Project HOME, Chief Executive Officer
About Project HOME
Project HOME is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that provides a continuum of services comprised of street outreach, supportive housing, employment, education, and healthcare. Founded in 1989 by Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon, Project HOME has grown from an emergency winter shelter to one of the largest and most effective providers of homeless services in the United States.
The mission of Project HOME is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all to attain their fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society. The organization strives to create a safe and respectful environment where individuals support each other in their struggles for self-esteem, recovery, and the confidence to move toward self-actualization.
The organization's programs are based on the belief that everyone deserves a safe place to live, access to quality healthcare, and the opportunity to succeed. Project HOME offers a wide range of services to its clients, including:
Housing and Outreach: Project HOME’s supportive housing programs offer permanent, subsidized housing for individuals and families who have been homeless. Most residents come to Project HOME from a safe haven, a shelter, or from the streets.
Opportunities for Employment: Project HOME's employment programs provide job training and placement assistance to help clients find and keep good-paying jobs. The organization also operates two social enterprises that provide employment opportunities to formerly homeless individuals.
Medical Care: Project HOME's Stephen Klein Wellness Center provides comprehensive healthcare services to clients, including primary care, mental health care, and dental care. The center also offers a variety of preventive health programs and services.
Education: Project HOME's education programs provide adults and children with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. The organization's Honickman Learning Center offers adult education, job training, and computer literacy classes. The Youth Education and Enrichment program provides after-school tutoring and enrichment activities for children.
Inspired by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of a Beloved Community, Project HOME’s values and goals are rooted in the precept of a beloved community where everyone is welcomed, valued, and loved. The organization’s motto is “None of us are home until all of us are home.”
Organizational Highlights
Founded in: 1989
Revenue: $45M
Board of Directors: 25
Staff: Over 470 full-time and part-time staff
Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA
The Position
Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will lead a multi-faceted organization that includes a complex nonprofit organization, 13 managed entities, and $275 million in assets. The CEO will represent Project HOME developing and maintaining authentic and effective relationships with individual donors, institutional funders, elected officials, and community stakeholders. The CEO will be responsible for ensuring the organization’s fiscal health, upholding its values, and enhancing its stellar reputation. Essential responsibilities include:
Leadership
Inspire, motivate, and lead a team of diverse, talented, and dedicated staff to advance the organization’s mission and realize its strategic goals;
Ensure the organization’s commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion are reflected in all programs and services, policies and procedures, and engagements with staff, clients, residents, and members of the community;
Partner with local leaders and advocate for Project HOME’s initiatives;
Support the Board of Trustees to understand public policy issues and other environmental factors that may impact the organization and those experiencing homelessness;
Maintain the organization’s fiscal integrity, ensuring internal financial controls and legal compliance.
Strategy & Vision
Oversee the successful implementation of the organization’s strategic plan, Being Home 2025, ensuring goals are met and where possible, exceeded;
Identify issues, craft strategies, and generate funding to implement solutions and lead teams to realize goals;
Envision and scale the organization with an enterprise mindset, ensuring adequate staff and infrastructure to address the growing crises of homelessness and addiction;
In partnership with local government, create housing strategies and develop new affordable housing models;
Develop strategies and identify tactics for shifting the organization’s programs to a housing-first model.
Fundraising
Generate and cultivate relationships with existing and emerging donors;
Leading fundraising efforts including the establishment of Project HOME’s endowment to protect the organizations various assets;
Cultivate genuine personal relationships with donors that deepen individual connections to the agency and are exemplified by trust and respect;
Leverage individual gifts as a multiplier to secure foundation and government funding to supplement and complete projects;
Collaborate with local agencies and entities to develop community partnerships that create opportunities for individual, institutional, and government funding;
Foster effective relationships with politicians and elected officials that support projects, policies, and initiatives;
Ensure program impact and organizational integrity to perpetuate donors’ longstanding confidence that their gifts are being effectively stewarded.
Advocacy and Community Engagement
Serve as an effective communicator of Project HOME’s mission, the intersecting factors adversely impacting the communities it serves, and the efficacy of its unique approach to addressing the issues;
Advocate for low-income and unsheltered people through grassroots organizing and lobbying of elected officials;
Engage with homeless service and housing providers across the country to share effective models and innovations;
Develop relationships with housing advocates, policymakers, and developers across the country to create solutions and raise resources.
The Opportunity
This is an incredible opportunity for a trailblazing leader to advance the work of an organization creating national models for housing development and service delivery.
Position Overview
Reports to: The Project HOME Board of Trustees
Leads: A team of 470 staff
Oversees: 5 Senior Vice Presidents, 3 Vice Presidents, 1 Executive Assistant to the CEO and the Board of Trustees
Manages: $51M budget
Resides: In or willing to relocate to Philadelphia, PA
Professional Requirements
The CEO will be a relationship builder, capable of developing connections to a diverse set of donors, stakeholders, staff, housing advocates, and the residents of Project HOME. Core to the role is the ability to activate meaningful relationships into dynamic partnerships that propel the organization’s mission. The selected executive will leverage the legacy and expertise of the organization’s adept leadership and engaged stakeholders to devise ongoing strategies and increase local impact amid a national housing crisis. Innovative thinking and masterful tactical skills will be required to catalyze success. The ideal candidate will have:
A minimum of 10 years of executive leadership experience in a mission-driven organization or agency with multifaceted programs and complex funding streams;
Exceptional track record of fundraising, donor cultivation, and relationship building to ensure continued revenue to meet the community’s needs and advance the organization’s mission;
Extensive experience leading in affordable housing development, transitional housing, supportive services, and community development;
Experience advancing social justice in organizations and communities serving vulnerable populations including people who are experiencing homelessness, housing instability, and substance use disorders;
An understanding of the intersecting issues driving homelessness and the tenacity and vision to find and create solutions;
Expertise to lead the execution of Project HOME’s strategic plan, which includes the construction and maintenance of housing projects and the provision of associated healthcare and supportive services;
Superior management experience including prior practice directing executive teams, project managing external contractors, and exemplifying organizational values to staff and stakeholders;
Knowledge of the issues and the confidence, and communication skills to be a prominent voice in affordable housing advocacy for low-income people especially those unsheltered in Philadelphia;
Ability to distill for the Board of Trustees public policy issues and other environmental factors that may affect the interests of Project HOME and those experiencing homelessness;
A bachelor’s degree is required.
Essential Qualities
The CEO will be a visionary leader with a nuanced understanding of the issues and a passion for creating solutions. They will build connections defined by authenticity, empathy, and trust. The next leader will be driven to create success in partnership with Project HOME’s Board of Trustees, staff, residents, and donors as well as national housing advocates, and local policymakers and stakeholders.
Personal Characteristics
The CEO will be an energetic and charismatic leader who is simultaneously skillful and passionate about advancing Project HOME’s mission. Success in this role will depend upon collaborative partnerships with diverse constituencies. The chosen candidate will be excited about learning from various leaders and steadfast in interpreting their experiences into opportunities that ignite impact. The new CEO will bring the following qualities:
Emotional intelligence to develop and maintain genuine, egalitarian relationships with various stakeholders including staff, funders, elected officials, community leaders, and individuals experiencing homelessness;
Exceptional communication skills with the ability to inspire investment and action;
An understanding of Philadelphia’s unique political context or the humility to learn;
A servant leadership style grounded in continuous learning, trust, mentorship, and collaboration;
Confidence, authority, and acumen to oversee complex development, budgeting, and programming in a rapidly changing environment;
A firm commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion that leads to tangible organizational policies and practices;
Faith, including a commitment to the values of a beloved community and the belief that none of us are home until all of us are home.
Compensation
The target annual salary for this position is $322,000-$336,000. Additionally, Project HOME offers a competitive compensation package that includes health, prescription, dental, and vision coverage at minimum cost to employees, employer-funded life and disability insurance, flex spending accounts, and a 401K plan with an employer match up to 5% of compensation. Additional benefits include generous PTO accruals, paid parental leave, and paid sabbaticals.
Location
This position is located in Philadelphia, and a large part of the role depends on a successful connection to the city’s people and communities. Often called the city of brotherly love for its openness and strong sense of community, Philadelphia is also the home of our nation’s first labor organization and the first strike, multiple inventions by Benjamin Franklin, the first protest against slavery, the first anti-slavery society, and the first independent African-American church. In more recent years, the Philadelphia city government has enacted many innovative policies including an open transparency ordinance. As a result, Philadelphia touts itself as the City of Firsts. This moniker is aligned with Project HOME’s image as an innovative model for affordable housing development and service delivery.
As the 6th largest city in the nation, Philadelphia is home to a diverse range of industries, colleges, and universities making it a hub for societal progress. The city’s institutions create a vibrant art and cultural destination with numerous museums, theaters, and historical landmarks for residents. There are over 4,000 painted murals that adorn buildings throughout the city and add to the artsy vibrant feel of its neighborhoods. Notable attractions include the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Reading Terminal Market, and iconic colonial landmarks including the Liberty Bell. Philadelphia is also home to multiple thriving professional sports teams like the Eagles, Phillies, and 76ers. Philadelphia is a walkable city with a well-connected public transportation system and is close to major highways and airports, facilitating commuting and travel. It also has numerous open spaces including Fairmont Park which is one of the largest urban park systems in the country.
Philadelphia's location provides easy and quick access to New York City, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and other major cities. However, compared to some other major cities on the East Coast, Philadelphia offers a relatively affordable cost of living, making it an attractive option for professionals. The city is also one of the nation’s most culturally diverse; those who live and play in the city enjoy rich cultural experiences and networking opportunities.
Contact
Please submit a résumé and original cover letter that describes your interest in the organization’s mission and qualifications through the application portal on our website.
Michelle Kristel, Managing Partner
McCormack + Kristel
1740 Broadway, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212.531.5003 | Fax: 212.203.9599
Email: search@mccormackkristel.com
Website: www.mccormackkristel.com
All inquiries will be held in strict confidence. Please note that your education, dates of employment, and other information will be verified prior to an offer.
McCormack + Kristel works only with equal opportunity employers.
EOE Statement
Project HOME is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable law, we prohibit discrimination against any applicant or employee based on any legally recognized basis, including, but not limited to race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age (40 and over), national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed service member status, marital status, familial status, domestic/sexual violence victim status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. Our commitment to equal opportunity employment applies to all persons involved in our operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee, including supervisors and co-workers.