THE OPPORTUNITY
Resilience enters its next chapter with a strong mission, committed staff and Board members, significant community need, and meaningful opportunities for growth. The next Executive Director will build on these strengths while addressing areas that require greater stability, alignment, and infrastructure. Reducing reliance on government funding and building a more diversified and sustainable revenue model is a Board priority. Resilience is also exploring new earned and contributed revenue opportunities, including a potential learning management system. The next Executive Director will create the conditions for sustainable growth by growing the base of philanthropic support, clarifying priorities, building capacity, and aligning the Board and staff around a shared direction.

Resilience understands gender-based violence not only as an individual experience, but also as a manifestation of broader societal inequities and systems of oppression. Addressing its root causes requires an integrated approach connecting survivor services with education, advocacy, prevention, and systemic change.

The Executive Director will bring together staff, Board members, volunteers, survivors, funders, and community partners to establish greater clarity and shared understanding around Resilience's strategic direction, core values, public voice, and role within the broader movement for social change. Building trust and alignment across these constituencies, while ensuring that historically marginalized voices are meaningfully represented in decision-making, will be essential.

The leader will also help Resilience navigate highly visible and politically polarizing issues with clarity and consistency, ensuring that public responses remain grounded in mission, values, a survivor-centered approach, and a commitment to equity and inclusion.

STRENGTHENING FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND BUILDING A CULTURE OF PHILANTHROPY
Financial stewardship and revenue diversification will be among the Executive Director's most important responsibilities. The leader will work closely with the Board and staff to strengthen financial sustainability, ensure disciplined fiscal management, and develop a diversified revenue strategy that supports both current operations and future growth.

A significant opportunity is to build a stronger culture of philanthropy and substantially expand Resilience's private donor base. Individual giving currently represents approximately 5% of revenue. The Executive Director will bring strategic focus and personal engagement to fundraising while strengthening the systems, relationships, and Board participation necessary for long-term philanthropic success.

Priorities include:

• Developing a comprehensive revenue diversification strategy that reduces reliance on government funding
• Strengthening financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and long-term sustainability
• Providing the Board with clear, timely information about financial performance, risks, opportunities, and tradeoffs
• Expanding individual, foundation, corporate, and other private sources of support
• Deepening relationships with existing donors and engaging Board members as ambassadors, relationship-builders, and fundraisers
• Using survivor-centered storytelling thoughtfully, effectively, and ethically
• Evaluating promising earned-revenue opportunities, including the potential learning management system
• Working toward approximately $1 million in private revenue over the next three to five years

The successful candidate will bring both financial acumen and fundraising credibility. They will be comfortable managing resources while thinking entrepreneurially about new revenue opportunities. They will understand that effective philanthropy depends on disciplined stewardship: listening to donors, communicating impact, maintaining meaningful relationships, and creating authentic opportunities for supporters to deepen their connection to the mission.

STRENGTHENING THE FOUNDATION FOR GROWTH
Resilience has multiple open positions, growing demand for services, and ideas for expanding its programs and revenue. These opportunities are exciting, but they also underscore the importance of strengthening the foundation for future growth.

The next Executive Director will assess staffing, structure, systems, processes, and management practices and determine what is needed to support sustainable growth. This includes establishing clear priorities, ensuring accountability, strengthening communication and decision-making, and making thoughtful investments in people and infrastructure.

The leader will balance urgency with discipline, knowing when to seize an opportunity and when to strengthen the foundation first. They will ensure that growth is aligned with financial and staff capacity, mission, and measurable impact.

An important part of this work will be strengthening the relationship between the Board and staff. While Resilience has committed Board members and passionate staff, greater alignment, clarity of roles, communication, and trust will be important to the agency's next chapter. The Executive Director will establish a productive Board partnership, create appropriate channels for communication and accountability, and help staff and Board members understand their respective responsibilities and work toward shared goals.

This is an opportunity for an experienced executive who is energized by complexity and capable of bringing stability and clarity during periods of change.

STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE'S BRAND AND PARTNERSHIPS
The transition from Rape Victim Advocates to Resilience created an opportunity to broaden awareness of the agency's identity, mission, and vision. The Executive Director will help articulate the meaning and breadth of the Resilience brand and position the agency as a leading voice in the field of sexual and gender-based violence.

The leader will strengthen strategic alliances with sister organizations, build coalitions for legislative advocacy, deepen community relationships, and expand Resilience's visibility across Chicago, Illinois, and nationally. The Executive Director will recognize the power of partnerships to increase impact, influence public policy, attract resources, and create new opportunities.

EXTERNAL LEADERSHIP AND VISIBILITY
Because sexual violence remains a topic many people are reluctant to discuss openly, Resilience requires a leader who is bold, credible, compassionate, and confident. The Executive Director will serve as a highly visible spokesperson and advocate for survivors through education, advocacy, public speaking, media engagement, convenings, and participation in conversations at the local, state, regional, and national levels.

The leader will represent Resilience thoughtfully in complex and politically charged environments and engage effectively with survivors, staff, donors, public officials, community partners, media, and national leaders in the field. For the right leader, this is an unusually meaningful opportunity. Resilience has a strong mission, significant community need, committed people, and substantial room to grow.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Executive Director, reporting to the Board of Directors, is responsible for strategic leadership, financial sustainability, and overall management of Resilience. The Executive Director will develop and execute strategic directions and policies; strengthen revenue and private philanthropy; oversee programs and services; and ensure the agency's overall well-being and sustainability. Securing the resources necessary to sustain and expand operations is a primary responsibility, as is ensuring compliance with Board-adopted policies and applicable regulations and laws. Although responsibilities may be delegated, ultimate accountability rests with the Executive Director.

As chief executive, the Executive Director will cultivate a culture grounded in equity, inclusion, belonging, accountability, and respect, fostering an environment in which diverse perspectives and lived experiences are actively sought and incorporated into decision-making.

CORE COMPETENCIES
Leadership

• In partnership with the Board, provide vision and direction for Resilience's programs, policies, partnerships, and capacity.
• Be visionary, mission-driven, business-focused, and experienced in guiding organizations through growth and change while maintaining stability and long-term financial viability.

Financial Leadership and Fund Development

• Demonstrated success building a broad base of financial support and securing major gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, and public sources.
• Lead efforts to diversify revenue, strengthen donor relationships and stewardship, increase private philanthropy, and develop a sustainable culture of fundraising.
• Demonstrated fiscal leadership, including financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, fund accounting, data analysis, and reporting.
• Partner with the Board to strengthen its engagement as ambassadors, fundraisers, and relationship-builders.

Marketing, Public Relations, and Outreach

• Serve as the face and voice of Resilience, effectively representing its mission, values, and goals.
• Build visibility, develop community partnerships, serve as a thought leader in the gender-based violence field, and represent Resilience effectively with media, policymakers, funders, health care providers, community leaders, and advocates.

Inclusive Management and Culture

• Understand nonprofit structure, governance, and operations and have experience working with or reporting to a Board of Directors.
• Build a strong, cohesive team and create an environment where staff feel valued, su