Reach Out and Read Executive Director Bay Area, California

The Opportunity

Reporting to the national Chief Operating Officer (and collaborating closely with the Development and Programs Operations Teams, and Bay Area Strategic Consultant), the founding Executive Director has a unique opportunity to help shape the future direction of Reach Out and Read in the Bay Area. Reach Out and Read has operated in the Bay Area (encompassing Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma counties) since 1996, with the Children’s Health Center at San Francisco General Hospital as the flagship site. Through grassroots growth, strong residency programs based in the Bay Area, and providers throughout the region serving as champions in their clinics, Reach Out and Read Bay Area serves families at over 161 clinical locations in the region. These sites range from small community clinics to large Health Systems and serve a diverse population, primarily targeted at serving children and families in high-need areas.

In alignment with the strategic direction of Reach Out and Read, the Reach Out and Read National Center has prioritized the development of an affiliate in the Bay Area to ensure the ongoing sustainability and high-quality implementation of the ROR model toward a goal of reliable and measurable impact of the program across the region with its many participating clinics. Experience throughout our network of 29 Reach Out and Read affiliates has demonstrated that strong local staffing and infrastructure are required to have a maximum impact on the children and families served. Effective staffing includes a strong founding strategic presence, which includes: the Executive Director who will be responsible for fundraising, program sustainability, and growth; a part-time Medical Director to liaise with the pediatric provider community; and eventually a Program Director and Program Specialists to ensure continued engagement of healthcare providers for our intervention.

Reach Out and Read is excited to bring on board a founding Executive Director to help kickstart this next phase of growth and infrastructure in the Bay Area of California. This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned, entrepreneurial professional with deep Bay Area connections; non-profit, philanthropy, policy, and/or early childhood sector experience; and a proven track record of successful fundraising outcomes. We seek someone who is passionate about the intersections between early childhood development and health and the mission of Reach Out and Read.

Reach Out and Read has secured seed funding to support a Bay Area based Strategic Consultant, who has been working closely with the ROR Development and Operations teams for almost a year, and ROR now has secured funding to bring on a founding full-time permanent Executive Director. With the goal of in the next year establishing a local Reach Out and Read affiliate with designated and funded staff to serve all Reach Out and Read sites in the Bay Area, the Executive Director role will help to build upon and amplify the fundraising successes necessary to strengthen the existing infrastructure to bring this to life.

The Executive Director is a valued strategic partner for Reach Out and Read nationally, actively cultivates and maintains local public and private partnerships, and is excited to partner with an existing and actively collaborative ROR National Team (Development, Programs Operation) and Bay Area Advisory Board. Considered a leader in our organization and joining a team of Executive Directors from around the country, the Bay Area Executive Director creates and demonstrates passion for Reach Out and Read, enhances our name recognition, expands our presence within the Bay Area, consistently demonstrates an attitude of excellence and leadership, and embodies our core values of passion, excellent, respect, and innovation.

Key Responsibilities and Outcomes Include:

Leadership, Strategy, Management, and Operations:

• Lead the team with a strategic, outcomes-driven approach to achieve the mission, ensuring that our
intervention is conducted with fidelity to the proven model and produces the intended impacts on the
children and families we serve.
• Direct and oversee the work of the Bay Area team as this team is built and grows, including recruitment,
hiring, day-to-day supervision, and performance evaluation. Maintain an organizational climate which
attracts, retains, and motivates a quality, diverse staff.
• Develop and administer the Bay Area Affiliate’s annual budget and manage and oversee monthly finances to
ensure sufficient operating reserves and cash flow to meet financial obligations. Partner with the National
Finance Team to optimize planning and implementation of fiscal operations.
• Assure that the organization has a long‐range strategy which achieves the mission, and toward which it makes
consistent and timely progress. Collaborates with the Leadership Team to develop tools and systems to measure
progress, determine organizational impact and success, and set annual goals.
• Lead and support a recently-launched Bay Area Advisory Board comprised of individuals committed to
serving their community and providing actionable services to Reach Out and Read.
• Maintain official records and documents and ensures compliance with federal, state, and local laws and
regulations.
• Maintain a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in the field of early learning and early
relational health, as well as issues and trends affecting nonprofits.

Fundraising:
• Lead fundraising and philanthropic aspects of Reach Out and Read in the Bay Area, including foundation,
corporation, government, and individual support with close collaboration with the National Center Development Team.
• Building upon existing fundraising momentum and successes for Bay Area affiliate launch, raise operating
funds towards a goal of $750,000+ annually.
• Set and achieve assertive development goals by identifying opportunities for long-term sustainability and
growth within the Bay Area.
• Write and review accurate and timely grant proposals and reports, and cultivate, establish, and maintain
positive relations with funders.
• Explore other sources of revenue that are consistent with the mission.
• Cultivate organizational understanding that fund development and philanthropy are critical to our mission
and organizational health.
• Develop and/or maintain a core base of diverse funding sources, including government, foundation, civic group, and corporate support.
• Steward a base of individual donors, strengthening existing relationships and growing the donor base.
• Develop and maintains a portfolio of prospects to be cultivated, solicited, and stewarded in their philanthropic
relationship with Reach Out and Read.
• If/as needed, collaborate with ROR sites to support site-based fundraising efforts.

Program Services, Support, and Growth:
• Build relationships with local stakeholders, including sites, and develop understanding of where the ROR
program is overall with in the Bay Area, and leverage this to develop a program support strategy.
• Work with the National Programs Operations and Human Resources teams to hire and onboard a founding
Program Director. Oversee and support the Program Director, who is responsible for ensuring that site
providers and coordinators are engaged and trained and have the information and tools required to
implement our intervention with fidelity and impact on the children and families we serve.
• Work with the National Programs Operations and Human Resources teams to bring on a founding Medical
Director. Oversee and support the Medical Director, who is responsible for medical engagement and brand
stewardship in collaboration with the Bay Area team and Executive Director.

• Oversee the apportionment of books to program sites, balancing the many factors involved including grant
funds, program needs, site functioning, and local site fundraising.
• Partner with the Program Director and Medical Director to strategize and implement the continuous quality
improvement systems and processes that enable programs to be of high-quality, and that best support and
effectively engage medical providers.
• Support the design and implementation of ongoing evaluation and research opportunities as they arise.
• Ensure that the Program Director establishes and maintains the data systems and analysis capacity needed to
evaluate services and report status and progress over time. Monitors this progress.
• Participate in active professional learning provided by Programs Operations team and collaborates closely with
the team to understand and be an effective fundraiser for the Reach Out and Read program.

Fiscal Management:
• Assume fiscal responsibility for the management of donor funds and grants. Comply with grant deliverables
and manage spending within budget parameters.
• Develop Reach Out and Read Bay Area’s annual budget and manage and oversee budget implementation.
• Establish budgets for grants, initiatives, and departments that are prudent, realizable, and in keeping with
sound business practices.
• Work with the National Center Finance Team to provide required backup and input that will expedite the
flow of financial transaction processing, controls, and reconciliations.

State and Local Advocacy:
• Craft and execute a plan to secure government/public funding for Reach Out and Read.
• Represent Reach Out and Read to elected officials and their staff, members of the administration, and other
stakeholders in demonstrating Reach Out and Read’s effectiveness in early childhood development and
pediatric primary care.
• Stay informed of the legislative budgeting process and Reach Out and Read’s status within it.
• Assess other opportunities within state and local governments to ensure Reach Out and Read is integrated
into early childhood, early relational health, and/or pediatric primary care efforts.

Communications, Community Relations, and Partnerships:
• Work collaboratively and strategically to represent the organization locally, regionally and nationally, as well
as cultivate key partnerships. Develop and implement strategies to increase visibility and brand awareness of
Reach Out and Read.
• Serve as the primary spokesperson and champion for the efficacy of Reach Out and Read’s model and
services in communications locally, and throughout the region. Represent the programs and point of view of
the organization to agencies, organizations, and the general public.
• Develop and implement a communications and media strategy. Work with the national Marketing Manager
and Bay Area Program Director to support local public relations and participate in high priority national public
relations initiatives.
• Network with and establish/maintain local, regional, and statewide partnerships to help Reach Out and Read
programs throughout the region become integrated within early learning and family support systems.

Qualifications and Experience

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below.

● 10+ number of years of relevant work experience
● Undergraduate degree or equivalent knowledge or experience preferred
• Strong leadership and management skills, including excellent organization, project management, and time‐
management skills, with attention to detail and follow‐through.
• Self‐motivated and inspirational problem solver with demonstrated ability to coach, manage, and develop high-performing teams to achieve strategic objectives.
• An enthusiastic and collaborative team member with a successful track record of recruiting and retaining a
diverse staff.
• Proven fundraising experience with demonstrated success at donor cultivation and stewardship, and grants
procurement and management.
• Demonstrated success cultivating and sustaining partnerships and collaborative relationships among diverse
organizations and groups at the statewide or community level.
• Experience with advocacy, political strategy, relevant public policy, and systems efforts.
• Proactive attitude, out of the box thinking, sense of humor, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced and
entrepreneurial environment.
• Strong cultural competency and proven track record working across differences of gender, race, ethnicity, and
socio-economics.

Position Specifications
This is a full-time, exempt position, based in the Bay Area, California. The Executive Director works from a home-based office. Regular travel, up to 15% throughout the Bay Area and attendance at one or two national meetings per year (under pre-pandemic circumstances).

Currently, Reach Out and Read is under fully remote work conditions until further notice, given the COVID-19 pandemic.

Compensation and Benefits
Salary will be competitive with similar roles at non-profit organizations of a comparable size, and you will also receive a robust benefits package. We offer medical and dental insurance, 401(k) retirement plan with match, paid vacation, professional development stipend, and more.

To Apply: Please email a cover letter and resume, with the subject line “Bay Area Executive Director” to jobs@reachoutandread.org.

------------------------------EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER------------------------------

Reach Out and Read is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status. We value diversity and are committee to equal opportunity in employment. Members of all racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Reach out and Read is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and we are committed to making special accommodations for your interview or work as a member of our team. If specific accommodations are needed, please notify hr@reachoutandread.org and we will work to accommodate your needs.

About Reach Out and Read

Founded in 1989, Reach Out and Read gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into
pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. Reach Out and Read’s tens of thousands of trained pediatric providers use books as a diagnostic tool during regular check-ups and teach parents how to engage their child with a book to promote positive parent-child interactions during the rapid brain growth between birth and age five. Reach Out and Read focuses specifically on reaching families whose communities have fewer resources and support and those who may be impacted by circumstances that adversely impact children’s development.

The daily practice of reading aloud with a parent supports children’s literacy and math skill development, their social- emotional development, and prepares them for future success in school. Through its national network of providers, Reach Out and Read is helping to set 4.2 million children a year on a path to a bright future, from birth. Reach Out and Read is the only national early literacy intervention delivered through pediatric care providers. The program has been the subject of 21 independent studies, the largest body of scientific research for any psychosocial intervention in pediatrics. Research shows that children served by Reach Out and Read are read to more often, enjoy sharing books more, and have better expressive and receptive language skills.

To Apply: Please email a cover letter and resume, with the subject line “Bay Area Executive Director” to jobs@reachoutandread.org.