% employer match on employee retirement contributions, 20 days of paid time off plus 12 paid company holidays and 5 paid volunteer days per year to support Baltimore community initiatives, a $2,000 annual professional development stipend, and flexible hybrid work options with 2 remote days per week after the 90-day onboarding period. This role also offers the opportunity to shape the future of Baltimore’s alumni engagement ecosystem, with direct access to the city’s top philanthropic and business leaders. Successful performance in this role will position you for advancement to senior leadership roles in the broader nonprofit and philanthropic sector in the Baltimore-Washington region, with opportunities to serve on the boards of partner organizations and contribute to regional policy discussions around community investment and equitable development.

The hiring process will be conducted in three stages to ensure a thorough, equitable evaluation of all candidates. First, all applicants are asked to submit a resume and a 1-page cover letter detailing your connection to Baltimore and your experience leading nonprofit fundraising or community engagement initiatives to [email protected] by November 15, 2024. Second, selected candidates will be invited to a 30-minute initial phone screen with our board chair, followed by a 60-minute panel interview with the full board of directors and senior staff team, including a 10-minute presentation on your vision for Baltimore Homecoming’s next 3 years of growth. Third, finalist candidates will be invited to a 30-minute meet-and-greet with key community partners, including representatives from the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Engagement and local small business leaders. We expect to extend a formal offer to the selected candidate by December 6, 2024, with a target start date of January 6, 2025. If you have questions about the role or application process, you may contact Vince Connelly, chair of the hiring committee, at 443-413-6033 or [email protected].