SEEKING AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Thirty years ago, at the dawn of the internet, The Independence Hall Association seized the opportunity to innovate by pioneering a new approach to teaching American history. The digital learning platform we developed, ushistory.org, has gone on to become a popular source for history education in hundreds of public, private and home schools. Our site is visited by up to 40 million students, teachers and history buffs each year. However, today, this valuable resource is underperforming. Therefore, we are now rededicating ourselves to enhancing the brand. We will be updating our platform with the latest 21 st century technology and by employing innovative approaches to learning. Our aim is to solidify our position as a leader in digital education. Now we are seeking an Executive Director to help lead us in this new era of innovation.

We are planning several new initiatives. Here is one example:

The IHA is developing a new digital paradigm called "The Women's Lives/American History Time Traveler." It will be a new digital approach aimed at coming to grips with one of the major deficiencies in teaching history. Bluntly, women have been written out of traditional U.S. history lessons. Men, and their involvement within the realms of nation building, military conflicts, violence, diplomacy, science, and exploration have been the priority of most historians. Today, these views have changed but the problem has not been adequately addressed. Our paradigm was created based on market research involving dozens of young people and teachers as well as distinguished historians around the United States. It has also been presented to highly regarded media leaders. They universally indicated that they truly liked our approach.

Now we are seeking an Executive Director to bring to fruition the potential to dramatically impact the way that history is thought about by young people. As the Executive Director of the IHA reporting to our Board of Directors, you will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for fundraising, operations and technical development and the execution of the IHA's mission to tell American's stories. We believe this is a compelling opportunity for the right person.

We believe that today the need for quality history presentation and experiences that are relevant to a new generation of young people has never been more apparent - one that incorporates new approaches to learning that are aligned to the way that students want to learn today. We need ushistory.org to evolve to meet those needs. We want an Executive Director to lead this effort to sustain and grow the IHA in the years ahead.

Responsibilities

Fund development

  • Be the top fundraiser for the organization.
  • Develop a three year fundraising plan in line with a strategic plan for the organization with the Board of Directors to increase operating funds through a diversity of fundraising strategies including grants and individual and corporate donations
  • In concert with the Board of Directors, establish a make or break level for first year fundraising.

    • Leadership

    • With approval by the Board of Directors, develop a three year strategic plan for the organization, recommending timelines and resources needed to achieve strategic goals with the first year of the plan the budget for the organization.
    • Provide creative leadership in the development of new programs
    • Serve as the organization's chief spokesperson to all audiences
    • Actively engage and energize board members, partnering organizations, and funders.
    • Build ties with individuals and organizations that have a high probability for revenue generating collaborative relationships
    • Develop and put in place effective systems to track progress, and evaluate program components to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.
    • Deepen and refine all aspects of communications-from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand.
    • Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities.

    Board Development and Support

    • Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors while serving as ex- officio of the Board and any committee it creates
    • Oversees and reports on the organization's results for board of directors.
    • Prepares accurate and timely analyses that capture and communicate fundraising results, variances, and performance trends.

    Qualifications

    The ED will be thoroughly committed to IHA's mission. All candidates should have proven leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience. The qualified candidate must possess at a minimum:

    • Active non-profit fundraising expertise. Excellent donor relations skills.
    • "Silicon valley" experience - and be very knowledgeable about digital technological developments
    • Entrepreneurial ability. Can be a visionary leader who can convey the organization's mission to donors, volunteers and the overall community
    • A passion for history
    • Solid organizational abilities, including planning, delegating and program development 
    • Driven to bring to life women's history and can promote it to multiple constituencies 
    • Idealistic. Strong work ethic with a high degree of energy.
    • Proven ability to assemble and motivate small teams of creative people
    • A non-political attitude in the telling of history stories
    • Experience in a sector of education

      • Salary

      A competitive nonprofit salary commensurate with the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience.

    To Apply

    Please send a cover letter and resume to execdirector@ushistory.org. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.