Company description

Our Mission
We are neighbors nourishing neighbors, collaborating to build a strong food safety net in the Hudson Valley. As a food access nonprofit, we celebrate food and community for all.

Our Values
High-quality nourishing food is a human right. We reduce barriers between people and food. As much as possible, Fareground food is local, organic, and reflects what we and our neighbors want to eat.

● Solidarity, not charity. We feed our neighbors through mutual aid, collaboration, and partnerships.

● Compassion and community care. We respect our neighbors’ dignity and treat each other with kindness and respect.

● Inclusivity and equity. We honor our community and all of its members, regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, ability, religious beliefs, political beliefs, education levels, or socioeconomic class.

● Challenging systems of oppression. We recognize that true inclusivity and caring means recognizing, interrupting, and dismantling injustice built into our institutions and culture. We are actively feminist and anti-racist. We continuously examine privilege and disparities and disrupt these whenever possible.

● Environmental sustainability, local agriculture, and waste prevention. We maintain the utmost respect for our environment and do things as ecologically soundly as possible. We recycle, compost, and avoid disposables to prevent waste. We work with local farms and organizations to secure donations or affordable food.

Our Vision
Nourishing food and community for all

Job description

Position Summary

The Executive Director (ED) is Fareground's chief executive, responsible for the organization's overall strategic direction, financial health, programmatic impact, and public presence. Working in close partnership with an active Board of Directors and supervising the Director of Programs and the ED ensures Fareground delivers on its mission with integrity, sustains and grows the resources needed to do so, and represents Fareground's values of solidarity, equity, and anti-oppression with neighbors, partners, funders, and the wider community.

Key Responsibilities

LEADERSHIP & STRATEGY

• Provide visionary, values-aligned leadership that advances Fareground's mission, vision, and commitment to food access, justice, equity, and anti-racism.
• Partner with the Board to set strategic direction, evaluate organizational performance, and plan for sustainable growth.
• Translate strategy into annual goals and operating plans for staff and volunteers, and report regularly to the Board on progress.
• Strengthen Fareground’s visibility and role within the regional food justice ecosystem.
• Oversee the physical space and ensure that safety and rental requirements are met.

PROGRAMS

• Partner and supervise the Director of Programs, who leads program vision and delivery, to ensure programs are effective, dignified, responsive to community needs, and aligned with organizational strategy and resources.
• Set organization-wide priorities and hold overall accountability for program impact, while delegating day-to-day program leadership to the Director of Programs.
• Maintain strong relationships with community leaders and partners across the Hudson Valley — council members, county officials, nonprofits, businesses, and low-income housing programs.

FINANCIAL

• Develop and manage the annual budget with the Treasurer, Finance Committee, and CPA/bookkeeper, ensuring fiscal responsibility, accurate reporting, and compliance with nonprofit financial standards.
• Oversee financial controls, the annual audit, and IRS Form 990, and grant financial compliance; approve expenditures within Board policy.
• Steward a diversified, sustainable revenue base.

DEVELOPMENT

• Lead fundraising strategy and execution, including individual giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, and signature events (Nourish Our Neighbors Shindig, Filling Empty Bowls).
• Cultivate and steward donors, funders, and grantors; oversee grant writing and management with fundraising support.
• Produce an annual report for the community, donors, and funders, and guide external messaging (day-to-day social media and newsletter production delegated to volunteers/admin).

PEOPLE & OPERATIONS

• Directly supervise and support the Director of Programs who reports to the ED and coordinate as peers, as well as any administrative staff and contractors, fostering a healthy, mission-driven culture.
• Oversee HR and personnel matters with Fractional HR support, including hiring, policies, and employee relations.
• Champion volunteer engagement as central to Fareground's work.
• Utilize restorative justice approaches to conflict

BOARD & GOVERNANCE

• Work with the Board President and full Board to support effective governance — meetings, committees, and board development.
• Provide timely, accurate information to support informed decision-making and fiduciary oversight.
• Advocate for policies and systems change that advance food security and address the root causes of hunger and inequity.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership experience in the nonprofit, food-access, social-services, or community-organizing sector for 5 plus years; prior executive or senior-management experience preferred.
• A genuine commitment to food justice and to Fareground's values of solidarity, dignity, inclusivity, equity, and anti-oppression.
• Track record of successful fundraising, including grant writing/management and donor cultivation.
• Experience with nonprofit financial management and budgeting, and working effectively with a governing board.
  Strong people-management skills, including leading staff and mobilizing and retaining volunteers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable serving as a public face of the organization.
• Deep familiarity with, or strong ties to, the Beacon/Hudson Valley community is strongly preferred.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience; advanced degree in nonprofit management, social work, public health, or a related field a plus.

Working Conditions
This is a full-time, on-site role based in Beacon, NY, requiring travel to program sites across Beacon, Newburgh, Wappingers Falls, Fishkill, and Poughkeepsie. Some evening and weekend availability is required for community dinners, events, and Board meetings.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $75,000 - $100,000

Application instructions

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Deadline

December 11, 2026