The Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford (BGCH), the birthplace of the National Boys & Girls Clubs movement, traces its roots back to 1860 when four local women opened their homes to disadvantaged boys, forming what was then known as the Dashaway Club.
Now, over 164 years later, BGCH remains at the forefront of youth development, continuing its mission of serving young people facing economic, social, and family challenges in the Hartford, Connecticut area. BGCH has evolved with the times, establishing innovative community partnerships and expanding its services. A significant milestone came in 1986 when BGCH began welcoming girls, who now make up nearly half of the Club’s membership.
BGCH operates five full-service clubs across Hartford: the South End Club, located in the South End neighborhood; the Trinity Club, serving the Frog Hollow and Barry Square neighborhoods; the Northwest Club in Blue Hills; the Southwest Club in Charter Oak; and the Asylum Hill Club in the Asylum Hill neighborhood. BGCH also hosts clubs in the West Middle Community School and Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy, as well as its Early Childhood Learning Center located within the Asylum Hill Club.
As Hartford's premier youth development organization, BGCH impacts nearly one in three children enrolled in Hartford Public Schools. Through a combination of club membership and community outreach programs, BGCH serves thousands of youth annually. Its programming is centered around four key pillars: Academic Success, Character & Leadership, Health & Wellness, and Life & Workforce Readiness.
BGCH is governed by a highly committed 50-member Board of Directors who are actively engaged in oversight and support fundraising. The staff, comprising 48 full-time and 40 part-time employees, are deeply committed to the Club’s mission and the youth they serve—who consistently cite staff as their main reason for attending. BGCH's new, highly professional leadership team is well-positioned to enhance and expand the organization's impact. BGCH has an operating budget of $6.2 million; more than 50% of funding comes from contributions, 30% from government grants, and the remainder from special events and program fees.
The Opportunity
The CEO will have the opportunity to lead a well-established, highly respected, and financially stable organization with significant influence in the community. Reporting directly to the BGCH Board of Directors, the CEO will hold overall responsibility for the organization’s fiscal health, strategic direction, and operational management of staff, programs, and impact. Guided by a new strategic plan, key priorities for the next CEO include:
• Community Engagement and Relationship Building: Engage with and uplift the community, safeguarding existing strong relationships with community and government stakeholders, funders, collaborators, and partners, and growing relevant, new ones.
• Strategic, Opportunistic Growth: In partnership with staff and the Board, facilitate and guide big-picture solutions to community issues facing young people and their families, and determine BGCH’s important role in meeting them.
• Funding: Actively work to diversify and expand BGCH funding sources to ensure long-term financial sustainability, donor loyalty, and community good-will.
• Member Experience and Engagement: Ensure that the community demand for fun, safe, and educational afterschool care is offered by assessing and assuring quality, innovative, enticing, and relevant services and programming, particularly in serving teenagers
• People Leadership: Keenly focus on workforce performance and engagement, stewarding the culture, empowering a new leadership team, and collaboratively enhancing the overall employee experience.
BGCH seeks a seasoned organizational leader who will demonstrate many of the diverse array of attributes, skills, and experiences listed below. Successful candidates will be capable of leading an organization of BGCH’s size, scope, and stature with compassion and authenticity.
Leadership Skills and Attributes
● Visionary leadership: Able to think big, be innovative, and take calculated risks for the betterment of BGCH.
● Strategic vision: Future-oriented and goal-driven, with the ability to execute long-term growth and transformation strategies.
● Change-maker: Comfortable making bold changes, with a proven track record of driving organizational growth and transformation.
● Political savvy: Able to work with local government and community leaders, especially in the context of Hartford’s evolving landscape.
Fundraising & Community Engagement
● Fundraising expertise: Proven success in securing funds from a variety of sources (corporations, foundations, individual donors, state/city funders).
● Community connection: Deep engagement with the community, able to foster relationships with local and state leaders and community members.
● Comfortable with "the ask”: Relishes the opportunity to ask for funding and engage key donors.
Collective Impact
● Strong, inclusive, values-based leadership: Able to lead and inspire teams within a collaborative, engaging environment. Proven skill in building strong A-teams, supporting staff development and sponsorship, and empowering staff to advance the impact and reputation of BGCH in performing their responsibilities.
● Authentic: A leader who is approachable, relatable, and comfortable engaging at all levels—from BGCH members, their parents and staff, to community stakeholders.
● Problem-solving and decisiveness: Able to create an atmosphere where decisions are arrived at quickly with healthy debate, when needed. Leans toward solving problems proactively and effectively, examining secondary and tertiary implications.
● Diplomatic: Able to objectively assess and defuse situations and gain consensus. Builds upon the positive relationships that exist within the organization and broader community.
● Board management and communication: Experience engaging with the board effectively, leveraging their talents, and articulating strategies and decisions clearly.
Knowledge of the Field
● Passion for youth and families: A genuine advocate for young people and families, with a strong sense of compassion.
● Experience in youth development: A connection to human service delivery and understands the developmental needs of young people
Cultural Competency & Inclusivity
● Reflect the Club diversity: Is a person who reflects and resonates with the youth, their families, and staff in terms of culture, language (bilingual is a plus), and lived experience.
● Culturally competent: Understands, listens to and learns from diverse communities and groups, and can instill unity, trust, and belonging. Cognizant of the key role DEI practices play within an organization’s culture and behaviors.
Communication
● Public speaking: Well-spoken and capable of engaging both the media and the public.
● Storyteller: Someone who can convey the organization's mission and impact through powerful, authentic storytelling.
Operations Acumen
● Financial acumen: Experience with complex budgets and forecasting finances.
● Outcome-driven: Focused on delivering measurable impact and results.
● Capital improvement: Experience with facilities, technology, and capital projects is a plus
A minimum of 10 years of experience as an organizational leader with increasing levels of responsibility.
This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with a starting salary range of $195,000 - $225,000 and a strong benefits package that includes medical coverage with ConnectiCare, dental, vision, life, short and long-term disability, and 401(k) insurance.
This executive search is being conducted by Eos Transition Partners, consultant, Nancy Jackson. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential, and any questions can be submitted to Nancy at: njackson@eostransitions.com.
Candidates must include a resume and a cover letter, both in PDF format, which describe how qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of BGCH. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Upload required documents to: https://eostransitions.applicantpool.com/jobs/.