Executive Director

About the job

What Cheer Flower Farm, an award-winning 501c3 nonprofit, was founded in 2017 to bring joy, solace and healing by giving away free floral bouquets to food banks, hospitals, recovery centers and to at-risk youth and seniors. Located on a former manufacturing site in Providence, we are in the process of remediating derelict structures and transforming asphalt into productive green space.

In addition to growing, rescuing and giving away thousands of flowers per year, the Farm’s programs allow volunteers, urban dwellers and artists to experience farming and floristry up close. We have also begun to trial green job training programs.

The Farm is seeking an experienced Executive Director to help us transition from a successful start-up to a strong, professionally run institution. You will report directly to the Board and manage a staff of two to start, plus 80 volunteers. You don’t need farming or floristry skills (our staff has them). Your goal is to lead and aggressively grow the organization while staying close to its mission. You should be equally good at administration, fundraising and networking, and have managed both a physical location and capital campaign in the past.

Important parts of your role will include:

o Financial responsibilities:

To manage budgeting, accounting and fundraising. The Farm does not sell flowers. You will generate revenues via grant writing, capital campaigns, donor drives, gift shop sales, site event rentals, sponsorships/naming rights and fundraising events such as our annual Flower Festival.

o Operational and administrative responsibilities:

To manage our land redevelopment project; to ensure our flower growing, rescue and delivery goals are met efficiently and effectively; to supervise staff and manage volunteer program development; and, to manage routine administration such as insurance, ecommerce fulfillment, HR, grant reporting, etc.

o Partnerships, communications and outreach:

To network, build relationships and form partnerships with our various communities of interest, including organizations we donate flowers to, the floristry, flower farming and gardening communities, our fellow nonprofits, the local arts community, the Olneyville and Providence community, job training and youth development organizations, corporate volunteering programs and potential sources of gifts-in-kind. In addition, you will oversee communications such as social media, annual reports and newsletters, and serve as a spokesperson.

o Programs and Board Development:

To serve as an expert advisor for the Board on strategic decisions regarding land development and which programs to trial and/or to scale up further, particularly in the area of green job training, as well as supporting the development of the Board itself.

In summary, the Farm has proven that flowers can make a measurable difference in a wide variety of stressful situations, ranging from dementia to the aftermath of violence. Our flower distribution partners include top nonprofits ranging from Newport Hospital to Meals on Wheels of RI. We have been successful in attracting volunteers, the arts community and media attention. And, we have won an unusual number of public and private grants for such a young organization.

Now we need the leader who will help us grow into the institution that we have the potential to be. Are you that experienced, outgoing, roll-up-your-sleeves leader? Let us know at https://forms.gle/4oFA8qtxzrbaRqzn8