Position: Executive Director

Background

The Excessive Wealth Disorder institute (EWDi) is a newly created organization designed to create support among nonprofit institutions, elected representatives, and the public to address Excessive Wealth Disorder (EWD). Excessive Wealth Disorder is broadly defined as a range of social, economic, and political crises created by extreme concentrations of income and wealth in the hands of a small segment (top 0.1%) of society. These include threats to our democracy, a racial wealth gap, corruption and greed, negative social indicators, and a brake on economic growth in lieu of shared prosperity.

Our goal is to achieve a more balanced distribution of wealth by elevating policy solutions that focus exclusively on the nation’s wealthiest individuals. At the outset, key goals are to create a multi-millionaire surtax, close estate tax loopholes, create a wealth tax and promote charitable tax reform.

More information about EWDi can be found at: https://excessivewealth.org

Our Circumstances

While our goals are clear the means to achieve them are yet to be decided. As a startup, we have a one-time opportunity to establish a strategy and alignment between the board and leader of this organization. That is the opportunity of this moment.

Our board carries significant subject matter expertise, influence, and access to leaders in research, public policy, movement building, corporate leadership, and philanthropy. Our members are: https://excessivewealth.org/our-board/

The board is focused on setting overall strategic goals, resource development and empowering our chief executive to be our leader and co-creator. Once the Executive Director is in place, they will collaborate with the board to recruit additional members as we see the need and opportunity to do so.

We have funding in place to stand up this organization, and resources for continued financial support. We have a budget in place for the Executive Director to hire staff.

We aim to empower a visible and influential leader to be our voice, marshalling our resources to focus on communication, social media and influencing strategies to raise public awareness and stimulate debate. We will look to that leader to guide us as to when and whether we incorporate additional tools of activism to drive change – campaign organizing, research, public education, and policy advocacy. We will look to our leader to guide our work in coalition with others, supporting and learning from their work, and setting out where we need to be a singular voice on this issue.

Rather than proscribe these strategies, the board is eager for a mutual dialogue. We have created the opportunity for a founder, with a founder’s passion, to give voice to this issue, at a moment when there is a growing awareness of the impact of these excessive fortunes on policy, on inequity and on sharpening divisions in our country. We look forward to taking up these questions with serious candidates and shaping a strategic partnership with our new leader.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate for this position will be an inspirational, dynamic, resourceful, and flexible leader who embraces our anti-racist and anti-sexist values, has a successful track record working to advance progressive values and policies, is skilled as an organization builder, fundraiser, and friend raiser, who brings an intellectual curiosity, an open mind, and a good sense of humor.

We expect the Executive Director to share our progressive values and our commitment to equity and justice, but we do not think it critical that this individual begins with a deep grounding or expertise in these issues. The substance can be learned, and it is held in abundance by the board.

Candidates’ skills and experience should include:

• • Proven experience as a relationship builder–particularly with organizations and networks advocating for underrepresented people.
  • Exceptional communications skills including public speaking and experience working with traditional and digital media.
  • Experiences in developing or scaling collaborative campaigns to advance progressive issues, working within intersectional movements, and building coalitions.
  • Knowledge of and demonstrable commitment to addressing excessive wealth.
  • Capacity to understand federal tax and/or economic policy.
  • Senior management experience and skills in leadership roles in either political or non profit organizations.
  • The innate skills and appetite to raise funds from individual donors and foundations.
  • Strong management skills that support staff and foster collaboration, including problem solving and decision-making experience.
  •  A commitment to building a diverse organizational team, and proven experience overseeing organizational budgeting and financial management.
  • Political savvy and ability to maneuver through complex issues effectively.

Compensation

The Executive Director will be the first employee of this organization, so we have set out a broad range for compensation. We are open to hiring someone earlier in their career, and to support and incent their growth. And we are open to hiring someone who is more senior in experience, compensating that person in keeping with their history of earnings. Serious candidates will be offered an open discussion about compensation early in their conversation with us.

Application

Please submit a resume and cover letter to: ewdi@fordwebb.com

Our consultant, Ted Ford Webb, will welcome inquiries from those who would like to explore this opportunity in more detail. He can be reached at the email address above.

EWDi is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based upon gender, race, color, national origin, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other factor. All applications are welcome. We encourage underrepresented candidates, including women and people of color, to apply.