Executive Director

Are you motivated to make a difference in the lives of youth? With over 25,000 FFA members in the state of Wisconsin developing premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education, the Wisconsin FFA Foundation is seeking a visionary, detail-oriented, and high performance executive director to achieve our mission of: building relationships and encouraging philanthropy to support and grow agricultural education and FFA. As executive director, you can expect to work with a passionate team who share a dedication to this mission and the agricultural industry, including a diverse board of directors, state FFA officers elected annually, state leaders in education and Team Ag Ed, accounting and marketing/events professionals, and dedicated sponsors and donors.

To meet the growing needs of Wisconsin FFA members, the ideal candidate would be an innovator with a growth mindset, skilled at building trust and rapport, developing strategic and impactful communications, and being a conscientious manager and steward of foundation funds. The executive director will have the rewarding opportunity to travel to and be actively engaged in various state and national FFA events, as well as meetings with current and prospective partners, in support of the Wisconsin FFA Foundation’s strategic plan and goals. The executive director will work closely with the board’s executive team and committee chairs, reporting directly to the Board President, to carry out this mission.

DESIRED COMPETENCIES

- Communication and Influence

- Accounting and Financial Management

- Competitive/Entrepreneurial Mindset

- Customer/Client-Oriented

- Facilitating and Managing Change

- Leading a Successful Team

- Sales Ability/Persuasiveness

- Time Management

- Professionalism/Integrity

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership: articulate the FFA Foundation’s vision, mission, and strategic plan; build alignment across the organization; serve as a campaign manager that exudes hope, optimism, and vision; embrace ambiguity; and be in tune with cognitive biases that affect organizational decision-making.

Fundraising: provide fundraising leadership and ensure the funds are there to execute the budget; responsible for creating the conditions for fundraising success (vision, materials, pitch, call-time, training, technology, etc.); work collaboratively with staff and board development efforts; creates a culture of fundraising. 

Board Development: work in partnership with the board and for the board; help build, sustain, and strengthen all board functions; build alignment while maintaining role clarity between board/chair/executive director and staff.

Financial Management: demonstrate competence in reading, creating, and understanding financial documents, including budgets, cash flow, income statements, and balance statements; familiar with 990 tax returns, audits, compliance and financial controls.

Human Resources: ensure onboarding, recruitment, retention, management, development, and compliance are carried out with excellence; responsible for delegation, decision-making, creating clear staff roles; supervising collaborative tasks to be sure they are done efficiently, inclusively, and with respect.

Operations and Technology: ensure the WI FFA Foundation operates correctly and functionally; ensure proper hardware and software are in place for fundraising, collaboration, document creation and storage, communication, productivity, and record keeping; create and maintain policies to ensure the use of the most relevant and efficient technology and planning/budgeting for upgrades and security needed for future success.

Programs and Activities: create the big picture with the board while managing the quality and effectiveness of each program and activity; serve as a liaison between board and staff to implement the strategic plan; provide clear vision of the strategic plan to internal and external stakeholders; must be open to accountability from stakeholders; aware of trends and developments affecting FFA and agriculture education development and provide leadership and vision in adjusting the FFA Foundation development work to meet these needs.

Community Relations and Communication: develop and maintain strong relationships with peers, donors, industry associations, the media, and more; build alliances and strategic partnerships; be collaborative with other organizations and be transparent; communicate regularly with stakeholders and the public.

Compliance and Best Practices: responsible for minimizing risk to the WI FFA Foundation by being in compliance with all laws and regulations; understand the legal frameworks of creating and running a nonprofit organization.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Preferred minimum of a bachelor’s degree and/or 5 years of proven success in non-profit leadership and management Must possess a valid motor vehicle operator’s license and proof of current motor vehicle insurance.

PREFERRED TECHNICAL/PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE

- Experience in Non-Profit Development

- Strong understanding of Microsoft Office Suite

- Understanding of QuickBooks or NEON, or similar CRM software

- Understanding of FFA and agriculture education

BENEFITS & PERKS

- Simple IRA match

- Holiday Pay

- Managed Time Off

- Health Retirement Account 

SALARY

- Salary Range $62,500 – 75,000

- Performance bonuses

If interested in this position, please email a cover letter and resume to Deb Ihm, WI FFA Foundation Board President at deborahihm@cfbank.com. For more information or questions, please email Deb or call 608-220-3828.

The Wisconsin FFA Foundation, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and that any information collected is solely to verify identity and determine suitability for the position.