Position Description: Executive Director, Anchor Center for Blind

Position Description: Executive Director, Anchor Center for Blind Children
Anchor Center for Blind Children is a not-for profit organization dedicated to providing early
intervention/education to blind and visually impaired children throughout the state of Colorado. Our staff of highly
trained vision specialists, therapists and teachers strives to foster the full potential of children who are blind by
providing exemplary education, therapy and family support services.
Anchor Center for Blind Children was founded in 1982 by a librarian from the Colorado Library for the Blind, who
saw a need for services for blind and visually impaired children, and the local Delta Gamma Alumnae chapter. The
first group of children included four preschool students and six home bound infants. Today, Anchor Center serves
hundreds of children each year.
Anchor Center for Blind Children is able to provide these services by maintaining a healthy balance sheet and
productive assets, as shown on our 2014 financial statement, certified by an independent auditor. Our revenues and
other gains are around $2.3 million. We also are able to provide services successfully through our award-winning
building, designed specifically for our organizational needs and those of our children. Our educational center is
located in the Stapleton neighborhood of Denver.
We are currently looking for an Executive Director to lead us as we continue to fulfill our mission to teach visually
impaired infants, young children and their families, providing hope and a nurturing environment where children
reach their highest potential.
Position
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will have overall strategic and operational responsibility
for Anchor Center’s staff, programs, strategy, and execution of its mission. S/he will initially develop deep
knowledge of field, core programs, operations, and business and strategic plans.
Responsibilities
Leadership & Management:
 Ensure ongoing local programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of
finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems; recommend timelines and resources
needed to achieve strategic goals
 Actively engage and energize Anchor Center volunteers, families, board members, event committees,
alumni, partnering organizations, and funders
 Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors, serve as ex-officio of board committees, seek
and build board involvement with strategic direction
 Lead, coach, develop, and retain Anchor Center's leadership team. Ensure effective systems to track
outcomes and progress, and regularly evaluate program components, so as to measure successes that can be
effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents
Fundraising & Communications:
 Expand revenue generating and fundraising activities to support existing program operations and strategic
plan while simultaneously maintaining and building financial security
 Positional responsibility to generate leads as well as maintain and expand upon major donor outreach and
results. Have an executive portfolio of major donors to cultivate
 Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—developing and executing on a communications plan,
including external relations, with the goal of creating a stronger brand
 Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities
Planning:
 Design and complete updated strategic planning process for program execution and possible expansion
 Begin to build partnerships in new arenas, establishing relationships with the funders, and business and
community leaders
 Be an external presence that publishes and communicates program results with an emphasis on the
successes of the local program as a model for regional and national replication
Qualifications
The Executive Director will be committed thoroughly to Anchor Center’s mission. All candidates should have
proven success in leadership, coaching, and relationship management responsibilities. Concrete demonstrable
experience and other qualifications include:
 Bachelor’s degree required, preference for advanced degree, ideally an MBA, with at least 10 years of senior
leadership experience; track record of effectively leading and scaling a performance and outcomes-based
organization and staff; ability to point to specific examples of having developed and operationalized
strategies that have taken an organization to the next stage of development
 Proven track record of delivering on a development strategy, including success with major donors, or
comparable experience in private sector
 Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of
stakeholders
 Unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation
 Colorado Large Center Director Qualification or ability and motivation to obtain in a timely manner
 Proven success in organizational management with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop highperformance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget
 Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member
relationships
 Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent
interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
 Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to business planning
 Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
 Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed
Application Procedure
To be considered as an applicant for the Executive Director, please submit cover letter with salary requirements and
resume to the email [email protected]. For more information, please visit http://www.anchorcenter.org.
Anchor Center for Blind Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer