Executive Director, Citizens' Committee for Children of New York

MISSION

To advance well-being, equity, and justice for all of New York’s children through research, advocacy, and civic engagement.

VISION

Every child healthy, housed, educated, and safe.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Do you feel charged to address the crisis of pervasive poverty that leaves far too many children without adequate support and access to secure housing, behavioral health, and economic and food security from early childhood on?

Do you champion a transformative model of relentless advocacy, community-driven civic engagement, and cutting-edge research to uplift the well-being of children?

Are you committed to the tenets of working with and empowering community partners to build upon their assets and drive the transformation they seek?

Will you lead with a deep sense of responsibility and urgency to take a successful advocacy organization to new heights, leveraging its commitment to equity while fostering new avenues for growth and impact?

If so, we invite you to keep reading and think about the untapped opportunities for you to make a lasting difference in the lives of children.

SEARCH SUMMARY

Citizens’ Committee for Children (CCC), an 80-year-old, renowned, highly respected, New York City-based, multi-issue child advocacy organization, is seeking an inspirational, passionate, strategic, and creative leader to build upon its rich legacy of advancing the well-being, equity, and justice for all of New York’s children through research, advocacy, and civic engagement. The Executive Director will be a credible and passionate advocate, thought leader, and spokesperson who values the transformative power of community leadership. They will amplify the voices of those most impacted by systemic barriers.

This leader will provide the necessary management, strategic direction, and fundraising expertise to enhance CCC’s impact, programs, and initiatives, while ensuring that the organization is fiscally sound, operationally efficient, and aligned with its equity-focused mission.

OVERVIEW

CCC is guided by its core values of justice, equity, integrity, belonging, and accountability to the community it serves. These values are woven through its three pillars of research, advocacy, and civic engagement:

Research and Data Analysis - CCC conducts and publishes data on child and family well-being. By engaging with New Yorkers through participatory and community-based research, CCC works to co-create solutions to systemic inequities, ensuring that data reflects the lived experiences and aspirations of marginalized communities.

Advocacy - CCC co-creates and supports citywide and statewide coalitions and campaigns rooted in equity and justice. By leveraging research and civic engagement, CCC seeks to influence budget, legislative, and policy decisions at City Hall and in Albany, amplifying the voices of historically underrepresented groups in these critical spaces.

Civic Engagement - CCC mobilizes youth and adult New Yorkers through leadership development programs, advocacy trainings, and public information campaigns to raise the visibility of solutions to systemic inequities, centering the voices of those most impacted.

CCC has a staff of 18 and an operating budget of approximately $5 million. With offices located in Manhattan and a hybrid work model, CCC is supported by a 37-member Board and an Advocacy Council of 200 individuals.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRIORITIES

Internal Management

• Leadership – Lead with an equity-centered, strategic vision that fully embraces and advances CCC’s mission while staying connected to the day-to-day operations, programs, and activities. Intentionally strengthen CCC’s DEIJ initiatives, applying an anti-racism lens to all decisions and actions. Approach leadership with empathy and respect, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued, especially those from historically marginalized communities. Be decisive when necessary but always inclusive, relying on a shared decision-making model that fosters trust and collective ownership.

• Prioritization and Commitment to Outcomes – Organize and prioritize activities to fulfill the mission most effectively. Execute strategy with a commitment to excellence across all areas and a passion for the balance of research, advocacy, and civic engagement.

• Programs – Build authentic, trust-based partnerships that prioritize co-creation and shared power with community organizations, public agencies, and government bodies.  Ensure that CCC’s work is driven by community input, adequately funded, and evaluated through an equity lens. Metrics should be designed to measure progress toward systemic change and the dismantling of structural inequities.
• Strengthening Infrastructure and Operations – In partnership with appropriate Board and staff leadership, ensure that financial systems, budgets, and planning strategies accurately reflect the financial realities of the organization. Oversee the financial status of the organization, including developing long-term and short-range financial plans on both the expense and fundraising sides. Set realistic and attainable financial projections and ensure financial stability through increased and new general operating funds. Hold self and the organization to the highest levels of transparency, integrity, and accountability. Use extensive operational management experience to balance multiple priorities while managing for future growth.

• Staff – Lead a highly motivated, competent, and culturally diverse team that is united by a shared vision and commitment to equity. Foster a work environment where staff from all backgrounds feel empowered, supported, and valued. Manage and evaluate staff with clear benchmarks and accountability while providing professional development opportunities that emphasize growth and equity-centered leadership. Promote cross-departmental collaboration through inclusive decision-making processes. Model and cultivate a work environment that fully integrates DEIJ principles into every facet of the organization’s operations and programs.

External Representative

• Resource Development – Creatively and effectively build upon the current funding models and strategies to broaden a sound and diversified funding base. Anticipate funding trends and remain ahead of the curve. Lead as a dedicated advocate and fundraiser comfortable at the policy table and the funding table, with an ability to forge alliances with funders and partners.
• Public Roleand Relationship Building – Serve as a highly visible and equity-driven spokesperson and ambassador, raising CCC’s profile with authenticity and integrity. Engage stakeholders in a collaborative manner, coalescing around the mission of advancing justice, equity, and well-being for New York’s children. Build and nurture relationships with other national, state, and local organizations, government offices, and community agencies, particularly those led by and serving marginalized communities.
• Board Relations – Cultivate a transparent, inclusive, and trusting relationship with the Board. Encourage and support Board members in bringing their best ideas and efforts to the table, ensuring that equity is at the heart of governance. Work with the Board Chair and leadership to create opportunities for meaningful collaboration, building relationships among Board members that reflect CCC’s values of equity, inclusion, and justice. Support efforts to recruit new Board members who bring diverse lived experiences and a shared commitment to CCC’s mission.
• Strategic Planning – In concert with the Board, staff, and community partners as appropriate, develop, support, and implement a strategic plan with both short- and long-term goals and objectives. Incorporate the strategic plan into the organization's operating, business, and development plans and ensure that the strategic plan is implemented in a timely and cost-effective manner. Direct the establishment of standards, methods, and metrics to assess progress of the plan’s implementation.
• Evaluation – Continually assess and evaluate the organizational structure, staff, and functions through an equity lens. Implement necessary changes to ensure that programs and operations are effective, collaborative, and accountable to the communities CCC serves. Foster a culture of transparency, communication, and shared responsibility to maintain high standards of impact and service.