Retiring Executive Director’s Statement (job posting, below)
You might expect me to review the great privilege it has been to work for the COAR children. And that is true. But what has become more profound for me is the strength of institutions. A good institution magnifies all the skills and all the efforts and all the dreams and aspirations of every person who is working for its goals. It lifts us up when we don’t do our best. It can carry us. COAR carries these children. It carries the staff who cares for them in the homes and in the school and in all our services to the community. And they carry us. I, myself, can retire to a supporting role because there is strength among the thousands of us, and yes it is thousands, who have worked for, prayed for, and sacrificed for COAR these 45 years. Underlying it all is the example of St. Romero, in the Catholic Social justice teachings of solidarity and subsidiarity. It is a guide to the future that we build, which is not our own. I am comforted that a new Executive Director will easily find their place among all of us who sustained this institution. I am especially excited for this new person, who will take on the role of a lifetime, and find all their skills and efforts and hopes for a better world realized and magnified beyond their wildest dreams.
And now, on behalf of the COAR Peace Mission, Board of Directors:
Executive Director Job Posting
COAR Peace Mission, a 501c3 Catholic charity serving the children and community of El Salvador, seeks a new Executive Director. The position is based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Executive Director’s key duties are to raise funds and work with project partners to support COAR’s programs in El Salvador. The position requires frequent travel in the United States and Canada, as well as international travel to El Salvador.
Send resume and cover letter to: jobs@coarpeacemission.org.
COAR Mission Responsibilities:
- Stay in continuous contact with Project Partners to understand their missions, visions, and goals as they serve the COAR children and community in El Salvador.
- Work with the Programs Director to monitor Project Partners’ activities, budgets, challenges, and effectiveness.
- Design and maintain programs to inform North American stakeholders of the work being done by Project Partners.
- Foster and maintain relationships with other groups and organizations serving in El Salvador.
- Manage visitors from North America to Project Partners, including creating an itinerary, arranging logistics, arranging service (teaching English), and guiding expectations of visitors, as needed.
- Give presentations on COAR’s work to groups/parishes/schools, as requested.
Development Responsibilities:
- Design, implement, and maintain comprehensive development programs to raise sufficient funds for Project Partners and operational expenses.
- Design and maintain programs to steward current and gain new donors.
- Design and maintain comprehensive communications for stakeholders.
Compensation & Operations Responsibilities:
- Salary $65,000 or commensurate with proven fundraising record.
- Annual budget of $800-900,000; Cleveland-based staff of 2-4.
- Manage small staff to achieve each program’s objectives and recruit volunteers as necessary.
- Participate in Executive Committee and Board meetings; prepare the meeting agenda, attend meetings, and report to the Board actual versus planned accomplishments in the areas of income, expenses, risk management, and strategic planning.
- Effectively steward and develop Board members’ capacity for fundraising.
- Assist with the identification, recruitment, and orientation of new Board members.
Requirements:
- Proven track record in fundraising.
- Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
- Experience running a small office/business: HR, IT, budgeting.
Pluses:
- Familiarity with the challenges of working in the developing world.
- Strong data and analytical skills.
- Facility and strategic thinking around social media.
- Proficient in reading, writing, and speaking in Spanish.