About the LA County Parks Foundation
The Los Angeles County Parks Foundation (LACPF) is a leading nonprofit dedicated to protecting and revitalizing public parks across Los Angeles County. LACPF supports the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (LA County Parks) by fundraising and supporting park upgrades, youth sports, after-school programs, wellness programs, and emergency response efforts.
LACPF fundraises for the following priorities of the LA County Parks:
- Equity in Park Access: Ensuring all communities have equitable access to quality green spaces and recreation opportunities.
- Youth Sport Access: Keep youth sports programs affordable to support youth's physical, emotional, and academic development.
- Park Renovation and Restoration Projects: Rebuilding damaged ecosystems and helping bring forward park upgrades that reimagine public spaces improvements.
- Corporate & Community Fundraising: Mobilizing businesses and residents to provide sustainable funding for park improvements.
About the Role
The Executive Director will shape the future of the Los Angeles County Parks Foundation driving a bold vision where every community has access to vibrant, resilient, and culturally reflective public spaces. This leader will strengthen the Foundation’s fundraising capacity, expand its infrastructure, and deepen collaboration with the LA County Parks.
The ideal leader believes deeply in the public value of parks, open spaces, and recreation areas as vital community assets. They recognize that parks are not only places of leisure, but essential infrastructure for health, culture, belonging, and resilience.
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising & External Relations
- Create and implement a development strategy built upon a deep understanding of the philanthropic landscape, including building relationships with leaders of family foundations, institutional philanthropic organizations, corporate philanthropy, high-net-worth individuals, and other current and potential donors.
- Lead innovative fundraising initiatives that inspire a broad base of philanthropy — engaging individuals, institutions, corporations, and public partners who believe in transforming parks as essential public infrastructure.
- Build and steward a strong pipeline of major donors; cultivate and solicit gifts; ensure thoughtful stewardship and retention.
- Build collaborative campaigns and signature events that elevate the visibility of the Foundation and spark long-term community investment.
- Partner with the LACPF Board to expand networks and drive donor engagement.
Partnership with LA County Department of Parks & Recreation
- Identify opportunities to leverage philanthropic investment in the Department’s projects and park equity initiatives.
- Collaborate with LA County Parks leadership, including the Director, LA County Board of Supervisors and their representatives, to identify, design, and assess innovative programs and opportunities that reflect the Foundation’s vision and respond to evolving community needs.
- Ensure the Department’s programs are well-funded, data-informed, effectively administered, and aligned with LACPF’s mission and the LA County Parks’ strategic priorities.
- Serve as the primary liaison to LA County Parks, ensuring collaboration, alignment, and mutual accountability for the LA County Parks’ strategic priorities.
- Lead grant writing and reporting in partnership with the Department’s staff.
Administrative & Financial Management
- Build and manage a small, high-performing team; oversee operations, budgeting, contracts, and compliance.
- Strengthen organizational systems that support strategic growth, ensuring transparency, quality stewardship, and scalable infrastructure for future expansion.
- Responsible for all aspects of the organization’s charitable status, including compliance with all applicable laws, annual audits, and organizational policies and procedures.
- Assure all legal and regulatory documents are filed in a timely manner in compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and fiduciary requirements.
- Establish and monitor all internal controls, regularly monitoring the budget and ensuring sound financial controls are in place.
- Set financial priorities to ensure the organization is supporting the needs of its programs and staff.
- Manage financial planning, audits, and reporting in partnership with the Board and fund manager.
- Build, sustain, and strengthen board functions including meetings, fundraising activities, policy compliance, and committee work. Develop and execute a recruitment plan that grows the existing board with a focus on building an engaged board that strengthens fundraising, advocacy, and community representation.
Outreach & Communications
- Serve as the primary visionary voice and ambassador for LACPF.
- Lead communications and marketing efforts that raise awareness of LACPF’s mission and programs.
- Foster relationships with community partners, media, and stakeholders to elevate visibility and trust.
- Advance a clear message of equity, access, and impact that inspires donors and community investment.
Candidate Profile
The Executive Director is a strategic, entrepreneurial, and values-driven leader who sees parks as engines of community resilience, creativity, and health. This leader thrives in collaborative environments, navigates complex systems with vision and grace, and inspires stakeholders to invest in bold solutions for public spaces.
Leadership and Strategy
- Demonstrated ability to translate mission into strategy and operational plans; builds systems, partnerships, and culture that sustain growth.
- Track record of leading through change with clarity, inclusivity, and accountability.
- 10+ years of strategic leadership experience, with a record of developing and executing strategic or fundraising plans for an organization or program.
- Entrepreneurial and creative organizational builder with experience creating or significantly growing an organization, including the infrastructure and team to support expansion.
Fundraising & External Relations
- Proven success generating revenue across individual, corporate, foundation, and public sources, including major gifts and sponsorships.
- Ability to forge public–private partnerships and authentically represent the organization with donors, partners, and community.
Organizational & Financial Management
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to coach staff, manage and develop high-performance teams, and achieve strategic objectives.
- Experience building teams and managing operations, budgets, and contracts with efficiency and care.
- Strong grasp of nonprofit finance, including audits, financial reporting, and internal controls.
Board Partnership & Governance
- Experience partnering with a Board of Directors to strengthen governance and ensure accountability.
Equity & Community Engagement
- Believes in the public value of parks and open spaces as places where communities thrive — supporting cultural expression, recreation, and essential social connection.
- Deep commitment to equity and inclusion; experience engaging diverse communities and integrating equity into programs and partnerships.
Communication & Influence
- Persuasive storyteller and public speaker; skilled in writing, media and social media engagement, and advocacy that elevates the Foundation’s profile.
Personal Attributes
- Bold storyteller who inspires action and communicates with purpose.
- The ideal candidate will have personal knowledge of the unique dynamics within Los Angeles County as well as relationships with the community and community leaders.
- Empathetic, confident, self-motivated, and adaptable; a builder and connector who thrives in collaborative environments.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, or a related field preferred.
- At least five years of nonprofit or government executive leadership experience.
- Demonstrated success in fundraising, grant writing, and budget management.
- Experience working with LA County strongly preferred.
- Experience navigating public systems—particularly large/complex governmental entities such as Los Angeles County—including:
- Building productive relationships with public officials and departments.
- Understanding public funding mechanisms.
- Aligning nonprofit strategies with public priorities.
- Strong organizational, time management, and strategic planning skills.
- Excellent written, verbal, and social media communication skills.
- A blend of entrepreneurial drive and operational discipline, ready to grow an organization at the intersection of public service and philanthropy.
