Executive Director

Join a team of committed nonprofit professionals to lead the United Way of Cumberland County.

The United Way of Cumberland County (UWCC) was created to identify and resolve pressing community issues and to make measurable changes in communities through partnerships with schools, government agencies, businesses, organized labor, financial institutions, community development corporations, voluntary and neighborhood associations, the faith community, and others. The main areas include education, income, and health.

UWCC seeks an experienced, engaging and tech-savvy nonprofit leader to become their next Executive Director.   The successful candidate is an advocate for improving community inequities, has a passion for diverse communities, and has a successful track record of raising money and creatively implementing programs in a nonprofit setting. 

The Community:

Cumberland County is a large and vibrant county in southeastern North Carolina. With a diverse population of approximately 329,000, Cumberland is the fifth most populous county in the state. Cumberland County is home to Fort Liberty, one of the largest military installations in the world and headquarters for U.S. Army Forces Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, U.S. Army Reserve Command and U.S. Army Special Operations Command. The post has an active-duty population of over 51,000 troops.

The strong military presence offers significant economic development potential, as well as opportunities for additional economic diversification. The City of Fayetteville (pop. 209,000, sixth largest city in N.C.) is the county seat and one of nine municipalities within Cumberland County. Fayetteville has been recognized as the most innovative city in the nation and is a two-time All-America City award winner that offers the amenities of a sizable city, a revitalized downtown area and numerous shopping opportunities. The other municipalities provide the option of small-town living, and Cumberland County includes large rural areas as well.

One of Cumberland County's greatest assets is its thriving arts and cultural community. Theatre, symphony orchestras, and museums for adults and children are available, including the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. A variety of festivals and special events are held throughout the year and the area is also home to the Fayetteville Marksmen hockey team and the Fayetteville SwampDogs, a summer collegiate baseball team. The City of Fayetteville has built a minor league baseball stadium and event venue in the downtown district. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers, a Houston Astros affiliate, opened their inaugural season in the spring of 2019. Cumberland County is also home to two outstanding universities and an excellent community college.

Located in North Carolina's Sandhills region, Cumberland and the surrounding counties include scenic rivers, lakes and other recreation areas, as well as world-renowned golf courses that host major tournaments. Cumberland County is two hours from the North Carolina coast and four hours from the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. County residents enjoy a pleasant climate with distinct seasons.

About the Organization:

Established in 1939, the UWCC mission is to improve the quality of lives in Cumberland County by addressing critical human needs. The UWCC is one of 1200 affiliates serving local communities. The unique UW model is one of partnership.  UWCC relies on the generosity of local businesses, organizations and individuals to provide the funding that is used to support local programs. After receiving community donations, UWCC enlists the support of local volunteers to assist in distributing funds to programs that are best suited to address community needs.

Using a community-based strategic planning process to prioritize its goals and identify measurable outcomes, UWCC prides itself on finding ways to eliminate barriers to service. In 2017, UWCC sponsored a Community Needs Assessment Survey to identify the key issues facing the community and their importance to community stakeholders using surveys and focus groups.  The results have guided the impact areas the UWCC Board has prioritized for funding.   Targeted impact areas include:

•  Education
•  Health
• Basic Critical Needs & Financial Stability

A few of their creative programs that match these needs include the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, North Carolina 211 and a 10-week Leadership Development Program.  More information about the Foundation can be found at  https://www.unitedway-cc.org/.

About the Position:

Reporting to a Board of Directors, and working cooperatively, the Executive Director of UWCC will be responsible for providing leadership in the overall operation and development of the organization, including strategic direction, program development, operations, financial management, personnel management and community relations. In 2019, UWCC moved from traditional funding to a Community Impact Model of funding programs versus organizations.  UWCC opened the Request for Funding process to include any program with a two-year history in Cumberland County and also aligning with UWCC’s targeted impact areas. Specifically, the Director will be the driver for overseeing the RFP process, resource development, and telling the UW story to the community and community partners.  Networking and collaboration through extensive community relations, education and public relations implemented by effective communication management and measurement of outcomes by objective program evaluation will be essential responsibilities of the Director.

The Successful Candidate:  

• has a successful track record of nonprofit management serving diverse communities with critical needs.
• appreciates and embraces the diverse, military character of the community while leveraging opportunities from new ventures.
• builds awareness of the UWCC, advocates for and is effective in explaining services of the agency to regulatory bodies and programmatic partners, and effectively builds commitment with community stakeholders, nonprofits and health care consumers for the programs being offered/ sponsored.
• creates and implements a development plan to raise funds in innovative ways.
• creatively and adeptly ensures the marketing and communication of programs to eligible nonprofits and consumers through various means.
• is experienced in developing, managing and coordinating all financial operations including endowment and operating funds and ensures all investments and expenditures are handled and maintained according to Board policy and direction.
• has a track record of breaking down silos and barriers while building bridges and paths to solutions in partnership with others.
• is collaborative, entrepreneurial and innovative with programming design and development.
• possesses excellent verbal and written communication skills with demonstrable ability to effectively facilitate meetings, present publicly, and provide professional and appropriate business level written information utilizing various media.
• possesses well-developed interpersonal skills and abilities, diplomatically communicating and working with diverse personalities and populations.
• is tech-savvy with excellent computer skills and understands how to leverage social media to reach a younger generation of donors.
• is resilient in the face of challenges and seeks innovative solutions to problems; and,
• is disciplined and values accountability with high expectations of self and others while also being an effective and respected leader.

Qualifications: To be considered, candidates must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and 3 years of progressive nonprofit experience and 5 years of progressive senior-level Development experience with a demonstrated successful fundraising track record and program management experience. Experience with the United Way model is preferred. Compensation is competitive.

To confidentially apply for this position, please complete the application and submit required documents to the following email address: [email protected] utilizing the following subject line: UWCC Executive Director Position.  Please note that it is not sufficient to submit only a resume, only fully completed applications will be considered.