ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

Horton’s Kids is a neighborhood-based organization that empowers children growing up in one of Washington, DC’s most under-resourced communities so that they graduate from high school ready to succeed in college, career, and life. The organization has supported and worked alongside residents of Wellington Park, a Ward 8 HUD housing community, for nearly 30 years. 

While the challenges facing the children and families of Wellington Park are great, Horton’s Kids knows that their talent and potential are even greater. The organization operates an on-site Community Resource Center that is open six days a week, allowing Horton’s Kids to be a consistent and trusted extension of the home. Through targeted academic supports, social/emotional development programs, and health and basic needs services, Horton’s Kids has achieved tremendous outcomes for the children in its programs. The high school graduation rate for program participants is twice the neighborhood average, and in 2018, 100% of Horton’s Kids seniors graduated from high school. 

Over the last five years, the work of Horton’s Kids has expanded and developed significantly to better serve the children and families of Wellington Park. This growth extends to almost every aspect of the organization: its outcomes and breadth, the supports provided, and the size of the staff, budget, and volunteer base. These shifts are grounded in research, data, and experience, and they form the backbone of the organization’s strategic vision for the future. Today, Horton’s Kids is poised for a new leader to take this organization’s reach and impact to a new level by building on the past and setting a vision for the future in order to empower even more young people to break the cycle of multi-generational adversity. 

ABOUT THE POSITION:

Horton’s Kids seeks a dynamic and entrepreneurial Executive Director to navigate a rapidly evolving local landscape while continuing to grow the organization’s impact, presence, and fundraising capacity. Building on a strong foundation, the next Executive Director will be responsible for leading the organization’s strategic direction and partnering with the Board to identify pathways for broader and deeper outcomes, including potential replication and innovative social enterprises. Additionally, the next Executive Director will oversee the day-to-day operations of its programs, and ensure its financial sustainability. They will manage a budget of over $3M and will lead a dedicated and high-performing team of more than 30 full-time and part-time employees, and roughly 400 volunteers.

The ideal candidate is a visionary leader who exemplifies the organization’s core values of equity, compassion, dedication, connectedness, and integrity, and has a demonstrated commitment to racial equity and empowering vulnerable people. Further, they must have experience effectively leading the strategic direction of an organization, be a proven leader of diverse teams, possess excellent written and verbal acuity, and bring a track record of developing effective partnerships with varied stakeholders. Candidates with demonstrated track records of positive outcomes for under resourced children and families are strongly preferred.