Are you a socially conscious, dedicated individual who is committed to building a better future for children, families, and their communities? If so, join us as we support early childhood education programs across the country to create positive outcomes for the children and families served.
About the Acelero Charitable Foundation
The Acelero Charitable Foundation exists to promote futures of infinite promise for children everywhereRooted in the belief that every child deserves access to high-quality early learning and strong family support, the Foundation invests in people, practices, and policies that drive meaningful change in the early childhood ecosystemOur grantmaking spans research, direct support to families and educators, and initiatives that expand access to excellent early education across Public Systems
We are seeking a Founding Executive Director to help bring our vision to life as we enter an exciting new chapter with a refined strategic direction and expanded philanthropic aspirations
The Opportunity
As the Foundation’s first staff leader, the Founding Executive Director will play a pivotal role in building and stewarding a values-aligned, high-impact organizationYou will launch and lead the Foundation’s strategic, fundraising, and grantmaking work, while managing essential operationsThis is a rare opportunity to shape the identity and impact of a foundation with bold ambitions and deep roots in early childhood education
What You'll Do
Strategic Leadership & Organizational Development
Lead implementation of the Foundation’s strategic framework
Serve as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors; support governance, board development, and committee operations
Build the internal systems and infrastructure needed for strong grantmaking, evaluation, and public transparency
Fundraising & External Partnerships
Design and execute a diversified fundraising strategy targeting individual donors, major gift prospects, institutional funders, and public agencies
Cultivate and steward relationships with philanthropic partners aligned to our mission
Manage donor reporting and communications; ensure high standards of transparency and accountability
Grantmaking & Program Oversight
Lead and evolve the Foundation’s grantmaking in three core investment areas.
Funding and publishing early childhood research
Expanding access to high-quality early education across Public Systems
Providing direct support to children, families, and educators
Establish application processes, review committees, performance tracking, and grantee learning communities
Provide high-level oversight and strategic guidance for all grant-funded initiatives
Monitor overall grant portfolio performance, identifying key trends and areas for strategic intervention
Evaluation, Learning, & Communications
Drive a research & learning agenda that prioritizes field insights, grantee voice, and continuous improvement
Produce an annual public Impact Report focused on advancing quality early learning
Represent the Foundation in the field and amplify research findings through thought leadership and collaborative initiatives
Who You Are
Strategic and entrepreneurial: You love building from the ground up and have a track record of scaling impact
Passionate about early childhood equity: You bring a deep commitment to children, families, and the power of early education
Experienced fundraiser: You know how to build relationships, write compelling proposals, and steward major gifts
Nonprofit-savvy: You understand 501(c)(3) governance, public benefit requirements, and ethical grantmaking
7+ years of leadership experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management, or policy.
Demonstrated success in fundraising and external engagement
Deep knowledge of early childhood systems and/or family engagement strategies strongly preferred
Strong communication, organizational, and project management skills
Comfort navigating ambiguity and building new processes
When/Where/How Much:
This is a part-time, fully remote position, with an estimated 20–25 hours per week
Compensation will be commensurate with experience and competitive with similar foundation roles (part-time $66,000 - $100,000)
If you are ready to pair strategy with mission driven values, apply today and join the Acelero Charitable Foundation.
Why Acelero Learning or Shine Early Learning?
- Ability to make an impact in the lives of the children, families, and partners we serve
- Career growth and professional development opportunities
- Supportive working environment
- Average of 5 weeks of paid time off during 1st year of employment
- Comprehensive benefits, including 401K matching and 100% vesting program
We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and healthy work place.
We envision a world where children become champions of their own making; where nothing stands in the way of their infinite promise.
Acelero Learning was founded in 2001 by a former Head Start teacher and Children Defense Fund staffer, with a clear mission -- to work with local communities to improve the quality of Head Start programs. In 2005, Acelero Learning began to directly administer Early Head Start and Head Start programs through delegate agencies -- locally managed affiliates with their own local boards of directors that received dedicated support from the Acelero Learning Support Center in New York.
Today, Acelero Learning affiliates operate a network of Head Start and other early childhood programs serving nearly 5,000 young children and families across the country. Our affiliates in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Camden, Monmouth and Middlesex Counties in New Jersey, Clark County, Nevada, Aiken and Barnwell Counties in South Carolina and Racine and Milwaukee counties in Wisconsin have each improved the delivery of early childhood education in their communities -- increasing enrollment, improving teacher salaries and dramatically expanding the number of hours of programming for children and families.
