Executive Director
Contra Costa Crisis Center
About the Contra Costa Crisis Center
The Contra Costa Crisis Center (Crisis Center) lives its motto “with help comes hope” 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to aid people with all kinds of problems: people who are abused, depressed, grieving, suicidal, homeless, or mentally ill. The Crisis Center provides county-wide 24-hour crisis intervention and suicide prevention counseling, grief counseling, youth violence prevention services, and 211 information and referral—fielding tens of thousands of calls each year.
Founded in 1963, the mission of the Crisis Center is to keep people alive and safe, help them through crises, and connect them with culturally relevant resources in the community. Its grief counseling program is one of oldest, largest, and most diverse bereavement services programs in California, providing over 8,000 free individual and group counseling sessions annually to more than 850 children, teens, and adults.
The Crisis Center accomplishes its work thanks to a 22-member staff, 14-member board of directors and 250 active volunteers committed to the organization’s five core values: compassion, integrity, inclusion, accessibility and collaboration. The Crisis Center has a budget of $1.7 million, and partners with a diverse array of public agencies, foundations and private donors. Approximately sixty-five percent of its funding comes from individuals, businesses, foundations, civic groups, and proceeds from Leftovers Thrift Shop, an agency auxiliary; 35 percent comes from government. The Crisis Center owns its 7,000 square-foot facility in Walnut Creek.
The Opportunity
The organization seeks an accomplished nonprofit executive with a passion for helping others and the ability to lead the organization in increasing its reach and impact. Reporting to an engaged board of directors, the Executive Director will work in close collaboration with a 5-person senior management team, and will lead the organization in planning for its future.
Building on a stellar reputation and a deep history of service to the community, the Executive Director will be charged with increasing the Crisis Center’s reach, deepening its impact with underserved communities, and capitalizing on its strengths in crisis support and resource and referral.
In addition to a proven commitment to the Crisis Center’s mission, qualified candidates will meet the following qualifications and requirements:
Experience:
- A minimum of six years’ prior experience as an executive director of a social services nonprofit with a budget of $3 million or more;
- Experience providing programs and services to diverse community members in culturally appropriate ways;
- Success working with volunteers and managing programs that rely on volunteers for service delivery;
- Experience managing and sustaining successful public relations and marketing efforts;
- A track record of increasing donated income, including experience with major gifts;
- Experience reporting to and working closely with an effective board of directors;
- Prior experience in suicide prevention/crisis-intervention/grief or other counseling is preferred.
Skills:
- Outstanding interpersonal communications skills, including the ability to speak well in public, write effectively for a variety of audiences, and to engage across differences in race, ethnicity, class and education;
- Well-developed business management skills including budgeting, operational planning,
facilities and technology planning and oversight, and human resources development;
- Demonstrated skill in building collaborative, successful teams;
- A high degree of comfort with fundraising; enjoyment of recruiting and stewarding individual and institutional donors;
- Comfort navigating public sector funding streams, an ability to maintain strong relations with multiple funding agencies.
- Understanding of nonprofit accounting practices and comfort working with multiple income streams to achieve financial sustainability;
- Background and training in team management; human resources best practices in hiring, managing and retention;
- Training in cultural competency, inclusion.
Salary and Benefits
The Contra Costa Crisis Center offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including vacation and holiday leave; medical, vision and dental insurance; and a retirement plan. The organization provides a supportive, team-oriented environment where differences of ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, gender, physical ability, and age are valued and appreciated.
Application Process
Leyna Bernstein Consulting, an executive search firm, is conducting this search on behalf of the Contra Costa Crisis Center. Please send cover letter and resume to wendy@leynabernstein.com with Crisis Center in the subject line. No phone calls, please.
