About DC Greens 

Founded in 2009, DC Greens is a nonprofit organization that advances health equity by building a just and resilient food system. We believe that racial justice, food access, and health equity are all connected, and that change requires systemic solutions and cross-sector collaboration. DC Greens works in solidarity with those who are most impacted to build a just food system in the nation’s capital and break down the systemic barriers that harm our community.

For more than five years, DC Greens has been on an intentional journey to align our values with anti-racist, anti-oppressive practices. This includes investments in staff leadership, shifting internal processes to dismantle systemic racism, and implementing programs that put these values into practice externally. 

In 2024, DC Greens will embark on a new three-year strategic planning process and will hire a new Executive Director. This is an exciting time for the organization to identify an even brighter future using the powerful legacy the organization has created.

In order to achieve our mission, DC Greens supports advocacy efforts that help to enact policies that uplift people of color, increases access to nutritious food, and improves health outcomes. We are also guided by a belief in the District’s power to be a national model for reversing unjust food systems, and incubate programmatic solutions with an eye towards long-term sustainability and systemic up-take. Currently, our key programs include: 
 

Produce Rx: Barriers to accessing nutritious food are a leading driver of health disparities. DC Greens’ produce prescription program, Produce Rx, embeds a “food as medicine” approach in healthcare delivery. Produce Rx enables medical providers to prescribe free, fresh produce to patients experiencing diet-related chronic illnesses. Those prescriptions are then redeemed at partnering grocery stores across the District. The program’s ultimate goal is to shift healthcare policy on the local and national level. That way, access to nutritious food becomes a core component of Medicaid. In 2023 alone, more than 1600 households participated in our Produce Rx program representing every D.C. ward. 

The Well at Oxon Run: In 2022, DC Greens opened The Well at Oxon Run, a one-acre farm and community wellness space in Ward 8’s Congress Heights neighborhood. Operating in partnership with Friends of Oxon Run, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, and a dozen local partner organizations, The Well at Oxon Run  supports wellness through intergenerational programming and urban farming. The site offers seasonal crop production, herb and flower gardens, an orchard, a farm stand, a large youth garden with an outdoor classroom, and community gathering spaces.

The Opportunity 

For 15 years DC Greens has worked to energize the field of food advocacy and health equity in Washington, D.C. Our next Executive Director will have an exceptional opportunity to build upon a foundation of strong operations, innovative programs, successful policy achievements, and dedicated funding to help fully realize DC Greens’ vision of a capital city in which health equity is a central value, healthy food is a human right, and all residents have the resources to shape and control policies and programs for their own communities.

DC Greens is well-positioned to continue its record of achievements into the future. With a current budget just over $3M and a 17-person team, the Executive Director will join a mission driven organization with a dedicated staff and Board of Directors who are all approaching this transition with deep investment and purpose.

Position Overview 

DC Greens seeks an Executive Director to be a relentless champion for health equity. They will deepen awareness of the intersectional points of structural racism, health disparities, and food access. With experience creating and implementing a vision for the future of the organization; the Executive Director will in partnership with stakeholders, chart a path forward for the future of the organization's work. They will model values based leadership as they interface the DC Greens team and be an inspiring storyteller/spokesperson who builds relationships with DC Greens’ donors, community members, and policymakers across the District. 

An agile and eager fundraiser, they will build upon DC Greens’ base of individual, corporate, and institutional donors.

The Executive Director must have an inclusive and collaborative leadership style grounded in and in alignment with DC Greens’ values of creativity, collaboration, equity, integrity, and sustainability. They must be deeply invested in building positive team cultures, developing internal talent, and inspiring and empowering staff. They will also have the capacity for organized, focused work and the ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines while maintaining an openness to changing situations and opportunities.

• Champion DC Greens’ mission, vision, and goals in collaboration with the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and stakeholders. Ensure mission, operations, programs, and resource development remain aligned. 
• Lead, develop, motivate, and mentor a diverse and values-driven team. Support a culture of collaboration, learning, effective communication, care, and creativity. Supervise four direct reports: the Communications Director, Development Director, Operations Director, and Programs Director.
• Collaborate with the Board of Directors to maintain good governance. Support the Board’s recruitment efforts to replenish its membership over time with a strong eye toward diversity. 
• Participate as a member of the Strategy Cell, an internal working group that vets and conceives of new projects.
• Ensure DC Greens’ structure, policies, operations, programs, and partnerships advance equity and justice. Advance the sector through authentic, transparent, and bold actions. 

• In partnership with the Development Director, develop a strategy that cultivates and maintains relationships with a broad range of supporters, including individuals, local and national foundations, and corporate sponsors. 
• Steward and solicit major gifts on behalf of the organization. 
• Support the continued implementation and development of fundraising systems (CRM, annual appeal, stewardship models, etc.) to manage and track donor data and trends. 
• Ensure alignment between organizational strategy and funding opportunities. 

• Serve as the primary spokesperson. Represent DC Greens to a broad constituency of funders, individual donors, and the media. 
• Champion advocacy and policy change efforts as outlined in the 2025–2028 strategic plan. 
• Ensure a connected approach that bridges the gap with community leaders and elected officials, staff, and commissions. 
• Support the implementation of a Communications strategy that emphasizes brand identity while highlighting fundraising and program goals. 
• Identify opportunities, strategies, and partnerships that enhance the visibility of DC Greens’ strategies, priorities, and programs. 
• Use public relations opportunities to highlight community partners and shape a long-term narrative about the DC Greens theory of change. 
• Foster and sustain a strategic network of regional food access and health equity allies. 

• Steward the organization’s finances in consultation with the Leadership Team and with the approval of the Board. 
• Supervise all organization-level financial activities for accuracy and consistency.
• Ensure creation of, adherence to, and maintenance of organizational policies and procedures to facilitate effective workflow, decision-making, and communication protocols across departments and functions. 

The Executive Director position is a challenging and rewarding opportunity that requires a diverse set of skills and experiences. The Board actively seeks candidates that can lead the organization with vision, skill, and creativity. While we understand that no single candidate can possess every qualification listed below, the following are our priority areas.

• Record of leadership. A record of 7+ years advancing social justice. 
• Passion for mission. Shares a vision for health equity and food access.
• Equity focused. Advanced understanding of equity and racial justice. 
• Fundraising acumen. Skilled fundraiser with a successful record of revenue generation. 
• Powerful storyteller. Ability to passionately and effectively articulate DC Greens’ vision and work.
• Relationship builder. Cultivates authentic relationships and solidarity with community members with lived experience.  Demonstrated ability to connect with a broad range of key audiences (e.g. staff, Board, community members, partners, current/prospective funders, and policymakers). 

• Emotional intelligence. Leads with empathy and listens actively. 
• Capacity to delegate. Distributes decision-making effectively. 

Preferred

• Operational excellence. Experience building and using systems, standard operating procedures, and technology effectively to align organizational direction and resources.
• Skilled manager and supervisor. Record of developing, mentoring, and managing staff performance.
• Abundance mindset. Sees opportunities to build authentic partnerships and continue to transfer resources to historically and systemically marginalized communities.
• Ties to the local community. Current or past record of personal and/or professional connections to social justice, policy, health, food access, or related fields in the Washington, D.C. region.

DC Greens is located in Washington, D.C. While most responsibilities can be satisfied remotely, there is a requirement for some in person meetings and events. From March through October there is an increased physical presence required at The Well. 

This is a regular, full-time, salaried, exempt position. DC Greens’ salaries are set using a pay equity process tool. This process was implemented by the organization in 2019 and utilizes social justice principles to equitably compensate staff. As a result, our salaries are commensurate with experience and non-negotiable. The salary range for this position is $135,000–$150,000 and includes a generous benefits package with medical/dental/vision, disability/life insurance, 25 days of paid time off, parental leave, an employer match on retirement contributions once eligible, and a flexible work schedule.