Executive Director, The Welcome Project

The Welcome Project (TWP) seeks a collaborative leader who can organize fierce advocacy to deepen its impact in empowering the local immigrant communities to become active leaders in civic engagement.

Organization

The Welcome Project is a community-based organization that began in the Mystic Public Housing Development in Somerville, Massachusetts in 1987, following the Development’s state mandated racial integration.  Initially founded to address the reality of underlying violence that occurred as a result of the integration, TWP has since that time expanded its mission throughout Somerville and to other local communities to holistically address the needs of immigrants of local communities.

For over 35 years, TWP has collaborated with people, partner organizations and government agencies to create equitable access to communities’ social and economic resources. The mission of TWP is to build the collective power of immigrants to participate in and shape community decisions and TWP accomplishes this through programming that strengthens the capacity of immigrant youth, adults and families to advocate for themselves and influence schools, government, and other institutions.

Today, TWP is Somerville's leading immigrant organization; well reputed for its year- round youth and adult culturally affirming, language-accessible, and strengths-based programs.   TWP’s programs integrate youth development and cultural programs, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) education, youth interpretation training, leadership training, college and career readiness, immigrant and worker rights education and advocacy through our Somerville Worker Center, and organizing around policy issues through civic engagement and community partnerships.  The overarching goal of all programs is to enhance the leadership and personal development of immigrant and lower-income families.

TWP is guided by the following organizational values:

• Constituent Driven TWP values a bottom-up approach to dialogue and decision-making that actively respects, encourages and listens to the voices of the immigrant community in issues that are important to them.
• Collaboration TWP believes in working together with constituents and other stakeholders to maximize its impact and accomplish more than what the organization can do alone to achieve its mission.
• Empowerment and Leadership TWP believes in helping immigrants to empower themselves to more effectively navigate their own lives and participate in the decisions that promote change in schools, city government, and other institutions.
• Transparency TWP values open, two-way communication that promotes trust and accountability, supports well-informed stakeholders, and respects diversity in language and culture.
• Diversity and Inclusion TWP supports diverse, inclusive, and equitable representation in decision-making. TWP benefits from the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities.

TWP has nine engaged board members, a passionate staff that has ranged from four to seven FTEs, and over 30 committed volunteers and interns.  The organization’s annual operating budget is approximately $750k.

Opportunity

The Executive Director of TWP will collaboratively lead a small and dedicated staff in fulfilling its mission. TWP is a leader in advocating for and uplifting the voices of immigrants and holds a unique position in its ability to organize immigrants to participate more fully in civic life. Priorities for TWP that the Executive Director will champion include:

Provide opportunities for civic engagement to promote equitable immigrant participation that transforms local community institutions and culture and improves the lives of immigrants

• Advocate for policies that improve the lives of immigrants
• Raise awareness of the immigrant experience with the entire community
• Build organizing capacity by teaching civic engagement skills to immigrants

Respond to and meet emergent needs through innovative services and programming that are rooted in a community-driven process

• Create pathways for economic mobility for immigrants, through technical assistance, workers’ rights, and new business opportunities
• Use constituent driven processes to develop programs that meet the needs of the immigrant community
• Build TWP family by hosting events that bring the community together
• Provide channels of access for immediate financial assistance to immigrants, as needed

Develop an organizational infrastructure that promotes sustainability and growth and supports the immigrant community

• Diversify revenue streams by increasing individual donations, seek large grant funding, and develop fee-for-service programs
• Ensure staff and volunteer roles reflect the needs of the organization and are equipped with professional development opportunities that develop their skills
• Continue the expansion of programs past Somerville into Medford and other surrounding areas

Team Leadership and Management

• Provide leadership and supervision to support dedicated staff and grow a strong and professional team
• Collaborate with the internal team to cultivate an organizational culture rooted in trust, development and positivity
• Motivate team members by ensuring adequate supervision and professional development opportunities
• Streamline operations and develop easily accessible organizational policies and procedures

Outreach and Collaboration

• Strengthen and leverage relationships and collaboration with community partners, staff, volunteers, board members, government agencies, and constituents
• Lead community organizing initiatives that reflect constituent priorities; empower staff to engage in outreach efforts
• Expand the network of community partners and raise awareness of TWP; ensure all stakeholders understand TWP’s strategic vision

Fundraising and Resource Development

• Diversify fundraising
• Align fundraising efforts with organizational strategy
• Maintain and build on existing relationships; cultivate new donors and expand revenue-generating opportunities

Strategic Planning

• Partner with constituencies to identify opportunities to advocate and organize for immigrants’ priorities
• Maintain a strong presence in the community at the local and state levels
• Work with the board, staff and community partners in the development of the organization’s strategic goals
• Oversee and report on the organization’s progress toward its goals

Board Governance

• Work closely with the board, using the knowledge, skills and experience of board members to help fulfill the organization’s mission
• Facilitate board members’ involvement and visibility with staff, programs and community partners
• Increase the board’s role in fundraising and advocacy
• In concert with the Board Development Committee, recruit diverse board and committee members who are credible with and representative of our constituencies

The Ideal Candidate

The next Executive Director of The Welcome Project will be an effective, passionate leader who is excited to promote the organization’s mission and build community leaders in Somerville and surrounding cities.  They will be a collaborative and empathetic leader with both internal staff and external partners.  An emerging leader with many of the following skills, experience, and personal attributes is highly desired:

• Strong connection to the immigrant experience; lived experience as a first or second-generation immigrant preferred.
• Able to be an effective fundraiser with both private donors and grants.
• Skilled in relationship building; Eager to engage with individuals, government officials and community leaders.
• Proven success in nonprofit management at the organizational or program level; including staff development and financial management; board management is highly desired.
• Bi-lingual, fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, or another relevant language strongly preferred; able to speak and connect with the communities TWP serves.
• Prior experience in a community-based organization; advocacy, community organizing, and/ or coalition building is highly desirable.

Guidelines for Applicants

This search is being conducted by TSNE in partnership with The Welcome Project. Interested candidates should submit materials via this application link provided on this posting.

Electronic submissions sent through this link are preferred. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential within TSNE and the TWP search committee.

Candidates should include a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of TWP. The search will remain open and applications will be accepted until the right candidate is identified.

The Executive Director is a full-time, year-round, exempt position. Salary is commensurate with relevant experience, within the framework of the organization’s annual operating budget, and in the approximate range of $85,000 – 100,000 annually. TWP offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, professional development and paid time off.

As an EOE/AA employer, The Welcome Project will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identification, genetic information, veteran or disability status or any other factor prohibited by law.