Executive Director

About the Fund for Assistance to ROCOR

The Fund for Assistance to ROCOR (FFA) supports the mission and ministries of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) worldwide.

As FFA enters a new phase (“FFA 3.0”), the Board seeks to grow FFA’s donor base and value per donation, professionalize operations, significantly strengthen/restructure fundraising capacity, and pursue strategic revenue-generating initiatives (e.g., elder care facilities on ROCOR properties) that will enhance long-term financial strength used to increase FFA’s effectiveness in supporting and expanding the ROCOR community

FFA looks to organizations such as International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) as aspirational benchmarks for governance, donor development, communications excellence, and institutional impact.

Position Overview

The Executive Director (ED) serves as the chief executive officer of FFA and is accountable to the Board of Directors for organizational leadership, strategic execution, financial sustainability, fundraising growth, and external representation.

Given FFA’s current stage of development, this role combines executive leadership and direct responsibility for fundraising/development, with the expectation that functions may be separated as the organization matures.

This is a transformational leadership opportunity to expand the professional development engine, expand revenues, and elevate FFA to a best-in-class Orthodox Christian philanthropic institution.

Strategic Mandate

The Executive Director will:

1. Operationalize FFA’s mission and strategy (“FFA 3.0”)

2. Build and execute a comprehensive development strategy

3. Increase recurring and major gift revenue

4. Increase the number of donors

5. Grow the pool of Major Donors

6. Attract high net worth sponsors for donations / estate bequeathments

7. Attract grants from suitable organizations

8. Strengthen institutional governance and operational rigor

9. Develop revenue-generating initiatives aligned with ROCOR properties and mission

10. Serve as principal ambassador to donors, clergy, ROCOR’s Synod, and strategic partners

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Governance

·      Partner with the Board to develop a strategic plan that optimizes resources whilst positioning the FFA to double revenues by end 2028.

·      Develop annual budgets, KPIs, and performance targets.

·      Ensure disciplined financial oversight and budget adherence.

·      Present regular performance dashboards (Gantts) to the Board.

·      Support Board engagement in governance and fundraising.

2. Fundraising & Development (Core Competency)

·      Design and execute a comprehensive, multi-channel development strategy.

·      Personally cultivate and solicit major donors and high-net-worth individuals.

·      Develop estate planning and legacy giving programs.

·      Oversee campaign strategy, messaging, donor segmentation, and stewardship.

·      Develop and oversee the communication strategy to key stakeholders, thus raising the profile of the FFA as a best in class organization.

·      Establish event and/or location based and targeted fundraising initiatives.

·      Build structured donor pipelines and CRM-driven prospect management.

·      Create measurable revenue growth targets and incentive-based development metrics.

·      Manage the existing Development Manager and volunteer fundraising teams.

·      Cultivate other sources of non-profit revenues, e.g. solicitation of external grants (e.g. Lilly)

3. External Relations & Representation

·      Serve as primary representative of FFA to:

o  The Synod of Bishops

o  ROCOR clergy and parishes

o  Major donors and foundations

o  Grant organizations

o  Peer Orthodox organizations (e.g., IOCC, OCMC)

·      Develop strategic partnerships within Orthodox and broader philanthropic ecosystems.

·      Elevate brand credibility and institutional visibility.

4. Program & Grant Oversight

·      Maintain regular communication with the Synod regarding ROCOR needs and priorities.

·      Approve grants within Board-approved budget parameters.

·      Evaluate grant impact and report outcomes to donors and Board.

5. Institutional Capacity Building

·      Professionalize operations, reporting, and communications.

·      Improve marketing collateral, digital presence, and donor communications.

·      Implement best practices in nonprofit management.

·      Identify scalable, mission-aligned revenue initiatives (e.g., senior living facilities on ROCOR properties).

Candidate Profile

Required Experience

·      10+ years of executive leadership experience, preferably within a nonprofit or faith-based organization.

·      Demonstrated success in major gift fundraising and revenue growth.

·      Proven P&L management or full-budget accountability.

·      Experience working with boards of directors.

·      Track record of building institutional infrastructure in growing organizations.

Fundraising Competencies

·      Major gifts cultivation and closing

·      Estate and planned giving

·      Campaign design and execution

·      Event fundraising strategy

·      Donor database/CRM optimization and analysis leading to decision-making

·      Marketing and PR alignment with development strategy

·      Membership structure development

Leadership Attributes

·      Executive presence; able to inspire confidence among donors and clergy.

·      High emotional intelligence; strong listening skills.

·      Strategic thinker with operational discipline.

·      Change-management capability.

·      Strong networking and relationship-building skills.

·      High integrity and discretion.

Cultural & Institutional Fit

·      Deep appreciation for ROCOR culture, ecclesiastical structure, and constituency. Ideally, an active member of ROCOR or other Orthodox Church.

·      Ability to navigate Western and Russian cultural contexts.

·      Fluency in English required; Russian strongly preferred [or mandatory, considering recruitment of high-net-worth individuals including Russians?]

Role Requirements

· Employment Type: Full-time

· Location: Remote (U.S.-based preferred); NYC presence beneficial for donor engagement

· Travel: Domestic and international, as required

· Compensation: Competitive base salary plus performance-based incentive tied to fundraising growth (benchmark range: ~$150,000 total target compensation, dependent on experience and structure)

Success Metrics (First 24–36 Months)

·      Clear articulation and Board adoption of FFA 3.0 strategy

·      Measurable year-over-year revenue growth

·      Expansion of major donor base

·      Implementation of structured donor management systems

·      Improved Board engagement in fundraising

·      Launch of at least one strategic revenue-generating initiative

·      Increased institutional credibility within the Orthodox philanthropic landscape

Why This Role Matters

This position represents a pivotal inflection point for FFA. The Executive Director will help transition the organization from goodwill-driven operations with vaguely defined identity to professionally managed philanthropic excellence — aligning deeply with ROCOR’s spiritual mission while ensuring sustainable financial impact.