EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Salary Range
$90,000- $120,00
About the Dream Project
The Dream Project empowers students from Virginia’s immigrant community to succeed in college or vocational training through scholarships, mentoring, family engagement, and holistic support throughout their education. The Dream Project was established in 2010, when a small group of high school students, their parents, and community members came together to discuss how to support immigrant students who faced significant barriers to higher education due to rising anti-immigrant initiatives. Determined to make a difference, the founding parents organized events and fundraisers to provide scholarships for their children and others in similar situations.
What began with four $1,000 scholarships has since grown into a robust, multifaceted organization that supports hundreds of students and families across the Commonwealth of Virginia. This year the Dream Project awarded 107 scholarships of $4,000, 100 for 4-year colleges and 7 for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. The Dream Project has an acclaimed mentoring program for high school seniors to help students navigate the college application process and apply for additional financial support. We also provide a wide range of holistic support services for the recipients of our scholarships.
This position requires residence in the Northern Virginia/D.C. metropolitan area. It is a hybrid role, allowing for regular remote work with partial in-office presence and mandatory attendance at all in-person program meetings and events.
Application Instructions:
Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to hr@dream-project.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to those received by August 15, 2025. You may also attach to your application an example of a communications project, presentation, website, video content, or graphic content you developed.
Position
Position
The Executive Director joins the Dream Project at a time of transition. We have enjoyed several years of extraordinarily successful fundraising – 10% growth year over year for the past three years. Our Board is transitioning from engagement in operations to more of an oversight board with a focus on fundraising and governance.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director oversees and implements the overall strategic goals and operational responsibilities of the Dream Project. The annual budget is just over $1M with projected revenue growth of 15% annually.
The Executive Director must possess a deep commitment to the Dream Project’s mission, goals and programs and be able to function with a high degree of independence and experienced judgment.
Leadership & Management
- Implements fundraising and programmatic strategies for the organization consistent with the goals and policies established by the Board.
- Oversees administrative, information technology and operational processes.
- In collaboration with the Board Treasurer, leads the development of the annual budget, and reviews monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports to ensure that the organization is meeting its fiduciary responsibilities and benchmark goals.
- In collaboration with the Board Chair, leads the assessment and mitigation of programmatic risks.
- Supervises the work of staff members, intern(s) and consultants.
- Represents the Dream Project with the community, government officials and others.
Board Governance
- Attends all Board and Executive Committee meetings and provides reports and programmatic and operational updates.
- Supports the Board of Directors, builds and manages Board involvement with the strategic direction and strategic plan, and works closely and openly with the Board and its committees.
Fundraising
- Expands and imagines new fundraising activities through individual, event, foundation, faith-based and corporate fundraising campaigns.
- Oversees the Development Director to develop and track an annual development plan, develops a strategy to cultivate, retain and upgrade individual donors at all giving levels, and develops and maintains ongoing relationships with major donors; named scholarship sponsors; foundation, corporate and faith-based leaders; and other targeted supporters.
- Oversees organization of and personally attends Dream Project events.
Advocacy and Communications
- Applies expertise in issues affecting the immigrant population in Virginia.
- Raises and expands awareness of the Dream Project’s mission and work across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- Facilitates communications among all stakeholders including: Board members, Advisory Board members, donors, mentees, mentors, scholars, universities, parents, the faith-based community, and local, state, and national leaders and elected representatives.
- Implements consistent, compelling messaging across all channels to advance the organization’s mission, strengthen its reputation, and engage diverse audiences.
- Actively engages and energizes Dream Project students and volunteers, partners, and donors to participate in Dream Project activities and other advocacy efforts.
- Builds partnerships with other organizations that work with and advocate for immigrant students and immigrant rights.
Required Qualifications:
- The Executive Director must be committed to the Dream Project’s mission and have proven leadership skills and the ability to cultivate relationships with Board members, potential donors, community members, local leaders, students, parents, university partners and immigrant communities. Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include:
- Lived experience as, or substantial experience working with, first generation immigrants is a positive factor, but not required.
- Bachelor’s degree with at least five years of experience working in the non-profit field.
- Over three years of management experience.
Additional Preferred Skills
- Familiarity with database systems like Salesforce.
- Written and oral Spanish language fluency (desirable).
- Past success working with a Board of Directors (or other governance structure) with the ability to cultivate and maintain Board member relationships.
- Development experience.