Executive Director – Stonewall Columbus

The Opportunity

Stonewall Columbus seeks an experienced, strategic, and community-centered Executive Director (ED) to guide the organization through its next chapter. Building on more than four decades of advocacy, service, and community leadership, the ED will help clarify Stonewall’s year-round role, strengthen its organizational foundation, and deepen its impact across Central Ohio. The next leader will inherit significant assets, including a committed staff and Board, an established Pride celebration, a highly regarded community center, and strong regional relationships.

Working with the Board of Trustees, staff, and community, the Executive Director will translate Stonewall’s mission and strategic vision into focused priorities, measurable goals, and shared accountability. They will strengthen internal communication, support staff development, and cultivate an inclusive, collaborative, and trauma-informed workplace. The ED will also enhance the financial, operational, human resources, compliance, and performance-management systems needed to support effective programs and long-term sustainability.

As Stonewall’s principal ambassador, advocate, and fundraiser, the Executive Director will build authentic relationships across the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. They will deepen engagement with Black, transgender, and other historically marginalized communities while cultivating donors, corporations, public officials, funders, and nonprofit partners. The leader will strengthen Stonewall’s position as a trusted convener, connector, and collaborative partner within Central Ohio’s LGBTQ+ ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide clear and steady organizational leadership, ensuring that Stonewall’s mission, programs, operations, and priorities remain responsive to the changing needs of Central Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community.
• Partner with the Board, staff, and community to clarify Stonewall’s year-round role and translate its strategic vision into focused priorities, implementation plans, measurable goals, and clear accountability.
• Assess organizational capacity and establish realistic priorities that balance innovation and growth with staff well-being, operational effectiveness, and long-term sustainability.
• Recruit, develop, support, and retain a talented and diverse staff; establish clear roles and performance expectations; and cultivate a trauma-informed workplace grounded in trust, transparency, inclusion, and accountability.
• Oversee Stonewall’s finances, administration, human resources, programs, facilities, technology, risk management, and organizational systems, ensuring effective operations and responsible stewardship.
• Develop the annual operating budget for Board approval; provide timely and understandable financial reporting; maintain appropriate internal controls; and ensure compliance with grants, contracts, policies, laws, and regulatory requirements.
• Evaluate programs and community impact using community input, participant information, and outcome data. Determine where Stonewall should provide services directly and where partnerships or referrals can produce greater impact.
• Strengthen and diversify revenue through individual and major-gift fundraising, institutional giving, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, government support, earned revenue, and other mission-aligned strategies.
• Center inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability (IDEA) throughout Stonewall’s culture, programs, partnerships, fundraising, communications, and allocation of resources.
• Serve as Stonewall’s principal spokesperson, ambassador, fundraiser, and advocate, representing the organization with community members, donors, businesses, the media, public officials, funders, and institutional partners.
• Strengthen collaboration with LGBTQ+-serving and community-based organizations, help define Stonewall’s role in advocacy and civic engagement, and position the organization as a trusted convener and connector.
• Partner with the Board of Trustees to promote effective governance, clarify the boundaries between governance and management, support informed decision-making, and engage trustees in their fiduciary, strategic, fundraising, and ambassadorial responsibilities.
• Oversee the Stonewall Columbus Community Center and expand its role as a welcoming, accessible, and well-utilized hub for programs, events, information, resources, and community connection.

Candidate Profile

While no candidate will bring every qualification, the successful candidate will demonstrate many of the following experiences, competencies, and leadership qualities:

Strategic Leadership

The Executive Director will bring the ability to clarify organizational direction and translate vision into focused, achievable plans. They will anticipate changing community needs, establish measurable goals, align resources with priorities, and balance ambition with organizational capacity and long-term sustainability.

People Leadership

An experienced and empowering manager, the Executive Director will build trust, communicate transparently, and establish clear expectations and accountability. They will develop staff, encourage collaboration, and cultivate an inclusive and trauma-informed culture that supports both employee well-being and strong performance.

Operational and Financial Stewardship

The successful candidate will have the management acumen to lead a multifaceted nonprofit encompassing programs, annual Pride festival and march, fundraising, advocacy, facilities, partnerships, and community engagement. They will bring experience with budgeting, financial reporting, compliance, human resources, technology, risk management, and organizational systems, using data to inform decisions and evaluate impact.

Equity-Centered Community Leadership

The Executive Director will understand LGBTQ+ issues, history, and the diverse, intersectional experiences within the community. Leading with cultural humility, integrity, and a commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability, they will build trust across identities, backgrounds, generations, and lived experiences. They will expand access and belonging and ensure that historically marginalized communities are meaningfully represented and engaged. Meaningful professional or lived experience with LGBTQ+ communities is essential.

Fundraising and Revenue Development

The Executive Director will be a compelling champion for Stonewall’s mission with demonstrated success cultivating individual and major donors, corporate partners, foundations, government funders, and other supporters. They will confidently make direct asks, strengthen donor stewardship, broaden Stonewall’s philanthropic community, and work with staff and the Board to build a diversified and sustainable revenue strategy.

Governance and Board Partnership

The Executive Director will value the Board of Trustees as a strategic and governing partner. They will communicate openly, provide accurate and timely information, maintain appropriate boundaries between governance and management, and help trustees fulfill their fiduciary, strategic, fundraising, and ambassadorial responsibilities.

External Relations, Advocacy, and Partnerships

A visible, credible, and resilient community leader, the Executive Director will communicate effectively with community members, donors, corporations, nonprofit partners, elected officials, public agencies, and the media. With emotional intelligence and political acumen, they will listen across differences, navigate complex issues, strengthen collaboration, and position Stonewall as a trusted community resource and influential voice.

Stonewall Columbus, Inc. is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Fair Chance/Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer who supports diversity in the workplace. Applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, ancestry, national origin, veteran status, pregnancy, disability, marital status, previous contact with the criminal justice system, or other characteristics protected by law.