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2018 Co-Director Search Profile

CEF is hiring for a new Co-Director to join our team, working alongside Co-Directors Janet Xiao and Jon Young as Maggie West steps down from her position on the team. Learn more about this leadership transition process at CEF here.

2018 Co-Director Search Profile

Co-Director Position Responsibilities

Note from the Hiring Committee: As we continue to work to refine CEF’s leadership structure, we have updated this position description to clarify roles and responsibilities, and to offer a more competitive range of compensation. 

This position’s primary responsibilities are to steward CEF’s resource development and support the Chapel Hill team. The position is one of three Co-Directors who work both cooperatively and independently to steward the organization as a whole, and in the Chapel Hill and Durham offices. Each of the Co-Directors leads specific areas of work, and as a team are responsible for fundraising, financial management, organizational development, internal operations, and communications for the organization. Additionally, the Co-Directors serve as connectors with the broader community. Read more about our Co-Director leadership model and organizational structure here.

Lead development and fundraising activities with a relational approach

  • Steward strong relationships with funders, donors, governmental partners, and other allies (see CEF’s 2017 revenues/expenses breakdowns).
  • Create and lead achievement of annual and multi-year development plans in close collaboration with Co-Directors.
  • Draft and submit grant applications, letters of inquiry, proposals, and reports in coordination with Co-Directors and staff.
  • Coordinate team efforts towards and engage actively in individual donor development, including ongoing communication and gift acknowledgments.
  • Identify and cultivate new funder prospects and maintain CEF’s donor database.
  • Manage CEF staff, volunteers, and board members engaged in development, including supervision of part-time development contractor.

Steward CEF’s operations, programs & community in Orange County

  • Coach, supervise, and support the staff team in CEF’s Chapel Hill office.
  • Develop and maintain impactful and collaborative working relationships with partners and stakeholders.
  • Hold long-term vision for the Chapel Hill office’s programs and growth in the context of emergent local needs and opportunities.
  • Work regularly with Members as an Advocate (expected of all CEF staff).
  • Actively lead community-driven advocacy for local systems change.

Facilitate creative organizational vision & growth strategy

  • Guide annual budget development and support ongoing financial management needs of the organization.
  • Support program design to improve CEF’s outcomes, impact, and methodologies.
  • Support staff development and hiring processes.
  • Support the activities and ongoing development of the Board of Directors.

Position Qualifications

  • Previous experience in non-profit leadership, including demonstrated success in fundraising and managing budgets of a similar size
  • Demonstrated commitment to racial equity, social justice, and trauma-informed care
  • Experience with or commitment to a team-based organizational culture and shared leadership practices
  • Exceptional organizational abilities and attention to detail, with attentive follow-through on simultaneous projects

An ideal candidate will have:

  • A commitment to shared leadership, embodying CEF’s values and guiding principles.
  • Affirming, empowering, and listening-based leadership style, with a strong sense of self-direction and accountability to the community
  • Compelling, authentic, and clear verbal and written communication
  • Experience and comfort working with people across abilities and neurological differences, and from diverse racial, socioeconomic, educational, cultural, religious, gender, and ethnic backgrounds and identities
  • Facility with technology, including a willingness to learn new technologies

Salary and Benefits

Compensation is commensurate with experience and education, with a starting annual range of $40,000-$47,000, and an additional $3,330 annually as a health care stipend that allows staff to choose their own insurance plan. A detailed description of Employee Benefits can be viewed here.

To Apply

CEF is an equal opportunity employer, and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ applicants.

Please send a resume and cover letter to hiring@communityef.org to apply. Your cover letter should be 1-2 pages and speak to your interest in working with CEF, and your experience and skills in community-based leadership and fundraising. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position is open until filled. Please contact hiring@communityef.org with any questions. 

Know someone who might love to do this job and work with CEF?
Send them a link to: communityef.org/codirector-search

About Community Empowerment Fund

CEF works with people experiencing homelessness or financial insecurity in Durham and Orange Counties to gain employment, secure housing, and build financial well-being. CEF trains volunteer “Advocates,” many of whom are undergraduate students, to work one-on-one with “Members” with a holistic approach that meets people where they are. We are passionate about sustaining transitions out of homelessness, and combine flexible relationship-based support with innovative matched savings accounts to help Members achieve long-term dreams. Since launching our savings program in 2010, Members have saved over $900,000 to secure stable housing, build emergency funds, purchase vehicles, and even buy their own homes. Our unique, evidence-based model has gained national attention.

CEF is committed to a team-based organizational structure, in which responsibilities and decision-making are shared among staff. We are a growing organization, with 13 staff, 244 volunteer Advocates, and over 1,000 Members. CEF’s FY2018 operating budget is approximately $500,000, with highly diversified financial resources, and a relationship-based fundraising model consistent with our organizational mission. Learn more at www.communityef.org

These guiding principles were collectively discerned by a group of members, advocates, staff and board members in the Spring of 2015. They are a statement of our values as an organization and serve as a compass to guide us in our work.

CEF’S Guiding Principles

People-Centered Relationships: We appreciate and value our differences and are committed to working through relationships built on mutual respect and trust. In doing so, we foster a non-judgmental, welcoming and safe environment focused on relationships that empower individuals.

Active Reflection and Co-Learning: We cultivate an environment where advocates, members, and staff learn from each other. We create organizational space to critically reflect on our work.

Participatory Ownership: We — members, advocates, staff, and board — share ownership of CEF and achieve our organization’s goals through collaborative decision-making.

Financial Independence: We work together towards sustainable financial security for our community.

Community in Power: We contextualize our efforts within systems of power and through member and advocate experiences. We are committed to social justice and pursue local community-level change.

Welcoming Connectors: We are committed to cultivating an open network of people and organizations to holistically serve members’ goals.

Quality and Accountability: CEF strives to be an interconnected and transparent organization that gives and receives feedback for mutual accountability, to ensure quality in all that it does.

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Introducing the CEF Housing Justice Fellowship!

We are launching a new one-year fellowship program focused on local housing access and advocacy! Beginning in July 2018, two Housing Justice Fellows (each with four years of Advocate and volunteer leadership experience at CEF) will begin working in our offices to launch new initiatives that directly meet the felt needs and opportunities in our Durham and Orange County communities.

What is the vision for each Housing Justice Fellow?

Liz Brown, 2018 Durham Fellow

In Durham

to develop CEF Members’ capabilities to lead in local affordable housing and anti-poverty advocacy

  • Supporting Member engagement in policy-making and advocacy to build political power in decision-making
  • Deepening relationships with local advocacy partners
  • Developing creative pathways for Member ownership and leadership within CEF
  • Cultivating leadership within CEF to sustain this work for coming years

This fellowship will drive participation of Members in local policy and systems leadership, whose personal stories and wisdom have a transformative impact on policy-making and political dialogue.

Leah Whitehead, 2018 Chapel Hill Fellow

In Chapel Hill

to develop and pilot an initiative with partners to collaboratively increase housing opportunities

  • Recruiting and growing relationships with landlord partners
  • Working together with Members, Advocates, and collaborative programs to successfully secure stable housing for Members
  • Engaging in housing advocacy & Member organizing initiatives in Orange County
  • Crafting infrastructure and securing support to sustain this work for coming years

This fellowship will act as a force multiplier, collaborating with staff from 5+ housing programs across Orange County to jointly support sustained landlord relationships and successfully house program participants.

Who are the inaugural Housing Justice Fellows?

The two Fellowship positions have been crafted both with the felt needs of our two communities at heart, and the distinct gifts of two of our graduating Advocates in mind. Liz Brown and Leah Whitehead both have four years of experience as volunteer leaders with CEF, and will be able to hit the ground running on these catalytic initiatives.

Why Housing Justice?

Housing is one of the most complex pieces of the puzzle in the array of services that CEF helps Members to navigate. Rental housing costs have risen dramatically in Orange and Durham Counties over recent years, causing large-scale displacement of lower-income households and increased challenges in housing placement for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. In Orange County, 90% of renter households who earn less than $35,000 are cost-burdened, ie. spending an unaffordable proportion (more than 30%) of their income on housing. In Durham, for every 100 extremely low-income renter households, only 38 rental units are affordable to them. We know that systemic change is necessary and that we must take a long-view approach to opening up opportunities for CEF Members.

CEF has been an active leader in local systems advocacy and service coordination to address the mounting housing crisis, including everything from pursuing cultural organizing through our locally-famous Advocacy Choir, to anchoring a public-private city-wide initiative to increase housing opportunities for voucher-holders. CEF is strategically situated to effect community-level change alongside our direct efforts for change with individual Members. We have collaboratively built momentum and partnerships in affordable housing advocacy over recent years, and have an opportunity to lean into deeper, impactful responses to community needs through the work of these two Fellows.

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CEF Art Show 2018 – Bagpipes Quilting and More

Last weekend the Community Empowerment Fund hosted an art showcase that highlighted a variety of artistic talents from the CEF family! From unique sculptures to detailed watercolor paintings; songs from the CEF Advocacy choir to mesmerizing spoken word, there was something for everyone.

We started with a tour of MFA works at the Ackland Art Museum, led by Art&Life, with discussions “intended to explore the status quo and question why things are the way they are” before heading to the Campus Y for a truly special exhibition. Artists were able to showcase the creative extensions of themselves and to enrich the lives of those of us able to witness it.

It was a wonderful community-building event, and an extremely important chance to share a space and celebrate achievements. We can’t recreate the moments we shared on Saturday but we hope that these pictures shared on this post give you at least a little glimpse of the talent of our artists.

Thank you to everyone that came and to all the artists that shared their amazing work and talents.

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A Member’s Gift

CEF Member, Steven Howser, is featured in the Daily Tar Heel for the gift he made to CEF during the 2017 CEF Piggy Bank Bash!

At a fundraiser for CEF last fall, Howser gave back to the organization in the form of a $500 dollar donation, the largest of the evening. He coordinated with several workers at CEF to print a big check to present to West as a surprise during the event to say thank you.

“All gifts to CEF matter, but gifts from members truly glow, they cause ripple effects throughout the organization, and seem to snowball and grow,” West said.

When Steven Howser first came to the Community Empowerment Fund (CEF) around four years ago, he was seeking work development assistance to help him qualify for a seven day bus pass at the shelter. After years of support and involvement with CEF, Howser has not only secured income and housing, but is also giving back.

“I wanted to give back to show people what a good organization they are, and the resources they have to help people in the community,” Howser said. “So the people in the community won’t be afraid to donate time and donations to them because they really help a lot of people.”

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You’re Invited: CEF Durham Spring Party!

Who: All members of the CEF (extended) family — members, advocates, family, friends, supporters, fans, partners, and neighbors!

Thursday, April 12th from 5pm – 7:30pm
CEF Durham Office — 1206b w. Chapel Hil Street, Durham, NC 27701

We would love to see your beautiful faces and goofy smiles there. We’ll have music, a photo-booth, dancing and lots of food! Your support means a lot to all of our members – hope to see you soon!

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Meet Krista: CEF Staff Interview

Krista: CEF Durham's Neighborhood Engagement Specialist

What made you interested in working for CEF?

I really admire not only the heart that goes into all of CEF’s work, but also CEF’s dedication to constant self-improvement.  As an organization, CEF is always looking to do better and more conscientious work, and that’s something I really wanted to be a part of.

Why do you feel connecting with people is so important?

Connecting with people is what makes this work continue to feel worthwhile even when systems and structures feel like they’re defeating you.  It’s all too easy to feel hopeless after a while, but having solid relationships with members humanizes the daily and drives our work.

Tell us about yourself/background:  

I’m from South Carolina and came to Durham for college.  I studied French and International Studies in college and am enjoying living and working in Durham as a resident rather than a student.

What inspires you?

My coworkers! Working in the nonprofit sector has found me surrounded by dedicated, passionate, hardworking people who strive to make Durham a better and more accessible city.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge in this position?

Definitely balancing the number of different spheres my job occupies.  I have a bit of a jack-of-all trades job, so managing a variety of partnerships, often with very little overlap, is going to be an interesting logistical challenge.

What projects are you most excited about?

I’ve really enjoyed tackling the overhaul of how we present our laptop referral program.  It’s given me the ability to work through how we create our member goals and look at things through both the member and advocate perspective and to create something that will hopefully be with CEF for many years.

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Cynthia

Cynthia

Cynthia has been working with CEF for 4 years and she is as resilient as she is caring. She worked with her Advocate Tamar and moved into a place of her own last summer and shared with CEF about her experiences pursuing her own mental health and a sustainable transition out of homelessness.

Where were you staying before you found your new home?

(IFC) Homestart. It’s challenging but also interesting. Learning from the other people; there to better myself. For me, it’s building a more solid foundation because of the things I’m learning from the other ladies. I’m learning how to reach my goal and how to keep it.

Where were you before then when you 1st connected with CEF?

Isolated, depressed, and mentally I was beat down. I was nowhere — I was not living, mentally. I might as well have not been living. Before coming into CEF, I was sucked into myself. I had to get rid of that old self because it took over me. My thinking was not good at all. Even though I  would think good things, my disease would take over all of that.  CEF was the first thing in my voucher package. They were the first thing I saw. Before then I would come in here and there, to do resume, or other stuff but not really focusing on anything here. Until I got my voucher something really clicked in me — it was my way out of everything. You really do help people, but I myself had to do stuff too. We had to do it together — we had to work together. I would bring in ideas and we would look at them together.

What does having a home mean to you?

It means getting back out into society and being a part of it — and being responsible for all my bills and paying for my own things. even though I didn’t always do the right things I always paid my bills because I always wanna have somewhere to stay. I will keep it, I have no excuse. I don’t see myself losing any of this.

It’s all timing. I feel very relieved, happy, joyous and cautious. I feel so much better than I have in so long, and I know I’m on the right track with my life and the things that I am involved with at this time. With my sponsor and going to meetings, I’m going to keep trying, keep doing what I’m doing, and I’m going to have a prosperous life.

What are some of the best sources of support in your life?

Along this journey here, it is the people I’ve gotten involved in. I used to not share anything about me, but I’ve realized I have to open my mouth and ask for help. I used to be really judgmental because I didn’t like myself, but I’ve grown to like myself more. The key has been to switch it around and love myself, and my self-esteem has risen too. Meetings, sponsor, advocates have been helping me out too. Advocates have been really nice, somebody understanding and willing to help with whatever else is going on. Y’all have a really good agency, and have a lot of really good resources. All it takes is you just have to come in and sit down. Waiting for a meeting every week has made me more patient and learn to be less selfish because other people need help too.

What is one of your dreams for yourself or your family, that you hope to see happen in the coming years?

Very simple- to learn to be productive and in my life choices so I can always continue or if nothing happens to stay where I’m going. Make good choices so I stay in housing and always have somewhere to stay. That’s my dream. To get somewhere, post up, and live a life like I deserve. Not looking over my shoulders, just enjoy.

What would you like to share with the CEF community?

If you’re ever in need and some of the choices that you’ve made in your life are in question, come to CEF, and sit down and come and talk to one of the advocates, and tell them what’s on your mind, and they will have the resources for you, whether it’s school, class, and they will help you. If you wanna open a free account, they have that too. I recommend it to anybody. Even if you’re still doing good, still come by and see what else you can get, on top of that.  

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Dear CEF Family 2017

Dear CEF Family,

A CEF Member named David recently described his experience here by sharing, “At CEF, no dream is too silly. Any dreams you have, they will help you – and not stop!”

Looking back over this year, I’m in awe of the truth in David’s description. “CEF sticks with the person,” he says. This year, the stick-with-it nature of CEF Members and Advocates has been nothing short of transformative.

Donna has been working with the same 2 Advocates at CEF for 6 years. This year, she left her 3rd shift job at a gas station to move into a full-time position supporting women in recovery – one of her greatest passions. She has also been studying for years to get her GED, and before this year is out she is going to get it!

And 6 years after transitioning out of homelessness, Donna has diligently built her credit score up and saved thousands of dollars. Amazingly, she just might buy her own house in the coming year!  “Sticking with it” for Donna means achieving life-long dreams.

Melissa is one of Donna’s Advocates. Motivated by her experience working alongside Donna toward these dreams, Melissa started a Masters in Social Work degree at UNC. Donna has been one of her biggest cheerleaders in turn. “Sticking with it” for Melissa means committing her career to this work.

CEF “sticks with it” in lots of ways. We seek solutions to ending homelessness that “stick,” by creating innovative and collaborative initiatives that really work. We advocate for system changes that “un-stick” our community from cycles of homelessness. And, we stick together, through sorrow and grief, and in joy and jubilation.

By donating to CEF, you are saying loud and clear to the Members we serve: We’ll stick with you. We’ll stick with you until you find a place to call home, and then until you buy a home of your own. “Any dreams you have,” we’ll stick with you. It’s an amazing gift to put your dollars straight into people’s dreams. Thank you for your incredible support.

CEF Co-Directors
Maggie West, Janet Xiao, and Jonathan Young
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P.S.     We’ll be sharing more stories of “Sticking with it” through the holidays. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!  #CEFstickstogether

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Make Your Gift Today!

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#35 — O Romeo, Romeo! A Beautiful CEF “Tail”

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Romeo, Romeo! Ms. Laverne adores her Romeo.
She showers him daily with belly rubs and bacon bits. “If you rub his belly, he’ll go to sleep,” Ms. Laverne intimates.

And Romeo has stuck with Ms. Laverne through thick and thin, including the two years when they were sleeping in her car, and in and out of hotels or friends’ homes. “Romeo would let me sleep, and when I woke up, he’d sleep. We would both watch out for each other.”

The day they first saw their new home, Romeo raced up and down the long hallway with barks of approval.

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Ms. Laverne

Romeo, Romeo! Ms. Laverne adores her Romeo

She showers him daily with belly rubs and bacon bits. “If you rub his belly, he’ll go to sleep,” Ms. Laverne intimates. And Romeo has stuck with Ms. Laverne through thick and thin, including the years when they were sleeping in her car, and in and out of hotels or friends’ homes. “Romeo would let me sleep, and when I woke up, he’d sleep. We would both watch out for each other.”

The day they first saw their new home, Romeo raced up and down the long hallway with barks of approval.

Ever since she moved into the new apartment this past June, Ms. Laverne has been relishing the daily things: “Opening the door is a blessing. Closing the door is a blessing. Laying in my bed is a blessing. Cooking. Decorating a house. It’s just a blessing not wondering where your next step is going to be.”

Even through homelessness, Ms. Laverne never stopped fighting for what is right for herself and others. She worked with CEF and her support networks to find her stable home! Photo collages of beloved family members adorn the walls of the living room and hallway, side-by-side with school photos of her children and grandchildren, their ribbons and certificates of achievement, baptismal certificates, Bible verses, and a poem written to her by her son. Her home is filled with the people she honors and loves, making space for memory and hope for loved ones who have passed on or are locked away.

Ms. Laverne’s favorite room is the bathroom. It’s large and luxurious-feeling, with a floral shower curtain and plush towels folded in neat stacks. “I came a long way from going around and taking bird baths.”

How Ms. Laverne Found Her Home

Ms. Laverne connected with CEF when she came to a public meeting of the Homeless Services Advisory Council in Durham to advocate for her needs as an individual experiencing homelessness — bearing witness to her own experience and the experiences of so many others, while making a prophetic call to action.

After 9 years of faithfully paying rent on time, Ms. Laverne had been evicted after a dispute with her landlord. For two whole years, Ms. Laverne and Romeo navigated homelessness together — finding food and safe places to sleep, taking “bird baths” in public restrooms, and struggling to find a healthy, non-abusive place to recover from back surgery in the midst of this experience.

“I’ve never been homeless before. This is my first time,” she shares. “I didn’t give up on myself. More people did me wrong, I kept pushing myself. More people lie on me, I kept defending myself. I’m not a bad person, I’m a good person. I live for God, and I like helping people.”

At that public meeting, CEF and Ms. Laverne connected and have stuck together ever since.  She connected with staff at the Durham Housing Authority at that same meeting, and worked through the process to secure a permanently affordable apartment with DHA. With CEF, she connected to legal services and addressed credit issues that were preventing her from securing housing. She also got a job at Harris Teeter, where her co-workers have been a wonderful community of support. She gives a special shout-out to all of these groups, and Angela Holmes (Chair of the Homeless Services Advisory Council) for helping with her transition into housing.

About CEF, Ms. Laverne shares, “[CEF] made sure I was okay, and we started working on everything.”

“[CEF] don’t do the talk, they do the walk. And since I’ve been coming here, all I see is friendly faces glad to help you. [They] ask you, ‘What do you want?’ and take everything you say to the heart. And they love my dog.”  (Indeed, Romeo charms the entire office when he comes in with Ms. Laverne.)

What’s Next for Ms. Laverne?

Ms. Laverne has new goals to share with CEF. “I’m going to take computer classes, to get a laptop, so that when I go to school I can have it… I want to get my GED.”  

She hopes to eventually use it in support and advocacy of other people who are experiencing homelessness. Even while she slept in her car and struggled with issues of discrimination, Laverne never stopped fighting for what is right and helping others. “When I was homeless, I helped homeless people. I paid for a hotel room for a family. So, though I was down and out, I still helped, and I didn’t ask for nothing back in return. I just told them, ‘Do it for the next person.’”

Ms. Laverne dreams of managing her own shelter one day. “I wish I had money to build a place. This would be my shelter: a lot of flowers. A lot of love. Respect. Trust. And a church inside my shelter.” In a way, she has already built this sanctuary space inside her home.

P.S.     We’ll be sharing more stories of “Sticking with it” through the holidays. Follow us on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter!  #CEFstickstogether

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CEF: Community Empowerment Fund

Chapel Hill: 919-200-0233 Durham: 919-797-9233

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