Job Title: Executive Director
Organization: Women of Colors, Inc. (WOC)
Location: Saginaw, Michigan - Serving the Great Lakes Bay Region
Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Reports To: Board of Directors through the Board Chair/President
About Women of Colors
Women of Colors, Inc. (WOC) is a dynamic, mission-driven nonprofit organization rooted in Saginaw and serving the broader Great Lakes Bay Region. Named in tribute to the leadership and lived experiences of women representing a rich tapestry of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds, WOC embraces an inclusive approach that serves all community demographics—transcending gender and centering equity, belonging, cross-cultural understanding, intergenerational dialogue, civic engagement, and community resilience.
At its core, WOC is a program-centered organization that designs and delivers culturally responsive initiatives spanning youth development, behavioral health, family support, workforce readiness, and community education—each grounded in lived experience, data-informed practice, and a commitment to healing and empowerment.
Position Summary
The Executive Director (ED) of Women of Colors, Inc. (WOC) serves as the organization's chief executive and strategic leader, responsible for advancing its mission to foster equity, belonging, cross-cultural understanding, intergenerational dialogue, and civic engagement. Rooted in Saginaw and serving the broader Great Lakes Bay Region, WOC delivers culturally responsive programs that meet the evolving needs of all community demographics, transcending gender and embracing inclusive community transformation.
The ED is accountable for the organization’s overall health and impact—providing leadership across strategic planning, program development, financial stewardship, fundraising, facility management, staff development, and social enterprise innovation. This role ensures WOC remains mission-aligned, financially sound, and responsive to community voice, while positioning the organization as a regional leader in equity and systems change.
Core Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Organizational Vision
• Lead multi-year strategic planning with measurable goals and adaptive strategies.
• Translate community needs and Board priorities into actionable initiatives.
• Monitor external trends (policy, funding, demographics) to inform strategic pivots.
• Foster a culture of innovation, learning, and accountability.
• Represent WOC publicly in media, coalitions, and forums to elevate visibility and influence.
Board Relations and Governance
• Maintain transparent communication with the Board Chair and Directors.
• Prepare strategic briefings, policy recommendations, and performance dashboards.
• Facilitate Board development, including recruitment, orientation, and succession planning.
• Implement Board decisions with fidelity and strategic clarity.
• Ensure compliance with bylaws, nonprofit law, and ethical standards.
Program Development, Delivery and Evaluation
• Design culturally responsive, trauma-informed programs rooted in evidence-based practices.
• Ensure programs reflect community voice and remove barriers to access.
• Establish and monitor monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for program impact.
• Lead program evaluation cycles and integrate findings into strategic refinement.
• Ensure compliance with funder deliverables and quality assurance standards.
Fundraising and Resource Development
• Develop and execute a comprehensive development plan (grants, gifts, sponsorships, events).
• Cultivate and steward funder relationships with transparency and gratitude.
• Lead grant strategy, proposal development, and reporting.
• Explore earned income opportunities aligned with WOC’s mission.
• Ensure ethical fundraising practices and donor stewardship.
Financial Management and Operational Oversight
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, and audits.
• Ensure compliance with GAAP, IRS, and state nonprofit regulations.
• Maintain internal controls and financial policies.
• Supervise HR, IT, facilities, and vendor management.
• Implement equitable compensation and personnel policies.
Facility Stewardship - WOC Center
• Manage the WOC Center as a safe, accessible, and mission-aligned community asset.
• Oversee scheduling, maintenance, capital improvements, and vendor contracts.
• Develop facility use policies balancing programming and earned revenue.
• Track utilization metrics and report to the Board.
• Lead long-term facility planning and capital campaign readiness.
Social Enterprise Development
• Design and launch mission-aligned ventures that generate earned income.
• Conduct feasibility studies, business planning, and risk assessment.
• Ensure legal compliance and operational integration.
• Monitor performance metrics (revenue, impact, alignment).
• Position WOC as a regional model for nonprofit sustainability.
Community Engagement and Systems Advocacy
• Build strategic partnerships across sectors (education, health, government, grassroots).
• Represent WOC in regional and statewide coalitions and policy forums.
• Elevate underrepresented voices in decision-making and public discourse.
• Lead narrative change efforts through storytelling and public education.
• Engage in systems-level advocacy to address root causes of inequity.
• Foster community capacity and leadership development to support sustainable transformation.
• Promote collective agency and resilience through inclusive collaboration and shared decision-making.
• Support grassroots initiatives that advance social justice and equitable outcomes.
Staff Leadership and Organizational Culture
• Recruit, retain, and develop a high-performing, diverse team.
• Foster an inclusive, trauma-informed, and healing-centered workplace culture.
• Provide coaching, supervision, and performance evaluation.
• Ensure equitable HR practices and transparent hiring.
• Develop succession plans and leadership pipelines.
Performance Management and Strategic Alignment
• Co-develop annual leadership goals with the Board and align them to strategic plan milestones.
• Review progress quarterly using the Executive Director Scorecard and monthly dashboards.
• Identify and manage strategic risks and steward new opportunities.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 7-10 years of senior nonprofit leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, financial management, and program development.
• Experience in facility management and/or social enterprise preferred.
• Deep commitment to racial equity, cultural humility, and community empowerment.
• Strong communication, strategic planning, and team leadership skills.
Core Competencies
• Visionary strategist with systems thinking capacity.
• Inclusive, collaborative, and trauma-informed leader.
• Skilled in nonprofit governance, compliance, and operations.
• Effective fundraiser and relationship builder.
• Entrepreneurial and mission-aligned innovator.
• Community-centered advocate and coalition builder.
• Exceptional communicator across audiences and platforms.
• Technology-enabled leader with digital acumen.
• Data-informed decision maker.
• Culturally responsive and equity-driven strategist.
Commitment to Equity and Inclusion
Women of Colors, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates from historically underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
