The executive director of a 501(c)(3) organization needs to be skilled at fund raising.
The 501(c)(3) executive director is the chief executive officer of a nonprofit organization. 501(c)(3) nonprofits are those groups with nonpolitical missions whose donations are deductible under section 501 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Such directors manage the executive functions of the organization and are often its public face. The executive director's most common work tasks include planning and attending fund-raisers, informing the public about the nonprofit's mission, and working with a board of directors to manage the organization.
Fund Raising
An ideal executive director will have many contacts with potential donors and long experience overseeing successful fund-raising campaigns. Directors set fund-raising goals, and most of them supervise a separate development director who handles fund-raising details. But the executive often is expected to meet with the biggest and most crucial donors.
Special Events
The nonprofit executive is the public face of the organization, and as such attends and hosts many special events. Typical gatherings of this kind include balls, contests, conferences and award shows, and travel is out of town and state is common. Such events bring the executive in touch with people from many different backgrounds, and he must be prepared to discuss the nonprofit with all of them.
Communication Skills
Executive directors must be passionate about the nonprofit’s cause and want to keep people informed of new developments. They must be proficient at written communication so they can write campaign letters, magazine articles, blog entries and e-mails to spread the word. They must also know communicate with people who can help the nonprofit survive, such as other executive directors and politicians.
Board of Directors
A large part of the executive's job revolves around her relationship with the nonprofit's board of directors, which is responsible for overall planning and policy. The board recruits and employs the director, and makes sure she is fulfilling the mission of the organization. The board meets with the director at least once a year to review her performance and discuss the group's goals.
Prior Experience
Executive directors are usually required to have at least five years' experience with other nonprofits. This because they should be familiar with the special issues such as fund raising that are unique to nonprofits. Sometimes, people without this experience who have had leadership roles with similar duties or an area of interest can make good directors. For example, someone who ran an educational software company could conceivably be an apt choice to become director of an educational nonprofit.
Salaries
Salaries vary greatly but usually correlate with the size of the organization's budget. According to a 2006 study by CompassPoint, the mean annual salary for male and female executive directors ranged from $83,270 to $91,141 at nonprofits with annual budgets of between $1 million and $3 million.
