Description
Executive Director - Position Description
Hours: Full-time
Reports to: Board of Directors
Location: Remote, open to candidates residing in the Greater Madison area, Wisconsin
Annual Salary Range: $100,000 - $120,000 annual salary, dependent on experience. Benefits include a health care stipend and a matching IRA retirement plan.
Position Summary
The Executive Director provides strategic and operational leadership for Own It: Building Black Wealth, advancing its mission to increase generational wealth through homeownership for Black and brown families and addressing racial disparities in the real estate market. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director leads the organization's strategy, fundraising, partnerships, staff, financial sustainability, and overall operations while ensuring long-term organizational health and measurable community impact.
About the Moment: Own It is in a season of growth — building the staff and systems infrastructure that will let the organization scale beyond what one founder-leader can carry alone. This is a chance to lead an organization with real traction: an Education Program, a Down Payment Grant Program, and an Ambassador network already in motion, all in service of closing the racial wealth gap through homeownership. The next Executive Director will inherit a strong vision and the mandate to operationalize and systematize what comes next.
Who You Are: You lead with integrity and follow through on commitments: to the community you serve, to funders, and to the board. You think strategically about where Own It is headed while staying grounded in its mission of building generational wealth through homeownership for Black and brown families. You build real relationships—with community, partners, donors, and board members—and you know how to steward trust once you've earned it.
Competencies & What You'll Own
Fundraising, Integrity & Accountability - Lead Own It's overall fundraising strategy, including grant strategy, applications, reporting, and compliance. Cultivate and steward relationships with donors, funders, and sponsors. Report fundraising progress to the board with transparency and follow-through. Operate with the kind of accountability that builds long-term trust — with funders, staff, and the community.
Board Partnership & Governance - Partner with the Board of Directors on strategic planning and organizational direction. Maintain clear boundaries between executive and board roles. Prepare board materials, agendas, and reports that give the board what it needs to govern well. Ensure compliance with 501(c)(3) requirements and lead with transparency in financial and organizational reporting.
Community Partnership & Rootedness - Cultivate and expand relationships with education, housing, and community partners. Represent Own It in the community it serves — not just to funders and press, but to the families and neighborhoods the mission is built around. Build partnerships that reflect genuine rootedness in community, not just transactional outreach.
Strategic & Mission Leadership - Lead strategic planning in partnership with the board. Ensure every major decision — programmatic, financial, operational — ties back to Own It's mission of increasing generational wealth through homeownership. Provide strategic oversight of the Education Program and Down Payment Grant Program, evaluating effectiveness and long-term impact.
People-First Leadership & Reputation - Lead, coach, and manage staff and contractors with a people-first approach. Serve as Own It's primary spokesperson and public face, building relationships with press, partners, and the real estate and housing community. Protect and grow Own It's reputation as a trusted, high-integrity organization.
Requirements
Core Responsibilities
Fundraising, Integrity & Accountability
- Lead Own It's overall fundraising strategy, including grant strategy, applications, reporting, and compliance.
Cultivate and steward relationships with donors, funders, and sponsors.
Report fundraising progress to the board with transparency and follow-through.
Partner with the Fundraising Committee to achieve fundraising goals.
Board Partnership & Governance
- Partner with the Board of Directors on strategic planning and organizational direction.
Maintain clear boundaries between executive and board roles.
Prepare board meeting agendas, reports, and materials in collaboration with board leadership.
Ensure compliance with 501(c)(3) nonprofit regulations and reporting requirements.
Oversee board committees, including Executive, Fundraising, and Donor Management.
Operations & Financial Management
- Oversee organizational systems, infrastructure, and processes that support day-to-day operations, including data management, technology platforms, and internal workflows.
Manage the organization's budget in partnership with the Treasurer/Finance Committee, including monthly reconciliation, cash flow monitoring, and variance reporting.
Select, negotiate, and oversee contracts with vendors and outside contractors, ensuring accountability to scope, budget, and timeline.
Ensure sound financial controls, recordkeeping, and audit-readiness in accordance with nonprofit accounting standards.
Maintain scalable operational systems that support organizational growth without adding unnecessary complexity.
Manage risk—including insurance, contracts, and compliance—proactively rather than reactively.
Community Partnership & Rootedness
- Cultivate and expand relationships with education, housing, and community partners.
Represent Own It in the community through meetings, events, and public speaking.
Build and strengthen relationships with real estate professionals, financial institutions, and strategic partners.
Provide strategic leadership for the Ambassador Program, including recruitment, engagement, and stewardship.
Strategic & Mission Leadership
- Lead strategic planning in partnership with the board.
Ensure long-term sustainability, effectiveness, and impact through strategic leadership.
Provide strategic oversight of the Education Program and Down Payment Grant Program.
Establish long-term program goals and evaluate program effectiveness.
People-First Leadership & Reputation
- Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, and performance management for staff and contractors.
Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Serve as Own It's primary spokesperson and main point of contact for press.
Oversee communications strategy to ensure consistent messaging across audiences.
Required Qualifications
- Demonstrated leadership experience in a nonprofit, business, government, or community-based organization.
Experience with fundraising, donor relationships, and revenue generation.
Experience with nonprofit governance and working with or reporting to a Board of Directors.
Commitment to racial equity and Own It's mission of increasing generational wealth through homeownership for Black and brown families.
Strong financial acumen, experience with building and being accountable to annual budgets, as well as knowledge of grant management.
Strong relationship-building and communication skills, including public speaking.
Preferred Qualifications
- Executive Director or senior nonprofit leadership experience
- Familiarity with housing finance, homeownership programs, or community development.
Work Expectations
- Full-time, available for standard business hours, with flexibility to accommodate occasional evening and weekend meetings, events, and community engagements.
- Remote position, with occasional local travel required for meetings and events, as well as being present for in-person events and gatherings in community settings.
- Must be able to work independently while collaborating effectively with staff, contractors, the Board of Directors, and community partners.
How to Apply
Submit one PDF containing all materials, in this order:
1. Cover letter (if included)
2. Resume
3. Prompt response - please answer in less than 400 words: What does 'building Black wealth' mean to you, personally, beyond the mission statement? Please also share your perspective or personal relationship with generational wealth, and/or your understanding/education around racial disparities and inequities in the real estate and financial industries?
Name your file: LastName_FirstName_OwnIt.pdf
Email subject line: Last Name, First Name: Own It ED
Submit to: support@8thandhome.com
Deadline: October 9, 2026
Please note: we will not be sending confirmation of receipt due to the anticipated number of submissions. Refrain from calling or emailing Own It staff or board members regarding this search, please instead send any questions to support@8thandhome.com.
Once the application window closes, we'll be in touch with next steps by October 20, 2026. Initial phone screens will be conducted October 29-30, 2026.
