Executive Director-Catholic Charities

Executive Director – Catholic Charities or Social Ministries

Future Opportunities Across the Nation | Part of OnTrack: ACELA’s Leadership Readiness Network

✝️ A Calling Rooted in Gospel Service

Catholic Charities and social ministries are the hands and feet of the Church in the world—bringing hope, healing, and dignity to those most in need. The Executive Director is entrusted with the sacred responsibility of leading these works of mercy, integrating professional excellence with the spiritual mission of the Church.

Through OnTrack: ACELA’s Leadership Readiness Network, we are actively cultivating a national cohort of mission-driven leaders discerning a future call to serve Catholic Charities agencies and faith-based nonprofits. This posting is not for a current opening, but a proactive step toward forming a ready bench of transformational leaders committed to justice and compassion.

🛤️ Why Join OnTrack: ACELA’s Leadership Readiness Network?

OnTrack is ACELA’s national, Gospel-rooted talent initiative for Catholic leaders exploring future opportunities across education, diocesan leadership, and social ministry. Executive Directors who join OnTrack benefit from:

• One-on-one leadership discernment and strategy conversations
• Priority access to interim and permanent leadership roles, including confidential and unadvertised searches
• Professional and spiritual coaching and formation
• Invitations to sector-specific webinars, roundtables, and leadership summits
• A trusted network of mission-aligned peers and mentors across the Catholic landscape

Joining ACELA OnTrack means you’re included in the leadership conversations that often begin long before public searches are announced—and that you’re accompanied by a team who shares your heart for mission.

🧭 Executive Director Role Overview

The Executive Director of Catholic Charities serves as the chief executive of the agency, leading vision, strategy, personnel, programming, advancement, and operational oversight. This leader ensures the agency’s work remains faithful to Catholic social teaching, responsive to community needs, and financially and operationally sustainable.

As the public face of the agency and its pastoral leader, the Executive Director cultivates strong relationships with diocesan leadership, donors, civic leaders, staff, and the populations served.

🌟 Leadership Focus Areas

• Lead with vision, accountability, and mission integrity across all levels of the organization
• Represent the agency to the diocese, public, funders, and key stakeholders
• Guide strategic planning, community partnerships, and program development
• Ensure compliance with Church teaching, nonprofit regulations, and funder expectations
• Oversee financial health, risk management, human resources, and data reporting
• Build and support a strong leadership team and staff culture
• Lead and expand fundraising, grant acquisition, donor stewardship, and communications
• Advocate for the dignity of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized in public discourse

🧠 Ideal Candidate Profile

Executive Directors may come from a range of professional backgrounds—nonprofit leadership, Catholic ministry, healthcare, government, or business. The common thread is:

• A deep, personal commitment to Catholic social teaching
• A proven record of executive leadership, strategy, and team management
• The ability to inspire, communicate, and navigate complexity with faith and courage
• A desire to live one’s vocation in direct service to Christ’s mission of mercy and justice
• High emotional intelligence, professionalism, and spiritual maturity

🎓 Typical Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s in nonprofit management, social work, theology, public administration, or business preferred
• 7–15 years of leadership experience in Catholic, nonprofit, or human services contexts
• Practicing Catholic with demonstrated understanding of Catholic identity and social teaching
• Strong financial, strategic planning, and operational management skills
• Ability to build donor, partner, board, and community relationships
• Multilingual capacity and cultural fluency a plus in diverse communities



📩 Start the Conversation

If you feel called to lead with faith, justice, and compassion—whether now or in a future season—we invite you to consider OnTrack: ACELA’s Leadership Readiness Network.

Let’s explore how your leadership might serve the Church’s mission of mercy through Catholic Charities or faith-based service organizations.

The journey begins with a conversation.