Chief Executive Officer

ABOUT DREAM.ORG

Dream.Org is a movement built on a simple but powerful belief: our greatest problems also hold our greatest opportunities. From ending mass incarceration, to stopping climate change, to opening doors in the tech economy, Dream.Org knows that lasting change must come with a big, broad coalition. Common ground is often found in uncommon places, and Dream.Org will work with anyone who is willing to be a part of the solution, even across deep lines of disagreement. From justice reform to green careers, Dream.Org is uniting unlikely allies to drive lasting change – grounded in lived experience, powered by policy, and measured in lives transformed.

Dream.Org’s work is defined by 3 pillars:

• JUSTICE FOR ALL We unite bipartisan allies and people directly impacted by incarceration to reform the criminal legal system — building second chances and safer communities
• GREEN FOR ALL We fight for cleaner air, affordable energy, and good green jobs — ensuring the clean energy economy lifts every community, not just some
• TECH FOR ALL We open doors into the tech and innovation economy for Black, Brown, and justice-impacted communities — breaking down the barriers that have kept them locked out.

This approach has won bipartisan criminal justice reform that brought 50,000+ people home from behind bars, helped 500+ individuals pursue lucrative careers in the tech and climate space, and shaped the largest Inflation Reduction Act climate program to allocate $18 billion for disadvantaged communities.

THE CURRENT MOMENT

Dream.Org is experiencing a moment of transition and opportunity. The departure of a long-tenured, accomplished, and deeply respected leader positions Dream.Org for a new chapter of strategic leadership and impact. The current federal, state, and cultural political climate has brought heightened visibility, vulnerability, and urgency to impacted communities. At the same time, the funding landscape is shifting. Internally, Dream.Org is experiencing the need for renewed strategic clarity, and the next CEO will guide the organization to become an even more visible and catalytic force, building on its role as political and ideological bridge builder and leaning into the opportunity to serve as an essential model of bipartisanship. This leadership transition creates a rare and exciting opportunity to deepen Dream.Org’s national impact, strengthen resource development, evolve strategic vision, and reaffirm Dream.Org as a powerful champion for justice-impacted communities.  

THE OPPORTUNITY

Dream.Org seeks a visionary, strategic leader with strong executive presence, fundraising acumen, and a deep understanding of justice-impacted communities. The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to bipartisanship and possess a combination of strategic sophistication and empathy, balancing external engagement with internal capacity building. Areas for impact in this role include:

Fundraising Strategy. Ensuring Dream.Org’s long-term financial stability will be a central leadership priority. The CEO will expand Dream.Org’s fundraising strength. They will diversify funding streams and cultivate relationships with new and existing foundations and donors. Through strategic leadership, relationship building, and a sophisticated understanding of today’s funding landscape, they will diversify and grow the resources that fuel Dream.Org’s impact.

Financial Strategy. The CEO will bring strategic insight to guide sound decision‑making and deepen organizational understanding of financial risk and opportunity. They will oversee financial health and asset management, sustain and grow the reserve fund, and guide thoughtful choices about resource allocation that advance Dream.Org’s mission.

Organizational Strategy. The CEO will bring a current understanding of the justice movement to effectively navigate the broader social justice environment. They will monitor changing landscapes, trends, and developments to ensure that Dream.Org is selecting objectives and deploying resources as effectively as possible to achieve their goals. The CEO will clarify Dream.Org’s theory of change and define short and long term organizational strategy and scope, and as a result, Dream.Org’s external positioning to strengthen the organization’s external and fundraising profile.

Governance and Organizational Structure. The CEO will develop and maintain a relationship with the Board of Directors that is defined by trust, respect, and clear communication. They will partner with the Board to strengthen governance, clarify priorities, and promote alignment. They will grow the Board through strategic recruitment and work with the Board as it continues to develop as a strategic governing body that is fully engaged in fundraising, long-term planning, and effective oversight to position Dream.Org for even greater impact.  

Staff Leadership. The staff at Dream.Org is deeply committed to the justice-impacted community it serves and works alongside. The CEO will lead a staff of 39, manage 5 direct reports, and report to the Board of Directors. They will be an effective leader of teams, cultivating talent, fostering trust, and inspiring a positive, inclusive internal culture grounded in collaboration, transparency, equity, compassion, and empathy. They will actively listen to staff needs and aspirations and cultivate an environment in which individuals and teams can thrive. The CEO will strengthen internal systems and maintain clear decision-making structures to ensure the organization has the operational capacity to sustain growth. This includes delegating effectively and building alignment across teams so that systems, structures, and practices keep pace with Dream.Org’s evolution.

Justice Impacted and Bipartisan Strategies. The CEO will continue to champion the deeply held values at the heart of Dream.Org’s identity, centering those who have been justice-impacted and working across political lines to advance common-ground strategies. They will strengthen the operationalization of these values through hiring practices, program design, advocacy strategy, and partnership strategy. They will strengthen Dream.Org’s bipartisan strategy, seen as one of the organization’s greatest assets, and successfully navigate the complexities of inviting partnership and alignment from both sides in a polarized political environment. The CEO will embody and represent Dream.Org’s values in fundraising and communications, elevating the organization’s bipartisan strategy as an asset and a necessary and valuable strategic model, even as bipartisanship becomes more contested in the current political environment.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will possess the attributes above and many of the following professional abilities and experiences.    

Mission and Values Alignment

• Demonstrated commitment to the justice-impacted community and to Dream.Org’s mission, vision, and core values of centering those who have been justice-impacted and working across lines of difference on common-ground strategies.
• Authentic understanding of social justice movement landscape, dynamics, and the communities most impacted by inequity.

Executive and Visionary Leadership

• At least 10+ years of senior or executive leadership in policy advocacy, fundraising and development, nonprofit management, or a related sector.
• Experience navigating complex organizational environments, complex movement environments, leading change with steadiness, and making disciplined, equity-aligned decisions.
• Experience providing leadership and being a coalition-builder for the development and execution of strategic vision in a changing funding, political, and cultural landscape.
• Demonstrated success in policy advocacy or related sector, with an eye towards translating strategy into relationships and results.

Fundraising and Resource Development

• Proven track record of cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors and securing major gifts.
• Experience designing long-term fundraising strategies, diversifying funding streams, and strengthening a culture of giving.
• Demonstrated excellence in communication with a proven ability to inspire confidence as a relationship builder, persuasive public speaker, and skilled writer addressing diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to build strong, trust‑based relationships grounded in transparency, authenticity, and cultural humility.

Organizational and People Leadership

• People-centered, servant leader with effective skills in leading teams  and building inclusive, high performing organizational cultures.
• Solutions-oriented mindset with skills in delegation, communication, and creating conditions for staff to thrive individually and collectively.
• Experience partnering with a Board of Directors to strengthen governance, clarity, and strategic alignment.

Financial & Operational Acumen

• Strong financial literacy, including experience managing budgets, assessing risk, and guiding organizational sustainability.
• Ability to align resources with strategic priorities and ensure operational systems support an evolving institution.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Work Location: This role is a hybrid position, based in Oakland, CA or Washington, D.C., requiring a minimum of 3 days of on-site work. It entails regular regional and national travel to conferences, speaking engagements, funder meetings, and other relevant activities to advance the mission.

Compensation and Benefits: The salary range for this full-time, exempt position is $260,000 - $290,000 annually. All full-time employees receive Medical, Dental & Vision coverage. Dream.Org pays 100% of premiums for employee, spouse and dependents.  After a 6-month waiting period, employees can contribute to a retirement plan. Currently, Dream.Org offers up to a 5% match. Dream.Org also offers a flexible spending, pre-tax program for medical expenses, dependent care expenses, transit expenses, and parking expenses. All full-time Dream.Org employees accrue 4 weeks of vacation time and 12 days of sick time over the first year of employment. Part-time employees accrue time off on a prorated basis. In addition to 10 paid holidays, Dream.Org also provides paid time off from December 24th through January 1st each year.

HOW TO APPLY

More information about Dream.Org can be found at: www.dream.org.

This search is being led by Phuong Quach and Sharon Gertsman of the national talent search firm NPAG.  We invite applications with resume and cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications via the portal on NPAG’s website. 

Dream.Org is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from all qualified applicants regardless of race, sex, gender identity, age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status, or record of arrest or conviction. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strive for a workforce that reflects the populations that we serve. Additionally, upon a job offer, each candidate is required to provide evidence of your eligibility to work in the United States.