Executive Director
Expected Hiring Date: Fall 2026
Young Storytellers is an arts nonprofit that supports young people in discovering the power of their own voice. In our programs, students work with volunteer mentors to explore their experiences, write their own original story, and then share it with others as professional actors bring it to life on stage.
In 1997 Young Storytellers was founded by three film students as a volunteer project. Over the last 25 years, the mission to fill arts education programming gaps in public schools has grown steadily into a robust 501(c)(3) serving thousands of students each year, with elementary, middle, and high school programs in over 60 schools across Los Angeles.
Students in our programs develop confidence, creativity, empathy, and self-expression while also building essential literacy and social-emotional skills. Our work is grounded in our values of Belonging, Connection, Exploration, Play, and Equity.
We raise voices, one story at a time.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) will lead our organization into its next phase of stabilization and community impact by providing strategic vision and leadership to the organization, ensuring the successful execution of our programs and initiatives. They will inspire and support a dedicated high-performing team of staff, volunteers, and contractors, fostering a positive, inclusive workplace and culture that embodies Young Storytellers' values. The ED will serve as the primary representative of Young Storytellers to donors, partners, and the Board of Directors, and will drive the fundraising and development work necessary to build long-term financial resilience. Partnering closely with the Board, the ED will execute and implement our long-term strategic plan with two clear horizons: strengthening our foundation today, and growing our reach and impact tomorrow.
This role is for someone energized by both the ground work of stabilization and the opportunity to build from it and equip the organization for sustainable growth through aligned processes, resources and partnerships.
Revenue Diversification, Fundraising Leadership, & Financial Stewardship
- Drive fundraising and development efforts, including donor cultivation and stewardship, board development support, and the ongoing work of building a broader and more resilient funding base.
-
Manage finances and budget proactively — tracking performance, communicating financial reality honestly to the Board. Make hard tradeoffs when needed.
-
Monitor and report on the organization's performance against its strategic objectives, providing regular updates to the Young Storytellers Board.
Organizational Leadership & Operational Excellence
- Lead day-to-day operations of the organization that includes successful delivery of our programs and initiatives, partnership and donor management, budget management, staff supervision, and effective communication with all stakeholders.
-
Engage with the Young Storytellers Board actively, including participating in regular Board and committee meetings, partnering closely with the Board Chair and Executive Committee, and supporting the recruiting, onboarding, and retention of Board members.
-
Build and manage a high-performing team of staff, volunteers, and contractors — recruiting, developing, and retaining people while fostering a positive, inclusive, and sustainable workplace culture.
-
Lead and support the organization's marketing, communications, and events efforts in partnership with staff and the Board.
Strategic Partnership Development
- Develop and implement a strategic vision for the organization that aligns with Young Storytellers' mission, values, and goals — making intentional decisions about where to focus energy and resources as circumstances shift.
-
Cultivate and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, partners, volunteers, schools, and community leaders across the LA arts and education landscape.
Program Strategy, Scaling & Impact Measurement
- Ensure programs are delivered effectively and in line with best practices — implementing data collection systems to evaluate impact, monitoring performance against strategic objectives, and providing regular updates to the Board.
Mission-Centered Leadership & Equity Mindset
- Embody and promote the values of Young Storytellers — Belonging, Connection, Exploration, Play, and Equity — in every aspect of the role.
Financial Stewardship and Fundraising
- Able to build and manage a budget, make hard tradeoffs, and communicate financial reality honestly to staff and the Board.
-
Demonstrated experience securing six-figure gifts and making strategic fundraising decisions that drove sustainable revenue growth and strengthened donor retention, especially among major donors.
-
Track record of building and broadening a funding base across individual giving, grants, corporate partnerships, and events.
-
Strong communicator across all stakeholder levels, able to connect strategy to marketing and lead an events calendar that raises money and builds visibility.
People, Culture & Change Management
- Strong manager who retains and motivates people through professional development, culture-building, and organizational change.
-
Experience working effectively with a non-profit board across fundraising, fiscal stewardship, financial reporting, donor cultivation, and program and organizational strategy.
-
High EQ, ability to read the room, manage difficult conversations and build genuine trust across staff, volunteers, and stakeholders.
-
Collaborative and strength-based leadership style, leads through empowerment.
Strategy & Adaptability
- Proven nonprofit leadership across operations, fundraising, and strategic planning, with the ability to prioritize under constraint and adapt quickly as the landscape shifts.
Community, Mission & Equity:
- Authentic commitment to YS's mission and equity values demonstrated in practice, with established relationships in LA's arts and education communities.
- Experience in arts education, youth development, education, or community-based nonprofits.
-
Familiarity with Los Angeles public schools and the communities Young Storytellers serves.
-
Connections within the Los Angeles philanthropic, arts, or education communities.
-
Experience leading organizational growth or change.
-
Experience scaling nonprofit programs and partnerships.
We value leaders who demonstrate deep understanding of and authentic relationships with the communities we serve through lived experience, professional experience, long-term partnership, or meaningful community engagement.
The Executive Director is a full-time (40 hours/week), exempt position with a salary range between $130,000 -$140,000 depending on experience. Compensation includes paid time off & paid holidays, monthly health & dental insurance allowance, and 401K matching contribution. The Young Storytellers team operates on a hybrid work schedule with two days at our DTLA office and three days remote each week.
Candidates will be reviewed until the position is filled. To apply, please visit https://young-storytellers.breezy.hr/ (https://young-storytellers.breezy.hr/)to fill out an application and select “Executive Director” to fill out an application and upload a resume and cover letter that includes why you are interested in working with Young Storytellers and this position in particular, highlighting your previous leadership, fundraising and operational experience.
Young Storytellers is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Belonging is a core value of the Young Storytellers culture, and our daily practices around equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-bias, antidiscrimination, and antiracism are central to that value. Young Storytellers firmly believes that Black Lives Matter (https://www.youngstorytellers.com/blacklivesmatter). We encourage women and gender diverse people, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, veterans, immigrants, and anyone with a disability to apply for this and all our positions. Young Storytellers has designed our interview, onboarding, and ongoing cultural practices to be a welcoming space for everyone. You can read more about our worldview (https://www.youngstorytellers.com/worldview) on our website.
For any questions or accommodations while applying due to a disability, please call us at 323.962.4500.
