POSITION: Part-time (20 hours/week) Interim Executive Director ORGANIZATION: Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington LOCATION: Washington, D.C.

Background:

IFC was founded in 1978 by visionary religious leaders who recognized that diversity can be a powerful source of unity. Originally bringing Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, and Roman Catholic faith communities together for dialogue and service, IFC became the first staffed interfaith organization in the nation. During the past 40 years, IFC has grown stronger by expanding its membership to include Baha’i, Buddhist, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Zoroastrian faith communities, for a total of 11 diverse religious traditions. All share the vision of a community strengthened by its diversity, where people of all faiths and cultures are welcomed and appreciated and together build a better society for all.

Scope:

The ideal Interim Executive Director is passionately committed to interfaith understanding and solidarity. This role reports to and works collaboratively with the Board of Directors in leading IFC to realize its vision and mission. The Interim Executive Director ensures that IFC’s programmatic strategies, fiscal management, fundraising, communications, marketing, human resources, and technology are effectively coordinated and implemented across all segments of the organization.

The successful candidate’s leadership style is collaborative, inclusive, and community-building. It is someone who is enthusiastic about bringing diverse constituencies together, appreciating the range of beliefs and practices represented in IFC while finding common ground.

The successful candidate has demonstrated effectiveness in stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, consensus-building, programming, fundraising, fiscal management, human resource management and development, community outreach, marketing, and public relations.

Process:

Submit a resume and customized cover letter to Jim Stansel, IFCMW Board Personnel Committee Chair, at j[email protected]. A full position description and more information about IFC are available at www.ifcmw.org.

Deadline for submission is December 31, 2023.

PART-TIME INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position: Part-time Interim Executive Director

Organization: Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington

Location: Washington, DC

Compensation: 20 hours per week @ $40-50 per hour, depending on experience

About the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington

first staffed interfaith organization in the nation. During the past 40 years, IFC has grown stronger by expanding its membership to include Baha’i, Buddhist, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Zoroastrian faith communities, for a total of 11 diverse religious traditions.

In its vision statement, IFC “envisions a community strengthened by its diversity, where people of all faiths and cultures are welcomed and appreciated and together build a better society for all.” IFC’s mission is “to advance understanding and cooperation across diverse faith traditions and cultures in our nation’s capital for the betterment of all.” IFC pursues its mission through:

its annual Interfaith Concert featuring music and dance of diverse faith
its annual Unity Walk that introduces participants to different faith traditions and prayer spaces
its annual Day of Unity that enables participants to engage in local community building projects with people of other faiths
a grassroots response and outreach network of individuals and congregations that responds to and combats incidents of bigotry throughout the Washington
materials and speakers to teach about religious diversity
interfaith dialogues in various settings
its annual Interfaith Bridge Builders Awards event to recognize exemplary interfaith leadership,
its program, Interfaith Power & Light, which works directly with religious communities of all faiths to respond to the climate crisis and
other initiatives

IFC governance is structured as follows:

The Board of Directors – The Board consists of five Officers and up to 32 other Members.
The Officers – The officers include the President, Chair of the Board, First Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Committees – Standing committees include Executive, Finance, Nominating and Leadership Engagement, Personnel, Professional Development and Evaluation, and Program Steering. Ad hoc committees and task forces are constituted for specific purposes, such as strategic planning and event planning.

IFC is staffed by:

the part-time Interim Executive Director
a 3/5-time consultant serving as director of outreach
one to three unpaid college-level interns
and various part-time or short-term consultants on programs, publicity, and development.

Position Overview

IFC envisions its new Interim Executive Director as a creative and inspirational leader who can advance the organization’s mission, expand its human and financial resources, and increase its impact. The position is part-time (20 hours per week) for a period of six months with the possibility of either an extension of the part-time interim position or transition to a full-time permanent position.

The ideal candidate appreciates the distinctive insights of all the faiths represented in IFC, while remaining deeply rooted in her/his own faith. In this role, the individual finds common ground among IFC’s member faiths, celebrates their distinctiveness, and promotes their collective voice. The new Interim Executive Director effectively engages faith communities in deepening understanding and builds a community of respect, dignity, and solidarity in the metropolitan Washington area.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

The Interim Executive Director inspires respect for herself/himself and for IFC among the various faith communities and their leaders, as well as throughout the wider community. The Interim Executive Director creatively conceives of new and revitalized initiatives to advance IFC’s vision and mission, and advocates on behalf of IFC with all stakeholders. The Interim Executive Director’s passion for the cause of interfaith understanding inspires people to support and join IFC’s work.

Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation

The Interim Executive Director creates, implements, and evaluates programs that promote the organization’s goals, working in concert with the Board and the Program Steering Committee. The Interim Executive Director thinks strategically about the challenges and opportunities facing IFC and develops programming accordingly.

Fundraising and Financial Management

The Interim Executive Director is the primary fundraiser for the work of IFC and is responsible for planning and administering annual fundraising events, such as the Interfaith Concert and the Interfaith Bridge Builders Awards. The Interim Executive Director also takes the lead, with Board members, in seeking foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and major gifts, and in encouraging financial support by member faith communities.

The Interim Executive Director manages the financial resources of the organization and oversees the development and implementation of the annual budget, which is adopted by the Board and monitored by the Finance Committee.

Human Resource Management and Development

The Interim Executive Director works closely with the Board and the Executive Committee to raise the organization’s effectiveness and impact. In concert with the Nominating and Leadership Engagement Committee, the Interim Executive Director works to strengthen the Board by attracting, retaining, and engaging outstanding individuals for Board service, and develops Board capacity. The Interim Executive Director hires, supervises, mentors, evaluates, and terminates IFC employees, consultants, interns, and agents of IFC, and establishes the terms of their association with IFC, within the annual budget and in accordance with IFC’s Personnel Policies. The Interim Executive Director oversees the selection and supervision of interns and volunteers. The Interim Executive Director directs efforts to increase volunteer and grassroots participation, including outreach to the next generation of interfaith leaders and effective use of social media and other technologies.

Community Outreach, Marketing, and Public Relations

The Interim Executive Director represents IFC to the public and coordinates others who do so by:

Preparing and/or approving public communications (e.g., newsletter, e-newsletter, media releases, website, blogs)
Acting as the first point of contact for the media, public officials, and religious leaders
Maintaining and enhancing IFC’s social media presence
Making initial judgments when asked by another group whether IFC may be involved in a program or event and, if appropriate, presenting the information for a decision by the Board or Executive Committee
Drafting and/or working with others in preparing public policy statements and/or letters to government officials or others for action by the Board or within Board- approved mandates, and interpreting those statements/communications to the wider community as needed
Participating in meetings, conferences, programs, services, or dialogues sponsored by others as an official representative of IFC
Serving on non-IFC bodies and, when elected to do so, serving in a leadership capacity if this is compatible with the other responsibilities of the Interim Executive Director.

Other

The Interim Executive Director performs other duties as needed to implement the vision of the organization and its day-to-day programmatic and organizational functions. This includes being aware of laws and regulations affecting IFC specifically and non-profit organizations generally, and working with others as needed in advocating for the organization’s needs and interests.

Qualifications

A respected leader with a passion for interfaith understanding and solidarity, and an appreciation for the diverse beliefs and practices of IFC’s member faiths as well as for their common values
An experienced strategic thinker with a facilitative leadership style and the ability to energize and engage internal and external stakeholders
Knowledge of strategic planning
Demonstrated ability to ensure ongoing programmatic excellence through evaluation of existing programs, revitalization of programs, and creation of new ones
Proven track record of success and growth in developing and executing a multi tiered fundraising strategy
Knowledge of and experience with basic nonprofit accounting,

budget development, audits, and monitoring of fiscal operations

Ability to facilitate collaborative problem solving (consensus building) and inclusive teamwork among staff and board
Ability to strengthen board capacity
Ability to lead volunteers and create volunteer opportunities/programs that harness volunteer service to further the organization’s mission, fostering the spirit of volunteerism
Experience with community outreach and marketing strategies to build public awareness of organizational mission and messages
Working knowledge of risk management, crisis management, and basic laws and regulations for nonprofit organizations

IFC is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to qualified persons without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, military or Veteran status, or any other protected status or classification under federal, state, or local law.

Application Process

To apply, submit a resume and customized cover letter to Jim Stansel, IFCMW Board Personnel Committee Chair, at [email protected], by December 31, 2023. Applicants will be contacted if their qualifications match all the requirements of the position.