Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group LLC
Boston • Washington, DC • San Francisco • Europe • Latin America
Executive Director
Mid-Atlantic Region
Baltimore, MD
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Health Leads is a national non-profit dedicated to improving health care by making the treatment of
nonmedical, but health-critical, conditions a standard part of patient care. The diagnosis and treatment
of non-medical, but health-critical, conditions should be a standard part of patient care.
With Health Leads, doctors can “prescribe” food, housing, or other critical resources – just as they would
medication. Patients take their prescriptions to the clinic waiting room, where Health Leads’ college
volunteers are ready to connect them to these resources.
This year, Health Leads will train and deploy nearly 1,000 college volunteers to connect over 9,000 lowincome patients and their families to the resources they need to be healthy. Health Leads works in 23
pediatric and prenatal clinics, newborn nurseries, emergency rooms, and community health centers in
six cities across the U.S., including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York City, Providence, and
Washington, D.C.
Health Leads has a two-fold impact: First, we expand clinics’ capacity to connect patients with nonmedical resources that foster good health. Second, Health Leads is producing a pipeline of new leaders
who will have both the conviction and the ability to revolutionize health care.
Over the next four years, Health Leads will make substantial investments in its program model to
achieve greater impact with patients and volunteers, and further its vision for health-care-system
change--including doubling the number of people it serves in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
The Mid-Atlantic Region Executive Director will lead the development and execution of sustainable
fundraising and program strategy to realize a long-term vision throughout the Maryland-DC area. S/he
will be tasked with championing a compelling business case for Health Leads services while
demonstrating a clear return on investment, creating a vision for and launching an advisory board, and
cultivating institutional and funding relationships to realize a long-term vision for high-impact
programming and sustainable growth in the Mid-Atlantic Region. In addition, the Executive Director will
support local operations through management of and partnership with the Regional Program Director.
The Executive Director should be dynamic and have a profound commitment to social justice, an
exceptional talent for creative strategic thinking, a passion for the work of social change, a deep respect
for the experience and perspectives of all constituents in that work, and a strong ability to inspire and
mobilize people. S/he will have at least 10-15 years of proven leadership experience in an
entrepreneurial environment, with experience in translating the needs of a local, direct-service
population to a nationally scaling, fast-moving operation. A substantive knowledge of current health
care-environment and related policy issues, and the ability to speak about them to myriad
constituencies, is expected. This position will report into the Vice President of Field Operations and
Partnerships.
This search is being conducted by Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, an executive search firm
dedicated to increasing the capacity of nonprofits and their staff.
HISTORY & MISSION
“[Health Leads] organizes college students to staff Help Desks in urban
medical centers...This is exactly the kind of social innovation and
entrepreneurship we should be encouraging all across this country.”
– First Lady Michelle Obama
Co-founded in the Boston Medical Center Pediatrics Department in 1996 by Executive Director Rebecca
Onie in her sophomore year of Harvard College, Health Leads has grown rapidly into a national nonprofit. With Health Leads, doctors can “prescribe” food, housing, or other critical resources – just as they
would medication. Patients take their prescriptions to the clinic waiting room, where Health Leads’
college volunteers are ready to connect them to these resources. Last year, Health Leads trained and
mobilized a corps of 660 college and graduate school volunteers serving 6,000 low-income patients and
their families in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York, Providence, and Washington, D.C. Health Leads
has desks in 23 pediatric and prenatal clinics, newborn nurseries, emergency rooms, and community
health centers.
Health Leads’ impact is two-fold: Our Family Help Desks expand the capacity of clinics to connect their
patients with the resources they need to be healthy. At the same time, by providing a transformative
experience for our volunteer corps, Health Leads is producing a pipeline of new leaders with the skills,
knowledge, and experience to bring about change in the health care system.
The Mid-Atlantic Region currently includes Baltimore and in the Washington, D.C, area. Health Leads
came to Baltimore in 2006 through the leadership of former Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr.
Joshua Sharfstein and Baltimore HealthCare Access. In less than four years, Health Leads Baltimore has
become the organization’s largest site, partnering with Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University of
Maryland, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Health Leads Baltimore currently operates
five Health Leads programs staffed by 210 student volunteers per semester, and it served over 1,600
families last year alone. The Health Leads DC program was established in 2001 and has secured key
relationships with Children’s National Medical Center and George Washington University. All sites in the
region report to the National office in Boston and represent key areas for growth opportunity, in both
families served as well as potential for new programs.
OPPORTUNITIES FACING THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
During the first 12-18 months, the new Executive Director will face the following opportunities:
Further the vision, strategy, and goals for the Mid-Atlantic Region
The Executive Director will collaboratively design a strategic vision and plan for the Mid-Atlantic Region
that builds on local strengths and opportunities and aligns with Health Leads’ organizational mission,
values, and strategy. This work will require responsiveness to a changing environment, effective
stewardship of current partnerships, and leadership of the Baltimore and D.C. teams in achieving
ambitious goals. The Executive Director must also externally represent Health Leads to build the
organization’s profile and increase its impact, both in professional networks and at high-level meetings
and events.
Develop, diversify, and execute the Mid-Atlantic Region’s funding and revenue strategies
The ideal candidate will articulate and strategically guide a multi-year plan to fund the Mid-Atlantic site
operations and projected growth through philanthropic, government, and earned-revenue streams.
These responsibilities involve cultivating individual, foundation, and corporate donors, and growing the
Region’s pipeline of potential contributors. They also require stewardship and cultivation of both
existing and new earned-revenue partners. The Executive Director will build and support a local Advisory
Board to mobilize resources for the sites. S/he will actively manage the Mid-Atlantic Region’s operating
budget to reflect site strategy and goals, and will work with national staff to ensure timely, accurate, and
useful financial reporting.
Participate actively in Health Leads’ National leadership team
The Executive Director will act as key thought partner to Health Leads’ national leadership in improving
and refining Health Leads’ strategy, operations, and program model. As part of the Executive Director
cohort, s/he will provide regular feedback in regards to operational, strategic and fiscal direction. The
Executive Director will collaborate with Health Leads' national staff to leverage financial, technological,
and human resources of key corporate and institutional partners.
Lead and develop a high-performing staff team
The Executive Director will partner with and support the Program Director in creating a culture of staff
management that is consistent with Health Leads’ talent philosophy and values. As the Baltimore and
D.C. sites grow, the Executive Director will work with the Program Director to maintain a strong culture
of community, collaboration, shared purpose, balance, and joy—including professional development
opportunities tailored to staff members’ interests, needs and potential. The Executive Director will also
cultivate relationships with Health Leads’ student leaders, engaging them in establishment of site
strategy and mentoring individual students as opportunities arise.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
In the next year, Health Leads Mid-Atlantic Region is anticipating nearly doubling the number of families
it serves at its existing sites while improving program performance. The Executive Director must have a
profound commitment to social justice, an exceptional talent for creative strategic thinking, a passion
Increasing the Capacity of Nonprofits and Their Staff
for the work of social change, a deep respect for the experience and perspectives of all constituents in
that work, and a strong ability to inspire and mobilize people. Further, while no one candidate will
embody all the qualifications enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following
professional and personal abilities, attributes and experiences:
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At least 10-15 years of proven leadership experience in an entrepreneurial environment;
experience with direct service and/or case management preferred;
Substantive knowledge of current health care environment and related policy issues;
Flexibility, savvy, and agility to respond quickly and appropriately to a changing nonprofit
landscape;
Strong commitment to Health Leads’ core values: stepping up as leaders in a common vision,
belief in the power of shared work, constant and courageous learning, and celebration of our
victories and each other;
Significant fundraising experience, including a track record in creating and stewarding
relationships with high-stakes individual, corporate, foundation and institutional investors;
Experience with sales and/or earned revenue preferred;
Ability to navigate complicated institutions towards cultivating and maintaining high-level
partnerships;
Creativity and savvy in communicating a strong business case and demonstrating a concrete
return on investment;
Exceptional strategic thinking and creative problem-solving ability, with demonstrated
experience in developing innovative solutions to complex organizational challenges;
Strong skills and experience in leading, managing and building a talented staff team;
Excellent relationship-building skills, sense of humor, diplomacy, and joy in working with a team,
with the ability to engage a wide range of constituents in a common vision;
Strong self-direction, , sense of accountability, organizational skills, and attention to detail;
Excellent written and oral communication;
A developed professional network in Baltimore and D.C. with knowledge of the local
philanthropic and health care communities preferred;
Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in public health, business, social work, public
policy, or other relevant field preferred.
TO APPLY
More information may be found at: www.healthleadsusa.org
Nominations and applications are due by October 9, 2011. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are
strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications including a cover letter describing your
interest and qualifications, your resume (in Word format), salary history and where you learned of the
position should be sent to: [email protected]. In order to expedite the internal sorting
and reviewing process, please type your name (Last, First) as the only contents in the subject line of your
e-mail.
Health Leads is an Equal Opportunity Employer