Chief Executive Officer, New York Council for Nonprofits

MISSION

To develop and promote an effective and vibrant charitable nonprofit community throughout New York State by strengthening organizational capacity, being an advocate and unifying voice, informing philanthropic giving, conducting research, and planning to demonstrate relevance and impact.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Do you believe in the nonprofit sector’s power and impact to improve the lives of New Yorkers and change the world? Are you a champion for a stronger sector and a better future for New York?

Are you inspired by building? Building the membership? Building the brand? Building services to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations? 

Do you have the entrepreneurial zest to help grow a family of nonprofits, including a social enterprise to meet the evolving needs of the nonprofit sector? Can you lead an effective customer-service model, ensuring a clear value-added proposition?

Are you a natural learner and teacher? Are you committed to ensure nonprofits develop the knowledge and tools to maximize community impact with measurable outcomes? Can you nurture an effective learning organization?

Do you operate with a firm conviction that the intentional inclusion of diverse perspectives leads to better decision making and greater outcomes?

If so, we invite you to keep reading to explore the enormous potential for you to make a lasting difference for a strong, vibrant, and equitable New York.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK COUNCIL OF NONPROFITS

NYCON is a dynamic 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with three affiliate corporations dedicated to helping New York State’s nonprofits succeed by building their capacity for growth and community impact. NYCON has a voting membership body of 3,000 nonprofits comprised mostly of small- to moderate-sized, community-based organizations from all corners of the state. Our affiliate family of services is a one-stop resource, providing a full range of business and capacity-building information and services to NYCON members and non-members alike. Our seasoned team of nonprofit specialists provides accessible and affordable expert consulting, legal assistance, and customized training to meet the diverse needs of the nonprofit community. Additional offerings include free member webinars, exclusive access to discounted tools and programs, and a range of members-only insurance offerings. The NYCON family of services provides affordable innovative assistance in almost every area of operations and governance to help nonprofits develop desired sustainability and growth, fulfill their fiduciary obligations, and resolve the practical problems and issues faced.

The three affiliates in the NYCON Family, each with their own Board of Directors, are:

• Council Services Plus (CS Plus): a for-profit social enterprise providing state-licensed, full-service insurance brokerage specializing in the small- to mid-sized nonprofit market. CS Plus is licensed in 11 states in addition to New York.
• BoardStrong (formerly Governance Matters): an innovative and comprehensive online board-building nonprofit, complemented by customized direct services, that provides board recruitment and matching, board development consulting, and governance education. Currently focused on New York State, the BoardStrong.org site has the potential to provide these services to other states or nationally.
• Good Causes (formerly Innovative Charitable Initiatives): a nonprofit offering fiscal sponsorship, employee administration, and a temporary home for programs in transition to emerging charitable groups

There are 40 individual directors, including non-voting ex-officio directors, serving in total on NYCON and its affiliate Boards, with some individuals serving on more than one Board. NYCON’s Board, which is elected by the membership body, currently has 22 directors. BoardStrong has 18 directors, CS Plus has eight, and Good Causes has four. The CEO is an ex-officio, non-voting director on the BoardStrong and CS Plus Boards, but not on Good Causes for risk management purposes.

For 2021, the consolidated budgeted revenue for NYCON and its affiliates totals $4,735,470. Of this, the annual budget for NYCON itself is $2,840,690, including about $595,000 in recognized Payroll Protection Program (PPP) funding. NYCON is diversified in revenue sources receiving 16 percent of its funds from government contracts, the vast majority of which are from a long-term partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts; 15 percent in direct fee-for-service from client nonprofits, most of which a third-party philanthropic funder is the original source of the funds; 14 percent in foundation and United Way grants; 13 percent from events, sponsorship, and fundraising; 13 percent from dues and related membership service fees; and eight percent from intercompany transactions with affiliates. Of note, is that all of the government contracts and philanthropic grants (with the exception of one general operating grant) are largely based on NYCON’s fee-for-service business model. Also to note, NYCON is not as financially reliant on membership dues income and events as are typical state associations.

NYCON has 20 full-time employees and one part-time employee, operating from four locations (Albany, Oneonta, Poughkeepsie, and New York City) with the vast majority of employees, including the CEO, in the Albany corporate office. CS Plus has 11 employees, all of whom report directly to CS Plus’s President/CEO, who in turn is directly accountable to its volunteer-led Board of Directors. Through a shared staffing arrangement, NYCON provides the administrative and program staffing support for BoardStrong and Good Causes, with these staff members accountable to the NYCON CEO as well as to their respective Boards.

Due to extensive travel during pre-pandemic times, several staff were accustomed to working remotely prior to the pandemic. Currently, most NYCON staff have returned to a physical presence in the office similar to pre-pandemic times in accordance with reopening planning by an employee workgroup and with consideration to individual employee circumstances.

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY

The CEO provides the strategic, ethical, inspirational, and practical leadership to NYCON’s Board of Directors, family of organizations, and multidisciplinary management and staff teams with the goal of ensuring mission success and financial sustainability of the individual entities and NYCON’s overall service delivery system. The CEO directly supervises a management team of eight NYCON employees, of which four positions are considered senior management. For planning, coordination, and integration purposes, the President/CEO of CS Plus participates on the senior management team of NYCON.

The CEO will be responsible for:

• Leadership – Lead with a mission-driven commitment to strengthen the sector and service delivery. Inspire with a strategic vision while attending to day-to-day operations, new member and business development, services, and programs. Supervise, motivate, and evaluate a dedicated staff with a shared sense of purpose, creating ongoing opportunities for learning, growth, and creativity, and fostering an inclusive culture where all staff and members can thrive. Develop organizational structure to facilitate and ensure alignment with the organization’s strategy and business plan. Serve as a respected thought leader in the sector staying abreast of new developments and ahead of the curve. Represent the voice of the sector throughout New York and beyond.

• General Management, Administration, Finance, and Planning – With the COO, CFO, and other staff, ensure fiscal sustainability and health, attending to both longer-term financial forecasting and the efficient administration of day-to-day operations. Hold the organization to the highest levels of accountability and consistency with respect to all management systems, accounting, budgeting, financial analysis, funding, cash flow, and cost reporting. Advise and assist the Board in preparation of the annual budget. Work closely with Board committees and keep the Board abreast of the organization’s current fiscal health and foreseeable conditions.

• Governance Board Relations – Establish a strong working partnership with the Board of Directors built on trust that enriches their experience and brings forth their best ideas and efforts in governance and inspires their maximum financial support. Recommend best practices and ensure proper implementation of Board policies consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and contractual obligations. Advise the Board and lead the staff in developing and implementing organizational strategic directions. Help strengthen the Board through the recruitment of new members as needed.

• Resource and Fund Development – Develop and execute earned revenue resource development strategies to ensure business continuity, financial success, and sustainability. Lead resource development with senior staff and Board members to sustain, diversify, and strengthen support, building upon existing funding relationships and identifying and securing new sources. Further the establishment of a strong culture of philanthropy within the organization in which the Board and staff serve as ambassadors and engage in relationship building. Facilitate Board giving and encourage Board members to work with the CEO to secure additional outside funding.

• Services, TA/Consulting and Training – Develop and implement mission-based programs and services. Oversee and bolster direct fee-generating proposal development and direct expert consultation, training, and support to nonprofits, philanthropic funders, and state funders. Stay connected with the issues, capacity needs, and trends of nonprofits. Foster a customer-centric enterprise that builds member engagement, loyalty, and investment based on high-service satisfaction.

• Affiliate Responsibilities/Related Entities and Activities – Assist in the development of, and provide the appropriate guidance and support to, the Boards and staff of the distinctively unique related entities as appropriate to their missions.

• Communication – Oversee communication of NYCON’s role in support of a strong nonprofit sector for New York. Serve as a visible spokesperson for attracting new business and resources. Build upon NYCON’s reputation as a recognized leader and partner in the sector. Reach media, policymakers, members, and other important constituencies about membership services, programs, and activities. Represent NYCON as a thought and practice leader through committees, conversations, convenings, and conferences. With staff, monitor key trends and issues throughout New York and communicate their implications to staff and Board with recommended action.

• Advocacy, and Representation – Keep the Board and membership informed of pertinent public policy matters. Exercise advocacy and lobbying influence in accordance with Board direction. Serve as a spokesperson for NYCON and as a representative to the National Council of Nonprofits as well as with appropriate regional, statewide, or national organizations with which NYCON is formally affiliated.

• Alliances and Program Development – Serve as a driver of innovation by continuously scanning for new opportunities and new potential partnerships/strategic alliances/mergers to strengthen nonprofit effectiveness. Promote a responsive customer-service culture. Align staff functions and responsibilities based on programmatic goals. Evaluate and ensure that member services and programs are coordinated and meeting targets. Ensure high-quality member services with demonstrable impact. Expand array of products and partnerships.

• Learning for Improvement – Regularly assess alignment of organizational structure, staff, and functions with strategic direction. Be accountable for the organization achieving intended outcomes with solid metrics for continuous improvement and accountability. Ensure production of practical tools for members and other nonprofits to bring impactful change to their communities.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS

The CEO will:

• Be an unwavering champion advancing New York State’s charitable sectors and diverse regions.

• Be a knowledgeable and experienced leader with the credibility to engage and inspire a diverse set of constituencies around NYCON’s work and services, including members, funders, potential customers, and the media. Be able to influence change in the state and the sector.

• Have a deep experience-based understanding of the nonprofit sector with respect to capacity building, evaluation, change management, governance, and organizational learning. Possess a firm understanding of New York State regions and the nonprofit sector – its policies, leaders, trends, new business opportunities, and funding opportunities.

• Have proven managerial, problem-solving, and strategic-planning skills in a complex association/membership organization as a results-oriented executive in a growth-oriented environment.

• Have demonstrated ability as a catalyst for transformative change to balance long-term strategic vision with daily operational responsibilities. Have the ability to attract and retain top people to work for the organization and to nurture high-performing teams. Have the ability to share responsibility for leadership of the organization and partner with the Board and staff to set goals, track progress, and assess effectiveness of the organization.

• Be a leader with demonstrated experience putting equity into practice who listens with understanding and treats everyone with respect, with a consultative and inclusive internal and external management style. Have a high level of emotional intelligence.

• Inspire trust through integrity, competence, and follow-through. Operate with the highest level of ethical conduct.

• Be nimble and curious, with an openness to learning new things. Exercise true entrepreneurship with the creativity to try new structures and approaches to pursue opportunities and solve problems while appropriately balancing fiduciary obligations and risk management practices. Have a positive can-do attitude. Believe that anything is possible and be able to responsibly get it done.

• Be a practice leader and supervisor by deploying highly qualified individuals to provide direct training and consulting assistance and service as appropriate to nonprofits and offer project and case advice, guidance, and support to these providers.

• Have the sophistication to develop new business, memberships, and clients, as well as to cultivate and seize new opportunities for revenue generation. Be a leader who can ensure enduring and impactful services and programs and who enjoys the opportunity to secure the financial means needed to sustain them.

• Be discerning with how best to use all forms of technology to strengthen the business.

• Have excellent oral, facilitation, and written communication skills. Have a comfort level and the ability to communicate with widely differing audiences.

• Enjoy collaborating with others to develop creative ideas and approaches. Possess a sense of optimism, adventure, and humor. Effectively bring out the best in others. Have demonstrated experience navigating partnerships, building and working in coalitions, and putting mission first ahead of individual needs/interests. Prioritize listening and learning from partners.

Learn more about the New York Council of Nonprofits at https://www.nycon.org/.

The New York Council of Nonprofits is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, people experiencing disabilities, and members of other minority or marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

NYCON believes in a healthy workplace and offers excellent benefits including: health, dental, vision, life, long-term disability, and short-term disability insurance; participation in 403(b) and 457(b) retirement plans with employer contribution; travel-related reimbursements and cell phone provision or reimbursement; and generous paid leave policies and holiday schedule. Note that the NYCON team has an active reopening plan that is continually reviewed and updated by an employee work team. Currently, most employees are physically present in the office.

There are physical requirements for the job which include the ability to work at a computer station for extended periods of time. Travel will be required in accordance with reopening plans of both NYCON and those we serve and may be extensive.

Please send nominations or applications including cover letters, resumes, and all contact information to Paul Spivey at NYCON@PhillipsOppenheim.com.