Executive Director

Executive Director Job Description

The Organization

Rainbow Faith and Freedom (RFF) is dedicated to securing inclusion and affirmation for LGBTQI people around the world by confronting and decreasing religious-based discrimination. With challenges to LGBTQI rights and inclusion increasing, this work is more important than ever.

• We engage with local faith communities, faith-based institutions, and other community based organizations, working with them to change hearts and minds and advance acceptance and inclusivity.
• We curate and create faith based educational materials and other resources in support of greater inclusion.
• Other initiatives include work to address specific challenges faced by 2SLGBTQI students in faith-based education, and to safety issues and barriers experienced by 2SLGBTQI seniors in care.
• Internationally through our collaborations with groups in Jamaica and Costa Rica we are supporting their critical work to foster dialogue among religious leaders, and LGBTQ+ individuals to dismantle faith-based prejudice.

Rainbow Faith and Freedom, we are committed to fostering a compassionate, inclusive, and respectful community. We value learning, teamwork, and measurable impact.

Overview

The Executive Director (ED) is a part-time role that provides leadership to fulfill Rainbow Faith and Freedom’s mission and goals. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ED works at both a strategic and operational level with the staff team, contractors, volunteers and other partners to set priorities, remove obstacles to further the objectives set out in RFF’s strategic plan and to build a sustainable, mission-focused organization. The ED oversees programs, operations, staffing, finance, partnerships and fundraising strategy, ensuring every aspect of the organization’s work aligns with our overarching vision. The ED collaborates with the board to maintain effective governance, making sure that the organization complies with all legal and ethical obligations.

Note: this is a part time (.5-.6 FTE) position. RFF will continue to benefit from the work of Dr. Rev. Brent Hawkes, the former Executive Director, as he shifts into a bespoke transitional role as Founder and Strategic Advisor. In his new role, Rev. Brent Hawkes will report to the Board and continue to take the lead on all major fundraising initiatives, including the current joint campaign in development with MCC. He will also continue to act as an ambassador for the organization, doing some public speaking and leveraging his network to identify and steward major donors, as well as raise awareness of and advocate for RFF with other stakeholders including political, government, and faith and other human rights leaders.

The ED role will collaborate with the Founder and Strategic Advisor on external engagement and relationship building.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Organizational and People Management

• Responsible for two direct reports: Manager of Programs and Operations, and Co-ordinator, Administration.
• Recruit and support staff aligned with RFF’s mission and values.
• Develop and manage succession planning for all staff roles, including the ED.
• Foster and maintain a positive, inclusive and collaborative and high-performance work culture in alignment with the core values of the organization.
• Work with staff to ensure systems and routines are in place to support their success.
• Engage with staff to identify and address obstacles to mission success.
• Willing to contribute as a “hands-on” leader, enabling and amplifying organizational impact.
• Develop and implement a strategy to engage and leverage volunteers to support the organisations mission.
• Oversee management of the organization’s strategic planning, programs and services, operations, financial management, and fundraising, communicating clear priorities for staff to sustainably advance the mission and vision of the organization.

Community and Stakeholder Relations

• Lead the development and implementation of marketing and communications strategies to enhance the organization’s public image and outreach.
• Play a proactive public facing role in building and sustaining RFF’s profile as an authority on Religious based LGBTQ+ discrimination.
• Act as an RFF spokesperson, representing RFF in the community, engaging with media, and collaborating with the Founder and Strategic Advisor to build awareness and ensure effective advocacy for RFF’s mission and programs across all stakeholder groups.
• Oversee and engage in partnerships with other non-profit organizations, for example Dignity Network Canada, Egale, and our international allies.
• Participate in outreach to faith leaders and organizations to help open doors to further partnerships and opportunities for impact.
• Cultivate and maintain positive relationships with RFF’s key stakeholders.

Finance, Audit and Fiduciary Responsibilities

• Oversee short- and long-term financial health and sustainability of the organization.
• Manage annual budgets; present to the Board for approval.
• Provide regular and accurate financial reporting and alerts to the Board and Treasurer.
• develop, monitor and maintain organizational performance indicators to assess organizational progress and impact in a more data driven manner.
• Lead overall fundraising efforts; collaborating with the Founder on major donor cultivation and stewardship.

Board of Directors, Planning and Governance Support

• Participate in Board meetings. Provide timely and accurate information to the Board.
• Work with the Board of Directors to define and communicate the organization’s vision and mission.
• Lead the organization in the development of long-term strategic plans to ensure growth and sustainability.
• Set and monitor goals and objectives to achieve strategic priorities.
• Implement Board-approved policies and strategies.
• Report legal, operational, and financial risks to the Board.
• Ensure effective recordkeeping and legal compliance.
• Support the Board’s governance and strategic planning activities.
• Ensure that the organization complies with to all applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

Authority and Accountability

The ED reports to the Board of Directors and is the senior staff leader with accountability and full decision-making authority over day-to-day operations.

Skills and Qualifications

• Leadership - Demonstrated ability to engage, inspire and motivate staff, volunteers and the community to work in collaboration towards a shared purpose.
• Influencing through Relationships – Able to build and leverage a network to engage stakeholders and open doors to impactful partnerships.
• Judgement - Experience creating clarity and focus in a changing environment with competing priorities
• Project management –Experience translating strategy into concrete plans and driving implementation.
• Growth mindset –Track record of growing organizations to increase their capacity, scope and impact.
• Problem-solving - Ability to identify and address root causes and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Financial Acumen - Strong understanding of nonprofit financial management and experience with budgeting, financial reporting, and fundraising.
• Communication - Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Able to effectively represent the organization to stakeholders and the public.
• Interpersonal Skills - Ability to build and maintain strong productive relationships with the board, staff, donors, and community partners.
• Sector Experience – Understanding of the non-profit sector and experience working effectively with volunteers as well as staff. In addition, knowledge of and/or experience in the faith sector would be an asset.
• Business knowledge - Negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.

Compensation commensurate with experience.