Executive Director, Metropolitan Ministries Foundation

About Us:

• If you’re looking for an opportunity to transform the lives of poor and homeless men, women, and children in your community, we may have a job for you.
• Since 1972, Metropolitan Ministries has been providing life-changing solutions for those who are homeless and at risk of becoming homeless in Tampa Bay.
• We are a grassroots, donor, and volunteer-fueled community nonprofit. At Metropolitan Ministries, we serve families in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk and Hernando counties with compassion, practical help, and a willingness to make a huge difference. 

What we offer: 

· Salary: $160,00 - $180,000  

· Group health, vision, and dental coverage at affordable rates, along with family coverage if you choose to purchase it.

· Preventative care is 100% covered (free) on all plans.

· PTO is offered to full-time and part-time employees. 

· 11 days of PTO and 10 paid holidays annually. 

· Option to participate in the 401K plan with employer match. 

· $15,000 in employee Life Insurance paid for by Metropolitan Ministries.

· Employee Assistance Program

· Option to participate in supplemental group insurance plans at affordable rates.

· Tuition reimbursement program

· Training and career development.

· Discounted membership at the YMCA.

Job Functions:

The Executive Director of Metropolitan Ministries Foundation is a senior, mission-driven philanthropic leader who stewards the endowment that sustains Metropolitan Ministries’ work with families and individuals experiencing homelessness, poverty, and crisis. Reporting to the Chair and Board of Directors of the Foundation and working in close partnership with Metropolitan Ministries’ President & CEO and Chief Philanthropy Officer, the Executive Director leads the Foundation’s strategy, serves as its lead gift planner, and is its principal major gifts officer.

Essential Responsibilities:

Major and Planned Giving

• Serves as the Foundation’s lead gift planner and principal major gifts officer, personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of donors whose generosity builds the Foundation’s endowment.
• Meets annual goals for major gifts to the Foundation and new legacy commitments.
• Grows the Foundation’s legacy society into a thriving community of donors who have made Metropolitan Ministries part of their life’s story, with a steady pipeline of bequest intentions and beneficiary designations.
• Cultivates lasting partnerships with estate attorneys, CPAs, wealth advisors, and trust officers across Tampa Bay, and builds standing in professional networks such as the Tampa Bay Estate Planning Council and Charitable Gift Planners through active leadership, speaking engagements, and educational events.
• Provides personal, meaningful stewardship to endowed-fund holders and legacy donors, including annual fund reports and stories of the lives their generosity has touched, and oversees donor recognition that honors each donor’s legacy with grace and care.

Strategic Leadership and Vision

• Develops and leads the Foundation’s multi-year strategic plan, identifies new opportunities, partnerships, and philanthropic trends that can advance the mission, and translates them into clear goals and measurable results.
• Works hand in hand with the Chief Philanthropy Officer and advancement team so donors experience one Metropolitan Ministries family, with clear coordination on prospect assignments and shared donor data.

Marketing and Messaging –

• Creates marketing strategies and messaging for the Foundation’s legacy giving and major gifts; partners with Metropolitan Ministries’ marketing team to execute campaigns; ensures messaging reflects the organization’s brand, faith-based heritage, and voice; and measures results to refine strategy over time.

Community Leadership and Representation –

• Serves as a visible and respected ambassador for the Foundation and Metropolitan Ministries across Tampa Bay, honoring the ministry’s relationships with its founding churches and the wider faith community, and building standing as a trusted regional voice in planned giving.
• Serves as a visible champion of Metropolitan Ministries’ mission, faith-based heritage, and trauma-informed culture (the Sanctuary Model), modeling them for donors, families, advisors, board members, and staff.
• Represents the Foundation and Metropolitan Ministries at community, civic, philanthropic, and congregational events, and honors and strengthens relationships with the founding downtown churches and the wider faith community.

Board Leadership and Governance –

• Partners with the Board Chair to lead an engaged Board of Directors, planning and staffing board meetings with thoughtful agendas and minutes, presenting financial and investment results prepared with Metropolitan Ministries’ CFO, and supporting director recruitment, orientation, and succession planning.

Endowment Stewardship and Operations –

• Stays actively engaged in investment oversight in partnership with the CFO and the Foundation’s outside investment consultants, keeps the Board informed of performance against the Investment Policy Statement, and safeguards donor intent in accordance with Foundation policy and Florida’s Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act.
• Counsels donors, families, and their advisors with integrity and discretion on gift options, including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, donor-advised fund grants, appreciated securities, and real estate, in line with the Foundation’s Gift Acceptance Policy.
• Owns the Foundation’s estate gifts in process from notification to final distribution, tracking every pending estate and trust, responding promptly to attorneys, personal representatives, and trustees, and ensuring that no pending estate gift falls through the cracks.
• Directs the Foundation’s part-time assistant and manages the Foundation’s annual operating budget, vendors, and systems, partnering with the CFO on audit, compliance, and financial reporting and with donor services on accurate gift records.
• Meets personal goals and actively contributes to the achievement of team and organizational targets/goals as stated on the KPI and in the annual plan. Attends required staff meetings and ongoing trainings. Completes other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree required. A master’s degree in nonprofit management, business, law, or a related field is preferred.

Eight or more years of progressive leadership in philanthropy, fundraising, or foundation management, including at least five years focused on planned or major gifts, with a distinguished record of securing six- and seven-figure gifts, including planned gifts.

Command of gift instruments such as charitable remainder trusts, bequests, beneficiary designations, and donor-advised funds, along with the financial acumen to review investment reports and fund statements with confidence. Experience partnering with and staffing a board of directors, including leading strategic planning, and a proven ability to develop fundraising marketing strategies and messaging in partnership with marketing professionals.

CAP®, CFRE, or CSPG credential preferred. Experience leading an endowment, supporting organization, or community foundation; established relationships in Tampa Bay’s philanthropic, faith, and professional advisor communities; active involvement in associations such as Charitable Gift Planners or a local estate planning council; and experience in a faith-based organization are strongly preferred. Personal Christian faith is preferred but not required.

Skill Requirements:

A demonstrated personal calling and commitment to the mission of Metropolitan Ministries, with the character and humility to honor its faith-based history and Christian mission, and to live the Sanctuary Model commitments of nonviolence, emotional intelligence, social learning, open communication, democracy, social responsibility, and growth and change. Recognized as a trusted advisor and faithful steward, known for expertise, discretion, and integrity; donors and advisors seek out this person’s counsel, and donor intent and the Foundation’s reputation are protected with care. 

A polished, warm presence as a communicator and public representative, at ease before donors, congregations, civic audiences, and professional advisors, with the gift of building lasting trust with donors, families, advisors, and board members, often across generations. Visionary and hands-on: brings strategic insight to advance the mission, thinks in decades, and still delights in doing the work personally. A collaborative partner who works as one team with Metropolitan Ministries’ leadership and its advancement, donor services, and marketing staff.

Physical Requirements:

Hearing and speaking ability, which allows for effective oral communication; physical and emotional stamina to effectively handle job related issues and stress. Must be able to drive to meetings across the three-county service area.

Other:

Must pass applicable pre-employment screening and demonstrate legal authorization to work in the United States. Primarily office-based in Tampa, with frequent local travel for donor, advisor, and community meetings across Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties. Ability to accommodate a flexible work schedule, including evenings and weekends, and particularly, but not limited to holiday months (October-December).

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

We are committed to creating a diverse and welcoming workplace that includes partners with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We believe that enables us to better meet our mission and values while serving individuals throughout our local communities. People of color, women, LGBTQIA+, Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal state and local ordinances. 

Metropolitan Ministries is committed to offering reasonable accommodation to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 813-209-1083 or via email at [email protected]