Executive Director

Executive Director

50 Mile March Foundation

Bellevue, Nebraska

The Moran Company is pleased to partner with the 50 Mile March Foundation to recruit the organization's Executive Director.

Organizational Background

The 50 Mile March Foundation (50MMF) empowers Veterans facing mental health challenges and homelessness by fostering a community of hope and relentless support. Founded in 2020 and grounded in the values of commitment, honor, respect, integrity, and service, 50MMF has grown from a singular endurance event into a broader movement serving Veterans and their families across the Greater Omaha region.

The 50MMF advances its mission through three interconnected platforms. The 50 Mile March is its flagship mission-mobilizing event and primary fundraising engine, bringing together marchers, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and advocates. The Omaha Area Veterans Alliance convenes more than 100 Veteran-serving organizations to strengthen coordination, referrals, and collective impact. The Community of Hope is the 50MMF's long-term strategic vision: a collaborative campus where partner organizations provide access to mental health, employment, housing stability, family support, and other services. The organization's intended role is to convene and steward this ecosystem rather than duplicate service providers' work.

The organization is entering an important period of evolution. Its 2026–2028 strategic priorities call for establishing the infrastructure needed to scale effectively, developing the partnerships required to define and deliver the Community of Hope, and increasing the 50MMF's visibility and engagement across the region. The next Executive Director will lead the transition from a founder- and volunteer-driven organization to a mature, sustainable, and accountable organization, while preserving the relationships, community, and mission-centered culture that have fueled its success.

Position Summary

The 50 Mile March Foundation seeks an accomplished, mission-driven Executive Director to lead the organization through this pivotal stage. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for translating strategic direction into measurable results, developing the people, systems, and resources needed for the organization's next phase, and ensuring that resources remain focused on the mission of serving Veterans and their families.

This is both a strategic and highly relational leadership role. The Executive Director will be expected to earn trust among a diverse group of stakeholders, cultivate strong philanthropic and community partnerships, champion the Community of Hope campus, and steward the 50 Mile March as a powerful fundraising and engagement platform. Working closely with the Board, staff, volunteers, donors, marchers, and partner organizations, the Executive Director will establish clear priorities, roles, and accountability while sustaining the personal connections and shared sense of purpose that distinguish the 50MMF.

Responsibilities

The Executive Director provides leadership across the following areas:

Strategic Leadership and Organizational Capacity

• Lead implementation of the 50MMF's strategic priorities, translating them into annual goals, milestones, accountabilities, and measures of success.
• Guide the organization's evolution from a founder- and volunteer-driven model to a mature organizational structure with clear roles, decision rights, reporting relationships, and accountability.
• Work with the Board to clarify and communicate the roles of the 50 Mile March, Omaha Area Veterans Alliance, and Community of Hope within a coherent organizational strategy and identity.
• Serve as a visible and credible spokesperson for the 50MMF with donors, community leaders, Veteran-serving organizations, media, public officials, and other stakeholders.
• Develop scalable systems, standard operating procedures, and repeatable processes for events, programs, and administration.
• Align staffing and volunteer capacity with strategic priorities, creating the team and leadership structure needed for growth without overloading limited resources.

Fundraising and Financial Stewardship

• Serve as a principal fundraiser, cultivating major donors, foundations, sponsors, and other philanthropic partners, including leadership of the Community of Hope capital campaign.
• Increase and diversify revenue while stewarding the 50 Mile March as the organization's primary fundraising engine.
• Oversee budgeting, financial reporting, resource allocation, controls, and compliance to ensure responsible stewardship and long-term financial sustainability.

Community of Hope and Strategic Partnerships

• Advance the Community of Hope from vision to an actionable, sustainable operating model with defined partners, responsibilities, and milestones.
• Forge and formalize partnerships with Veteran-serving organizations and community leaders, positioning the organization as a convener that leverages existing expertise.
• Deepen trust across the Veteran-serving network through transparency, consistent communication, and shared outcomes for Veterans and their families.

50 Mile March

• Provide executive oversight of the 50 Mile March as the organization's flagship event.
• Enhance communication and storytelling so key audiences understand how the 50MMF, the March, Omaha Area Veterans Alliance, and Community of Hope work together.

Board Partnership and Governance

• Develop a strong partnership with the Board, including clarifying governance and management roles, supporting effective committees, and addressing succession planning.
• Ensure the Board sets direction and oversight while staff, committees, and volunteers are empowered and accountable for execution.

Professional Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate should possess the following experience and qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of progressively responsible executive or senior leadership experience in a nonprofit organization, ideally during a period of organizational change and expansion.
• Strong fundraising and relationship-development experience; capital campaign leadership is highly desirable.
• Strong financial and operational management skills.
• Demonstrated success strengthening organizations, leading teams, establishing effective systems and accountability, and turning strategy into measurable results.
• Experience developing cross-sector partnerships. Familiarity with the Veteran-serving community is considered an asset.
• Excellent written, verbal, and public communication skills, with the judgment and executive presence to represent the organization effectively.

Personal Characteristics and Attributes

The ideal candidate will be:

• Deeply committed to serving Veterans and their families, with a strong appreciation for the 50MMF's history and mission.
• Strategic, practical, and resilient, with sound judgment and the ability to lead through change, ambiguity, and competing priorities.
• An exceptional relationship builder who earns trust, communicates transparently, and brings people together around shared goals.
• A collaborative, accountable leader who develops others, empowers staff and volunteers, and is comfortable combining executive leadership with hands-on execution.
• Authentic and nonpartisan, with the presence and communication skills to inspire.

Statement of Non-Discrimination

The 50 Mile March Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.

Compensation

This is a full-time Executive Director position based in the Greater Omaha area. The organization offers an annual salary of $110,000 to $115,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. As a small organization, the 50MMF does not currently offer a traditional employee benefits package. The incoming Executive Director will be expected to work with the Board to develop an appropriate employee benefits program as the organization grows.

Application Process

The search for the 50MMF Executive Director is being conducted by The Moran Company. Questions about the position can be directed to Gretchen Kunkel, The Moran Company; ghkunkel (at) morancompany.com. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to Gretchen Kunkel, The Moran Company, via the secure online portal. The cover letter should describe the applicant's relevant qualifications and experience and explain how they align with the 50MMF's current priorities.

 

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