Executive Director

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About Stonewall Columbus

Founded in 1981 as Stonewall Union, Stonewall Columbus is Central Ohio's leading LGBTQ+ community organization. For more than four decades, Stonewall has strengthened visibility, inclusion, and connection through advocacy, education, wellness initiatives, cultural programming, and community building. The organization envisions an Ohio where every LGBTQ+ person can live openly, feel connected, and thrive without fear of discrimination.

Stonewall serves more than 30,000 people annually through programs, services, advocacy, and community experiences responsive to the evolving needs of LGBTQ+ people. Its work encompasses affirming resources and referrals, support and social groups, counseling and recovery services, employment programs, arts and cultural experiences, education, and partnerships that expand access and belonging throughout the region.

The organization's year-round work is anchored at the 12,000-square-foot Stonewall Columbus Community Center in the Short North. The Center provides a welcoming space where LGBTQ+ individuals, families, allies, and community organizations can access resources, participate in programs, and build meaningful relationships. Stonewall also produces the annual Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and March. What began in 1982 with approximately 200 marchers has grown into one of the Midwest's largest Pride celebrations, welcoming hundreds of thousands of people to Central Ohio and generating vital support for Stonewall's year-round work.

Community Programs and Learning

Community Access Resilience Empowerment and Support (CARES)

CARES serves as the front door to Stonewall's navigation and stabilization services. Through affirming referrals, connections to care, basic-needs assistance, and resilience-building support, the program helps community members identify and access resources appropriate to their circumstances.

Economic Empowerment

Stonewall advances financial stability, career development, and economic security through workforce-development programs, employment resources, the Q-JOBS Board, and partnerships that expand access to meaningful career opportunities. The Stonewall Café, powered by Queer Beans Coffee & Tea and developed in partnership with Little Gay Bookstore, complements this work by supporting local queer entrepreneurship and providing training and practical experience through initiatives such as Out to Work. The café and bookshop also offer a welcoming daytime, alcohol-free space for conversation, coworking, connection, and LGBTQ+ literature.

Family Expansion

Stonewall supports LGBTQ+ people as they create and sustain families, however family is defined. Its programs connect parents, prospective parents, caregivers, children, and other family members through education, networking, shared resources, and community-building opportunities.

Identity Enrichment

Stonewall celebrates the diversity of LGBTQ+ identities through cultural and educational programming, affinity groups, and social experiences that foster connection and mutual support. Programs include the peer-directed Women's Out Network and Men's Coming Out Group, as well as Trailblazers, one of Stonewall's longest-running programs, which offers educational and social opportunities for LGBTQ+ adults ages 55 and older. Together, these programs reduce isolation and build meaningful relationships across identities and generations.

Personal Wellness

Stonewall helps community members strengthen their mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being through counseling, recovery and support groups, HIV wellness resources, movement and fitness classes, and outdoor recreation. Its Transgender Therapy Group provides an affirming therapeutic environment for transgender, nonbinary, gender-diverse, and questioning participants to explore identity, transitioning, coming out, relationships, mental health, and other shared experiences. The group complements Stonewall's broader counseling services, which include individual, couples, family, and youth therapy offered with support from North Central Mental Health Services.

Advocacy and Education

Stonewall advances LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion through public advocacy, educational presentations, organizational training, and community dialogue. By partnering with employers, institutions, public officials, and community organizations, Stonewall helps create more informed, affirming, and inclusive environments across Central Ohio.

Community Center Rentals and Partners in Residence

The Stonewall Columbus Community Center serves as a welcoming hub for programs, services, support groups, cultural and educational activities, wellness offerings, and community events. Its flexible rental offerings welcome nonprofit organizations, businesses, schools, faith communities, professional groups, and families while helping Stonewall maximize the Center as both a community resource and a source of earned revenue.

Through its Partners in Residence program, Stonewall provides capacity-building support, space, visibility, and opportunities for collaboration to organizations whose work complements its mission. These partnerships expand access to specialized programs and services while strengthening coordination across Central Ohio's LGBTQ+ community. Current partners include Black Transmen Ohio, the Diversity Chamber of Central Ohio, JustChoice, LOVEboldly, Plexus, and Stonewall Sports Columbus.

Together, these initiatives position Stonewall Columbus as a trusted resource, advocate, community builder, and convener-helping LGBTQ+ people access support, strengthen connections, celebrate their identities, and thrive. Learn more at .

The Opportunity

Stonewall Columbus seeks an experienced, strategic, and community-centered Executive Director (ED) to guide the organization through its next chapter. Building on more than four decades of advocacy, service, and community leadership, the ED will help clarify Stonewall's year-round role, strengthen its organizational foundation, and deepen its impact across Central Ohio. The next leader will inherit significant assets, including a committed staff and Board, an established Pride celebration, a highly regarded community center, and strong regional relationships.

Working with the Board of Trustees, staff, and community, the Executive Director will translate Stonewall's mission and strategic vision into focused priorities, measurable goals, and shared accountability. They will strengthen internal communication, support staff development, and cultivate an inclusive, collaborative, and trauma-informed workplace. The ED will also enhance the financial, operational, human resources, compliance, and performance-management systems needed to support effective programs and long-term sustainability.

As Stonewall's principal ambassador, advocate, and fundraiser, the Executive Director will build authentic relationships across the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. They will deepen engagement with Black, transgender, and other historically marginalized communities while cultivating donors, corporations, public officials, funders, and nonprofit partners. The leader will strengthen Stonewall's position as a trusted convener, connector, and collaborative partner within Central Ohio's LGBTQ+ ecosystem.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provide clear and steady organizational leadership, ensuring that Stonewall's mission, programs, operations, and priorities remain responsive to the changing needs of Central Ohio's LGBTQ+ community.
• Partner with the Board, staff, and community to clarify Stonewall's year-round role and translate its strategic vision into focused priorities, implementation plans, measurable goals, and clear accountability.
• Assess organizational capacity and establish realistic priorities that balance innovation and growth with staff well-being, operational effectiveness, and long-term sustainability.
• Recruit, develop, support, and retain a talented and diverse staff; establish clear roles and performance expectations; and cultivate a trauma-informed workplace grounded in trust, transparency, inclusion, and accountability.
• Oversee Stonewall's finances, administration, human resources, programs, facilities, technology, risk management, and organizational systems, ensuring effective operations and responsible stewardship.
• Develop the annual operating budget for Board approval; provide timely and understandable financial reporting; maintain appropriate internal controls; and ensure compliance with grants, contracts, policies, laws, and regulatory requirements.
• Evaluate programs and community impact using community input, participant information, and outcome data. Determine where Stonewall should provide services directly and where partnerships or referrals can produce greater impact.
• Strengthen and diversify revenue through individual and major-gift fundraising, institutional giving, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, government support, earned revenue, and other mission-aligned strategies.
• Center inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability (IDEA) throughout Stonewall's culture, programs, partnerships, fundraising, communications, and allocation of resources.
• Serve as Stonewall's principal spokesperson, ambassador, fundraiser, and advocate, representing the organization with community members, donors, businesses, the media, public officials, funders, and institutional partners.
• Strengthen collaboration with LGBTQ+-serving and community-based organizations, help define Stonewall's role in advocacy and civic engagement, and position the organization as a trusted convener and connector.
• Partner with the Board of Trustees to promote effective governance, clarify the boundaries between governance and management, support informed decision-making, and engage trustees in their fiduciary, strategic, fundraising, and ambassadorial responsibilities.
• Oversee the Stonewall Columbus Community Center and expand its role as a welcoming, accessible, and well-utilized hub for programs, events, information, resources, and community connection.

Candidate Profile

While no candidate will bring every qualification, the successful candidate will demonstrate many of the following experiences, competencies, and leadership qualities:

Strategic Leadership

The Executive Director will bring the ability to clarify organizational direction and translate vision into focused, achievable plans. They will anticipate changing community needs, establish measurable goals, align resources with priorities, and balance ambition with organizational capacity and long-term sustainability.

People Leadership

An experienced and empowering manager, the Executive Director will build trust, communicate transparently, and establish clear expectations and accountability. They will develop staff, encourage collaboration, and cultivate an inclusive and trauma-informed culture that supports both employee well-being and strong performance.

Operational and Financial Stewardship

The successful candidate will have the management acumen to lead a multifaceted nonprofit encompassing programs, annual Pride festival and march, fundraising, advocacy, facilities, partnerships, and community engagement. They will bring experience with budgeting, financial reporting, compliance, human resources, technology, risk management, and organizational systems, using data to inform decisions and evaluate impact.

Equity-Centered Community Leadership

The Executive Director will understand LGBTQ+ issues, history, and the diverse, intersectional experiences within the community. Leading with cultural humility, integrity, and a commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability, they will build trust across identities, backgrounds, generations, and lived experiences. They will expand access and belonging and ensure that historically marginalized communities are meaningfully represented and engaged. Meaningful professional or lived experience with LGBTQ+ communities is essential.

Fundraising and Revenue Development

The Executive Director will be a compelling champion for Stonewall's mission with demonstrated success cultivating individual and major donors, corporate partners, foundations, government funders, and other supporters. They will confidently make direct asks, strengthen donor stewardship, broaden Stonewall's philanthropic community, and work with staff and the Board to build a diversified and sustainable revenue strategy.

Governance and Board Partnership

The Executive Director will value the Board of Trustees as a strategic and governing partner. They will communicate openly, provide accurate and timely information, maintain appropriate boundaries between governance and management, and help trustees fulfill their fiduciary, strategic, fundraising, and ambassadorial responsibilities.

External Relations, Advocacy, and Partnerships

A visible, credible, and resilient community leader, the Executive Director will communicate effectively with community members, donors, corporations, nonprofit partners, elected officials, public agencies, and the media. With emotional intelligence and political acumen, they will listen across differences, navigate complex issues, strengthen collaboration, and position Stonewall as a trusted community resource and influential voice.

Position Requirements

Significant leadership experience in a nonprofit, community-based, advocacy, public-sector, or similarly mission-driven organization is strongly preferred, including responsibility for staff, budgets, programs, operations, and external relationships. Candidates should demonstrate a sustained commitment to LGBTQ+ communities and to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability (IDEA). Stonewall values varied perspectives and lived experiences and encourages applications from candidates who reflect the diversity of the communities it serves.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $125,000 to $140,000, accompanied by a generous benefits package. Details will be provided to candidates selected to advance in the search process.


Contact

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, led by Paul Towne. To express interest, complete our Talent Profile . All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential. Questions may be directed to [email protected] .

DSG | Koya provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. For assistance expressing interest online, email [email protected] . Candidates selected for an interview will receive information about requesting accommodations during the interview process.

Stonewall Columbus is a community-centered organization committed to visibility, inclusion, connection, and accountability. It strives to create a workplace where LGBTQ+ people-particularly those most affected by systems of inequity-are respected, supported, and able to thrive.

Stonewall Columbus, Inc. is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Fair Chance/Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer who supports diversity in the workplace. Applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, ancestry, national origin, veteran status, pregnancy, disability, marital status, previous contact with the criminal justice system, or other characteristics protected by law.