National Alliance to End Homelessness, Board of Directors
About The National Alliance to End Homelessness
For more than four decades, the National Alliance to End Homelessness (the Alliance) has stood at the forefront of one of America’s most urgent challenges. As the nation’s leading voice on homelessness, the Alliance brings together research, policy expertise, and a network of over 10,000 partners to drive systemic, lasting change — not just for individuals experiencing homelessness today, but for the communities and systems that serve them.
Founded in 1983 as the National Citizens Committee for Food and Shelter, the organization rebranded as the National Alliance to End Homelessness in 1987 as it became clear that emergency relief alone could not solve the deeper, systemic roots of homelessness. Since then, it has grown into a network of over 10,000 partners — the largest partnership of its kind in the country.
The Alliance has a strong record of measurable impact at the federal level and in communities across the country. In 2024, the Alliance helped secure historic levels of homeless assistance funding, garnering more than $4 billion — a testament to decades of effective advocacy and system change.
Between 2010 and 2015, the Alliance partnered with federal agencies to reduce veteran homelessness by 47% nationwide. That momentum has continued: federal strategy has since reduced veteran homelessness by more than 55% since 2010, making it one of the most significant achievements in the fight to end homelessness in America.
Mission: Preventing and Ending Homelessness in the U.S.
The Alliance is a non-partisan organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. They help build stronger and more resilient communities by advancing equitable, socially just, and evidence-based strategies and policies that are critical to ending homelessness.
Vision: A Future Without Homelessness
The Alliance envisions a future without homelessness, where all people have equitable access to safe and affordable housing and services to meet their needs.
Values: Faith, Love, and Home
The Alliance believes in ending homelessness by inspiring faith that ending homelessness is possible; leading with love, equity, and respect for our unhoused neighbors; and bringing people home. Their approach centers evidence-based solutions that provide housing, healthcare, and professional support services, grounded in respect and dignity for all.
Organizational Highlights
Founded: 1983
Annual Operating Budget: $9 million
Current Board of Directors: 9
Staff: 31
Headquarters: Washington, DC
For more information, please visit: www. endhomelessness.org/
The Alliance’s Programs
The Alliance's work, emphasizing racial equity, health, and housing solutions that make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring, spans three core functions: research, policy advocacy, and capacity building. The organization uses research and data to find solutions to homelessness; works with federal and local partners to build a solid foundation of policies and resources that support those solutions; and helps communities implement them.
Its programmatic priorities include reducing unsheltered homelessness, decriminalizing homelessness, expanding resources to help people thrive, strengthening the homelessness workforce, and addressing environmental justice by creating climate-resilient communities. The Alliance also offers training and guided learning opportunities for the homelessness sector, as well as resources for program staff, policymakers, advocates, and academics.
In 2006, the Alliance established the Homelessness Research Institute (HRI) to guide evidence-based solutions through research and data analysis — a resource that has since become a cornerstone of the organization's national influence. HRI produces the widely cited annual State of Homelessness report, translating complex data into clear steps that policymakers and service providers can use.
Since 1983, the Alliance has been at the forefront of shaping policy, driving innovation, and supporting communities in ending homelessness.
Strategic Focus (2024 – 2026)
Lived Experience & Equity
Invest in lived expertise and equity practices throughout the Alliance’s work.
Culture
Build an intentional organizational culture and expand capacity to ensure sustainability.
Policy, Practice & Research
Advance a bold, evidence-based policy and legislative agenda to end homelessness — through both long-term systemic reform and immediate action — while expanding the sector’s capacity to move people into safe, accessible, and affordable housing.
Community & Movement Building
Build a national movement to end homelessness by convening the sector, engaging the public and elected leaders through communications and organizing, and embracing strategic opportunities at the state and local levels.
The Opportunity
Homelessness is one of the most visible and solvable crises in America — and the National Alliance to End Homelessness is at the center of the effort to end it. This is a rare invitation to join the board of the nation’s leading homelessness organization at a pivotal moment: a period of deliberate growth, governance enhancements, and renewed national urgency around housing and homelessness.
Board members bring their expertise, networks, and perspective to shape policy, guide strategy, and advance a national movement — work with real stakes and measurable outcomes. The Alliance’s track record is proof: a 55% reduction in veteran homelessness since 2010, $4 billion in federal funding secured in 2024, and over 1.1 million people served in a single year. These are not abstract accomplishments. They are the result of sustained, strategic leadership — the kind this board provides.
The Alliance is actively expanding its board — adding new members with diverse expertise, lived experience, and a shared commitment to systemic change. For those who believe leadership should mean something, this is an opportunity to put it to work.
About the Alliance Board of Directors
A Board Built on Diverse Expertise and Shared Purpose
The National Alliance to End Homelessness is governed by a board of directors that reflects the breadth and depth of commitment required to tackle one of the nation's most complex challenges. Current board members include accomplished leaders from the business world, individuals with lived experience of homelessness and housing instability, and advocates with deep personal or professional dedication to ending homelessness. This diversity of perspective is not incidental — it is foundational to how the Alliance leads, learns, and drives change.
A Board Evolving for Greater Impact
In 2024, the Alliance made a meaningful investment in its own governance by engaging an outside consultant to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the board's structure and composition. The goal was clear: to ensure the board is strategically aligned with the organization's long-term vision and equipped to lead through its ambitious strategic plan.
The engagement produced tangible results. The Alliance implemented term limits to promote healthy board renewal, restructured its committee framework to improve effectiveness, and identified priority areas of expertise to guide future recruitment. This kind of intentional governance reflects the same approach the Alliance brings to its programmatic work.
As a direct continuation of this effort, the Alliance is now actively recruiting prospective directors — with plans to add up to nine new members over the next two years and grow the board to between 15 and 20 members. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join a board at a pivotal moment of purposeful expansion.
Board Structure at a Glance
Terms & Service
Role Term Length Renewal
Director 3 years Renewable up to 2 times; 1-year extension available in extenuating circumstances
Officer 2 years Renewable for 2 additional years
Officers of the board include Co-Chairs, Treasurer, and Secretary — positions that provide strategic leadership and organizational oversight at the highest level.
Committees
Through participation in at least one committee, Board members have the opportunity to contribute through focused work. The Alliance's current committee structure includes:
Executive Committee — The leadership hub of the board, the Executive Committee acts on behalf of the full board between meetings, addresses urgent and time-sensitive matters, and ensures continuity of governance. It serves as the primary support and sounding board for the CEO, provides strategic guidance during both normal operations and crisis moments, and oversees CEO performance, succession planning, and organizational emergencies.
Finance Committee — Supports the board in its fiduciary responsibility by overseeing the organization's financial health, reporting, and governance. The committee oversees budget development and monitoring, arranges and evaluates annual independent audits, reviews internal financial controls, manages investment strategies and risk assessments, and ensures the board is informed and educated about the Alliance's financial operations.
Development Committee — Ensures the Alliance's fundraising efforts align with its strategic goals and financial needs. The committee fosters board engagement in fundraising, develops and monitors fundraising strategies and policies, and provides guidance on donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship — while building board members' capacity and confidence as ambassadors and fundraisers for the mission.
Policy & Research Committee — Provides strategic oversight of the Alliance's policy and research agenda, ensuring that evidence-based research informs policy recommendations, legislation, and practice. The committee advocates for systemic reforms and long-term solutions to homelessness, and ensures that all policy and research efforts remain aligned with the Alliance's strategic goals and values.
Nominating & Governance Committee — Ensures the board remains high-performing and strategically aligned by overseeing board recruitment, orientation, and ongoing development. The committee cultivates and nominates candidates for board membership and officer roles, reviews governance policies and practices, leads periodic assessments of individual and collective board performance, and guides succession planning.
Board Member Role & Responsibilities
Board members of the National Alliance to End Homelessness serve as mission-driven leaders, providing strategic guidance, financial oversight, and advocacy support to one of the nation's most impactful nonprofit organizations. The board and staff operate as genuine partners — board members are both valued contributors and active stewards of the Alliance's work.
Governance & Fiduciary Oversight Board members uphold their legal and fiduciary responsibilities by approving annual budgets, audit reports, and major organizational decisions; monitoring compliance with applicable laws and policies; and ensuring the Alliance's financial health supports its long-term strategy. Board members also serve as trusted advisors to the CEO and provide oversight of executive leadership, including succession planning.
Strategic Leadership Board members participate in strategic planning, set long-term goals, and annually assess the organization's progress. They regularly review programs and services to ensure alignment with the mission and effectiveness in achieving strategic priorities. Board members also ensure the Alliance's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion is reflected across its operations, priorities, and mission delivery.
Board Performance & Accountability Board members contribute to a culture of continuous improvement by annually reviewing the performance of the board, its committees, and individual members — and taking an active role in strengthening board effectiveness, culture, and engagement.
Fundraising & Financial Support Board members are expected to make the Alliance a top philanthropic priority and to give or raise $10,000 per year. They leverage their personal and professional networks to build relationships, raise awareness, and strengthen the organization's financial base. The Alliance strives for 100% board participation in giving.
Committee Participation Board members serve on at least one committee or task force, contribute to board orientation activities, and stay informed about organizational policies, programs, and initiatives.
Ambassador & Advocate Board members represent the Alliance to stakeholders and the broader community — acting as informed ambassadors who promote its mission, advance its goals, and support staff and partners.
This is a working, engaged board. Members are expected to bring candor, commitment, and collaboration to their service — contributing not only their expertise, but their energy and networks to a cause that demands both.
Board Member Commitments
Attend three 2-hour board meetings (February, June, October)
Serve on at least one committee
Give and/or raise $10,000 annually
Commit to one 3-year board term
When possible, attend conferences and participate in key organizational events and activities
The Alliance’s Commitments
Access to the CEO and staff as needed
Timely, regular financial reports and organizational updates
Information about homelessness and the communities served
Orientation and ongoing training and resources
Directors & Officers insurance coverage
Respect for time, expertise, and contributions
Contact
If you are ready to bring your leadership to a cause that demands it, we invite you to learn more about serving on the National Alliance to End Homelessness Board of Directors. To express interest or nominate a candidate, please contact us.
Michelle Kristel, Managing Partner
McCormack + Kristel
1325 Avenue of the Americas, 28th Floor | New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212.531.5003 | Email: search@mccormackkristel.com | Website: www.mccormackkristel.com