Executive Director

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) serves as the driving force behind Ryan’s Case for Smiles (RCFS) mission of helping children and their families navigate the trauma of life-changing illnesses or injuries. As the leader of RCFS, the ED provides a clear vision and sets a high standard for excellence, innovation, and service across North America. In collaboration with the Board, the ED plays a pivotal role in developing and executing RCFS’s strategic plan, ensuring that the organization remains vibrant, relevant, and sustainable for the future.

The ED holds responsibility for meeting fundraising targets, maximizing RCFS’s impact both today and long term, and ensuring the continued sustainability of the mission. Additionally, the ED is tasked with cultivating a strong, dedicated team of staff members who share a common purpose and commitment to the children, families, hospitals, and volunteers we serve. Above all, the ED partners with the Board to maintain the highest levels of integrity, transparency, and trustworthiness in all RCFS operations.

Mission, Vision, and Strategy

• Champion Ryan’s Case for Smiles (RCFS) commitment to helping children heal better to feel better.
• Collaborate with the Board to establish a clear vision, setting high standards for excellence, innovation, and service across North America.
• Partner with the Board to develop and implement RCFS’s strategic plan.
• Lead fundraising efforts alongside the Board and staff to ensure the long-term sustainability of the mission.
• Guide the organization in defining success metrics and reporting progress to the Board, chapters, donors, and the broader community.

Fundraising, Marketing, and Brand Building

• Set annual marketing and fundraising goals, developing the strategies needed to achieve them.
• Develop an annual development plan that identifies key opportunities for donor prospecting, cultivation, retention, upgrades, acknowledgment, and recognition.
• Enhance RCFS’s brand awareness through digital media, public relations, events, speeches, and other channels that share our story.
• Lead national fundraising initiatives, including individual donor development, fundraising events, corporate sponsorships, grant writing, and online fundraising efforts.
• Support and empower local chapters in raising funds to advance their specific missions and engage volunteers.
• Ensure RCFS maintains strong donor stewardship practices, keeping donors engaged with our mission, and updating them on the impact of their contributions.

Volunteer and Staff Development and Support

• Cultivate a dedicated, cohesive staff with shared goals and a common commitment to supporting children, their families, volunteers, and the hospitals we serve.
• Act as a catalyst for identifying, recruiting, training, developing, and retaining volunteer leadership across all levels of chapter operations to drive strategic initiatives.
• Ensure RCFS operates with the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and trustworthiness, and upholds compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Program Development

• Continuously seek opportunities to improve RCFS programs and services that support children, families, and professional staff, including pillowcase development and delivery, in-hospital sewing days, CopingSpace.org, Siblings, and other pediatric traumatic stress programs.
• Ensure that RCFS’s infrastructure effectively and efficiently supports the mission, chapters, and volunteers.
• Build and nurture partnerships with other organizations to expand RCFS’s capabilities, enhance its mission, and optimize costs.

Financial Stewardship and Sustainability

• Collaborate with the Board and staff to develop both short- and long-term sustainability plans, budgets, and financial reports.
• Safeguard the integrity of RCFS’s financial management, accounting, and reporting systems.
• Ensure all chapter and national financial activities align with best practices and support the annual audit to ensure RCFS’s processes remain consistent, compliant, and efficient.
• Oversee the approval process for contracts, purchases, and banking activities in line with RCFS operational policies and procedures.

The Executive Director must have a deep empathy and commitment to supporting sick children and their families with an unwavering integrity and honesty as a collaborator in the mission. The successful candidate will be a relationship-oriented servant leader with a high level of emotional intelligence who thrives in a small, hands-on organizational environment. They will demonstrate entrepreneurial thinking, financial discipline, and the ability to inspire confidence among donors, Board members, staff, and community stakeholders alike. This leader must balance strategic vision with operational execution and be equally comfortable in donor cultivation meetings, Board strategy sessions, and community-facing events.

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience, with a minimum of 5 years of direct fundraising experience and 5 years in management.
• Proven fundraising success with the ability to formulate and execute development strategies that will enhance revenue while fostering strong partnerships with external partners and community members; working knowledge of institutional and private funding sources.
• Visionary and strategic planning capabilities to be applied toward the development of an innovative fundraising program and the leadership necessary to ensure its successful implementation.
• Proven leadership, supervisory, and team-building skills, brings a “whatever it takes” attitude to support the team and the mission (within reasonable limits).
• Extensive knowledge and experience in nonprofit and volunteer management; governance experience a plus.
• Strong proficiency in fiscal management and excellent analytical skills.
• Skilled in developing and managing relationships, as well as building strategic partnerships.
• Flexible management style and a proactive willingness to step into various roles to support the team in meeting organizational goals.
• Strong interpersonal skills, drive, and integrity with demonstrated ability to build, foster, and maintain positive relationships with both internal and external constituencies, including staff, board members, volunteers, donors, and the community.
• Possess superior communication and presentation skills to express, orally and in writing, Ryan’s Case for Smiles’ mission, vision, and goals with clarity, passion, and persuasion.
• Strong planning and organizational abilities, with a keen aptitude for critical thinking and analysis.
• Demonstrated expertise in leveraging digital, social media, and emerging online channels.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with Donor Perfect preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Willing and able to travel regionally with limited national travel.

Each year, over 5.2 million American families experience the trauma of a child being hospitalized, many of whom have a life-changing illness or injury. The whole family is impacted as routines shift, priorities change, and life becomes centered around caring for the ill/injured child. In addition to managing the child’s care and treatments, caregivers are worried about how the rest of their family will cope – all while juggling daily life. The fear, grief, and stress can be overwhelming.  Yet there are few resources or services that help the entire family cope.

Ryan’s Case for Smiles (RCFS) exists to support each member of the family and help surround them with a community of care. Support ranges from whimsical pillowcases that make a hospital stay less scary to trauma-informed resources for parents, siblings, and health professionals. Sibling and patient services are designed to improve children’s mental health, while caregiver resources help parents manage their own stress so they can provide the support their children need. Healthcare professionals, the community, and school personnel are educated and equipped to provide further care so that every member of the family can not only survive but thrive long after this difficult time.

RCFS is proud to have volunteers serving children in 91 chapters across the US and Canada delivering over 175,000 pillowcases to children in 348 hospitals. Ryan’s Case for Smiles has a dedicated team of 5 full-time employees, 98 coordinators, and thousands of other volunteers. The annual budget is approximately $1M with total assets exceeding $2M. The organization operates a hybrid work environment.

For additional information about Ryan’s Case for Smiles, please visit https://caseforsmiles.org/.