Chief Executive Officer

Job Details

Job Location: United Methodist Foundation of North Carolina - Garner, NC 27529

Overview of the Opportunity

The Board of Directors of the United Methodist Foundation of North Carolina (the “Foundation”) seeks a visionary, mission-driven, and relationship-centered Chief Executive Officer to lead a $ faith-based philanthropic and financial services organization into its next chapter of faithful stewardship, strategic growth, and expanded ministry impact. The Foundation has a staff of six with an annual operating budget of approximately $2 million and is responsible for assets of approximately $300 million.

The Foundation serves United Methodist churches, agencies, clergy, individuals, and related partners across North Carolina through investment management, endowment stewardship, planned giving, church finance education, grantmaking, and related philanthropic and financial services.

The next CEO will be asked to honor this strong legacy and to continue its growth while guiding the Foundation through a changing church and philanthropic landscape. The successful candidate will bring executive leadership, fiduciary judgment, fundraising and donor stewardship experience, relational credibility, and the ability to build trust with churches, clergy, donors, unit holders, staff, Board members, Conference leaders, and ministry partners.

About the Foundation

The United Methodist Foundation of North Carolina strengthens the long-term financial health and mission capacity of churches, ministries, clergy, individuals, and institutions. Its work includes stewardship resources and services that help churches and ministry partners faithfully manage, invest, and grow resources for long-term ministry impact.

Mission

The Foundation’s mission is to enable churches and agencies to build a culture of purpose and generosity through education, consulting, development, and financial services.

Core Values

• Act with integrity: Conduct all work with honesty, transparency, and ethical judgment.
• Execute with accuracy: Apply care, precision, and full effort to deliver exceptional value.
• Make it better: Continuously improve in service to those who place their trust in the Foundation.
• Remain open to change: Stay flexible in approach and delivery while remaining committed to the mission and goals.
• Collaborate willingly: Work with others who share the Foundation’s values to advance its mission.

Socially Responsible Investing

The Foundation invests according to the Social Principles of The Book of Discipline.

Role Summary

Chief Executive Summary

The CEO serves as the Foundation’s chief executive, principal ambassador, fundraiser, and relationship steward. The role is both externally facing and institutionally accountable, requiring the CEO to balance visibility and relationship-building with fiduciary oversight, Board governance, operational discipline, and mission alignment within the United Methodist connection.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Provide strategic leadership in partnership with the Board, staff, and key stakeholders.
• Serve as the Foundation’s principal ambassador, enhance fundraising, and steward relationships among unit holders.
• Partner with the Board and its committees to support sound governance, long-range planning, and annual goal-setting.
• Oversee prudent stewardship of assets entrusted to the Foundation in partnership with the Board, Investment Committee, and outside advisors or managers.
• Lead in enhancing development, fundraising, planned giving, donor stewardship, and endowment growth through partnership with staff and key stakeholders.
• Strengthen relationships with churches, clergy, laity, unit holders, donors, the Bishop and Cabinet, District Superintendents, Conference leaders, and ministry partners.
• Ensure operational integrity through sound budgeting, internal controls, audit compliance, risk management, human resources, technology, and administrative effectiveness.
• Maintain alignment with the mission, values, doctrine, discipline, and polity of The United Methodist Church, or demonstrate a clear commitment to developing that fluency.

Opportunities Ahead

• Strengthen visibility and relationships: Be present with churches, clergy, unit holders, donors, Board members, Conference leaders, and ministry partners; deepen existing relationships and cultivate new ones.
• Expand stewardship, endowment, and donor engagement: Serve as a stronger public voice for generosity, stewardship, planned giving, endowment development, and long-term ministry sustainability.
• Optimize stakeholder experience: Improve communication, education on reporting and account access, and the overall experience for churches, ministries, donors, and investors.
• Preserve and strengthen staff culture: Honor a healthy, collaborative, efficient staff culture while providing clear expectations, accountability, support, and trust.
• Lead through denominational and economic change: Help churches and ministries respond to demographic, financial, denominational, and philanthropic shifts with creativity and stability.
• Expand the Foundation’s role as a ministry partner: Build relationships with faith-based and ecumenical partners, related nonprofits, and other mission-aligned organizations.

Candidate Profile

The Foundation seeks a faithful, authentic, and forward-thinking leader who can guide the Foundation with strategic vision, financial credibility, relational depth, and a deep commitment to ministry impact. The successful candidate will demonstrate sound judgment, fiscal acumen, strong communication skills, a collaborative leadership style, and the ability to inspire trust across constituencies.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable leading at the intersection of faith, philanthropy, financial services, and nonprofit leadership. This leader should understand the importance of stewardship, planned giving, endowment growth, donor relationships, church finance, and long-term ministry sustainability.

The next CEO should be visible, accessible, and able to tell the story of generosity and faithful stewardship in a compelling way. At the same time, the CEO must be an operationally disciplined executive who works well with a volunteer Board, values staff expertise, supports healthy culture, and leads innovation and change with humility, clarity, and care.

Essential and Preferred Qualifications

Essential Qualifications

• Demonstrated success in relationship-building, external engagement, and communication with diverse stakeholder groups.
• 7-10 years of executive or senior leadership experience in a nonprofit, faith-based, philanthropic, financial services, foundation, or mission-driven organization.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, nonprofit leadership, theology, finance, law, or a related field.
• Working knowledge of investment management principles, fiduciary oversight, institutional portfolios, and financial stewardship.
• Experience with fundraising, donor stewardship, planned giving, endowment development, or major gift cultivation.
• Experience working effectively with a Board of Directors and Board committees.
• A leadership style grounded in integrity, humility, trust, collaboration, and accountability.
• Experience leading through organizational, denominational, philanthropic, or market disruption.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading a United Methodist or other faith-based foundation, community foundation, or similar philanthropic/financial services organization.
• Familiarity with United Methodist structure, polity, Conference relationships, connectional giving, trust clause matters, or church finance.
• Professional credentials such as CFP, CTFA, CFA, CFRE, or comparable education/experience.
• Experience with technology modernization, stakeholder-facing reporting tools, or digital communication strategy.
• Advanced degree in business, nonprofit leadership, theology, finance, law, or a related field.

Compensation Information

This full-time, in-office position is based in Garner, North Carolina, and offers a salary range of $200,000–$225,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

References will be requested at a later date.

The United Methodist Foundation of North Carolina is an equal opportunity employer and a faith-based organization.

Contact Information

Tricia Baker
Chief Officer of Human Resources
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Cianta Hogan
Director of Human Resources
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