Blue Star Families · 5 months ago
Executive Director, National Capital Region
Blue Star Families is the largest nonprofit dedicated to making military life better for families. The Executive Director will oversee the strategic and operational responsibilities of the chapter, including fundraising, program management, and community engagement to support military families.
Communities
Responsibilities
Develop a chapter sustainability plan; expand local revenue-generating and fundraising activities to include additional staff members and ensure the chapter's long-term financial viability
Ability to secure six-figure gifts (does not include gifts in kind) from philanthropies, family foundations, corporate partners, and/or high-net-worth donors to sustain the chapter operations, including chapter staff payroll
Partner with the Development Team and Chapter Host Committee to source and cultivate leads, generate revenue, storyteller, and steward funders
Responsible for raising annual fundraising goals
Deepen and refine all aspects of communication, from digital/virtual presence to external relations, to create a stronger brand, grow membership and engagement, and secure repeat funding
Leverage external presence and relationships to garner new and innovative opportunities
Develop the strategy for the delivery and excellence in implementing national programs, such as Welcome Week, Campaign for Inclusion, and annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey, at the local level
Regularly evaluate program components with the chapter program manager or director using BSF’s rigorous program evaluation tools to measure consistent quality and successes that can be effectively communicated to the advisory board, funders, and other constituents
Partner with the National Programs and Applied Research team on data collection, initiative implementation, and outreach
Develop, maintain, and steward a strong, diverse, engaged, strategic local Advisory Board to support local operations
Actively engage and energize Blue Star Families’ “grasstops”: board members, event committees, partnering organizations, and funders
Lead, coach, develop & retain a corps of volunteers to support program execution and build brand awareness
Lead, coach & manage program manager
Develop a network of local organizations including corporate, government, military, and philanthropic to support efforts that build stronger military communities, increase military competency in the civilian community, and bridge the civil-military divide
Educate key community leaders using Blue Star Families’ Annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey and other research results
Work with the program manager to seek opportunities to connect military families with resources and programs offered by community organizations and partners
Perform other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Bachelors' degree in a related field or 7+ years experience in community relations and development
5-10+ years of management experience
Track record of effective fund-raising strategies that have taken an organization to the next stage of growth
Unwavering commitment to Blue Star Families' mission, quality programs, and data-driven program evaluation
Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff/volunteers, manage, and develop high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage to budget
Past success working with an Advisory Board with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships
Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures
Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
An entrepreneurial spirit eager to engage with potential partners to build community-based solutions
An action-oriented, adaptable, and innovative approach to business planning
Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed
Limited out-of-town/overnight travel is required to attend meetings, trainings, events, etc. (less than 25% overnight travel)
May be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays as necessary to carry out key job functions
Preferred
Experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems; and familiarity with Salesforce a plus
Knowledge of Blue Star Families and the military family experience
Benefits
403(b) with matching
Flexible Spending
Life Insurance
Short-Term Disability
Communications Allowance
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Leave for Active-Duty Military Spouses
On-the-job professional development training
Front-line opportunity to positively impact the military experience
Competitive salaries
Workplace flexibility
Company
Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families strengthens military families and our nation by connecting communities and fostering leadership.
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$8.5MKey Investors
Lilly EndowmentPatrick J. McGovern Foundation
2025-12-10Grant· $7.5M
2023-12-20Grant· $1M
Leadership Team
Recent News
Social Media Today
2025-11-06
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