Executive Director

The William A. Harrison Jr. Foundation is accepting applications for an Executive Director opening. The Foundation is a Virginia-based animal welfare organization working to raise funds and awareness to keep animals with their families, strengthen smaller animal welfare nonprofits and build a sustainable, reliable hub that unites the animal welfare community. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced nonprofit leader with a passion for animal welfare and community engagement. 

About the organization:

Founded in 2022, the William A. Harrison Jr. Foundation is a Richmond-based 501 (c) (3) nonprofit committed to addressing the unmet needs of animals and their owners throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Since its founding, WAHJF has awarded almost $500,000 to Virginia animal nonprofits, is presently distributing 10,000 pounds of free pet food monthly, and has supported the spay/neuter of over 1,100 cats and dogs.

WAHJF operates Furbish Thrift, Richmond's first retail thrift store dedicated to supporting animal welfare, along with a portfolio of mission programs including grant making, a community pet food pantry, spay/neuter access support and the Mark W. Burkett Scholarship fund for aspiring veterinary technicians.

About the position:

WAHJF's founder and CEO, Bill Harrison, has served as the organization's CEO and plans to transition fully out of the day-to-day operations by January 2028. The incoming Executive Director will assume the organizational leadership, fundraising and external relations responsibilities that Bill has held, working with him during an extended transition period to ensure continuity of donor relationships, community partnerships and institutional knowledge. The Board of Directors, which is also being strengthened during this period, will remain involved during this transition.

As the Executive Director, you will serve as the chief leader and manager for the William A. Harrison Jr. Foundation. You will oversee daily operations, financial health, talent recruitment for board and skilled committees, and supporting organization-wide fundraising and grant-making. You will provide strategic vision and operational expertise to drive the nonprofit's growth and mission impact for animal welfare across Virginia.

Your responsibilities will include:

Development

• Playing an active leadership role in the design, implementation, and day-to-day guidance of fundraising strategies, including annual campaigns, major gifts, grants, sponsorships, donor stewardship, and event planning, collaborating with the Board, Committee Chairs, staff, and volunteers.
• Working with the Financial Development Chair, designing and executing the organization's annual fundraising and development plan, including identifying new funding sources, cultivating individual, corporate, and foundation relationships, and managing grant proposals and reporting.
• Planning, organizing, and leading fundraising events (virtual and in-person), working collaboratively with staff and volunteers to increase donor engagement and public awareness of our mission.
• Building and maintaining relationships with donors, sponsors, supporters, and community members—creating and executing donor stewardship and recognition strategies.
• Maintaining strong relationships with donors, community partners, service providers, and national stakeholders to expand organizational reach and impact.
• Maintain fundraising and volunteer data using donor databases, spreadsheets, virtual volunteer platforms.

Program and Public Relations

• Supporting and assisting Program Committee Chairs in identifying and implementing key programmatic activities such as Big Fix, Adoption Days, and outreach events.
• Supporting committee chairs in recruiting and leading a team of volunteers for program events.
• Representing the Foundation through speaking engagements to civic, faith, and community groups
• Recording key metrics, and in partnership with committee chairs, report impact to the board and funders
• Championing the organization's mission publicly, sharing updates, attending key external forums, and representing the Foundation and Furbish Thrift at events and with the media.

Human Resources and Management

• Serving as HR lead for the Foundation staff.
• Building a positive work culture and providing mentorship, oversight, and professional development to both staff and volunteers.
• Supporting and supervising the General Manager of Furbish Thrift (who manages the thrift store staff), providing HR support for the staff of Furbish Thrift.
• In partnership with committee chairs, recruit, train, lead, appreciate and re-direct key volunteers as needed

Board of Directors

• Assisting in the recruitment, orientation and support of board members and committee volunteers, ensuring a strong, diverse, and mission-aligned governance team.
• Supporting board logistics; ensuring meetings, minutes, board-led committees have what they need to operate.
• Reporting to and advising the board on organizational strategy, performance metrics, risks, and opportunities, ensuring alignment with the strategic plan.

Budgeting and Compliance

• Developing and managing annual budgets, financial reports, audits, and fiscal controls with full transparency and regulatory compliance, partnering closely with the Board and committees.
• Ensuring legal and regulatory compliance at all levels, including financial reporting, labor laws, and nonprofit governance requirements.

What we're ideally looking for in you:

• You have at least five years of nonprofit management or executive-level experience, with a record of successful operational, management, financial, and fundraising leadership.
• You have strong written and verbal communications skills, with experience serving as a public-facing organizational representative.
• You have a demonstrated ability to build relationships with donors, volunteers, community partners and civic stakeholders;
• You have experience working with or reporting to a nonprofit board of directors. 
• You have financial fluency with budgeting, audit, and reporting standards.
• You have a passion for animal welfare and community engagement.
• You have strong interpersonal, communication, and public speaking skills.
• You are proficient in nonprofit technology platforms for finance, fundraising, and volunteer management.
• You have a sense of humor and can contribute to a positive work environment.
• Candidates for this position should hold a Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience;
• Experience creating and managing budgets and organizational finances;
• You have experience with and comfort with working with staff, board members, volunteers and/or other stakeholders from a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, and demographics.

Preferred qualifications:

• Familiarity with the Richmond nonprofit and animal welfare community an added plus as is retail/thrift store experience; 
• Comfort stepping into a founder-led organization.

Details :

• The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $125,000, depending on experience level, with a benefits package.
• Candidates must be based in (or willing to move to) the Richmond, VA area. 
• This is a hybrid role (minimum of 3 days/ week in the office as well as events).
• The travel expectations for this role are roughly 25%. 
• You will report to our Board Chair and Board Executive Committee.
• You will supervise our General Manager of Furbish Thrift. We plan to hire an executive assistant shortly after filling the Executive Director position. 
• This is a full-time, exempt role. 
• Relocation assistance is possible for candidates moving from outside the region.

How to apply:

To apply, please click “Apply to Position” to submit your resume and cover letter. Please include a cover letter which briefly includes: what makes you a good fit for the role; a quick summary of your fundraising experience, and why you want to work in the animal welfare community. Please also let us know where you heard about the job. WAHJF is partnering with Rooted Edge Consulting on this search.

At the William A. Harrison Jr. Foundation, we believe in equality for all. We are committed to ensuring every employee and applicant has an equal opportunity, regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.