Located in the city of Wilmington’s historic “Little Italy” district, West End Neighborhood House has been improving the lives of an ethnically, economically, and culturally diverse community since 1883. West End believes in healthy, stable, and vital communities. To achieve them, we provide programs, services, support, and advocacy when and where they are needed to ensure our families and communities thrive.
West End works to empower Delawareans to overcome unique challenges and discover a higher quality of life. Serving more than 10,000 individuals annually through employment training, housing stability, youth development, financial coaching, and foster care support, the organization operates across three entities: WENH, WE (advocacy), and Cornerstone West (affordable housing).
West End has loyal, talented, and dedicated 100 employees and an engaged and generous Board.
The Opportunity:
Paul Calistro, who has provided extraordinary leadership for over 30 years, will retire as Executive Director at the end of 2026. The new Executive Director will be charged to advance the organization’s mission, strategy, and long-term sustainability. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ED provides visionary, relationship-centered leadership across a two-entity structure (West End Neighborhood House and Cornerstone West CDC); oversees day-to-day operations; ensures financial health and revenue diversification; cultivates resources; supports the board; and serves as the primary ambassador to the community and stakeholders. This is a pivotal moment for West End. The incoming ED will honor a culture of deep community trust while bringing the structural discipline, fundraising production, and operational modernization the organization is ready to embrace.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Organizational Management
- Provide visionary leadership and strategic direction for the organization, working in close partnership with the Board of Directors to develop, implement, and evaluate West End’s strategic plan.
- Oversee day-to-day operations of all programs and administrative functions, ensuring high-quality, outcomes-driven service delivery across West End’s full portfolio.
- Recruit, develop, inspire, and retain a high-performing, diverse staff team; foster a culture grounded in West End’s values of respect, innovation, support, and safety.
Fundraising & Development
- Provide overall leadership for fundraising and ensure adequate resources to execute the organization’s budget; cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and key funding partners.
- Make direct solicitations of major gifts and serve as a highly visible champion for West End’s fundraising mission.
- Create and sustain a culture of fundraising among board and staff; support and partner with the board in fulfilling its fundraising responsibilities.
Community Engagement & Advocacy
- Serve as the primary ambassador and spokesperson for West End Neighborhood House; build and maintain strong relationships with community leaders, partners, donors, elected officials, and the media.
- Foster strategic partnerships and collaborative relationships across the sector; maintain a visible presence in the community, particularly within the West End neighborhood.
Program Excellence & Innovation
- Ensure programs and activities align with and advance the organization’s mission and strategic goals; work with the board and staff to set organizational strategy and measure outcomes.
- Integrate fairness principles into all aspects of organizational leadership; ensure staff, clients, and stakeholders feel their identities, traditions, and beliefs are respected and valued.
- Address systemic inequities and implicit bias through policy, practice, and ongoing learning; promote equitable compensation, inclusive communication, and responsive leadership.
Operations & Compliance
- Ensure excellence in recruitment, onboarding, retention, supervision, and professional development; foster a respectful, inclusive, and high-performing workplace culture.
- Oversee the selection and use of technology to support fundraising, collaboration, and data management; plan for and budget technology upgrades, including AI transformation initiatives.
Culture & People Leadership
- Ensure the financial health and sustainability of the organization; oversee budgeting, cash flow, financial reporting, audits, and compliance.
Ideal Candidate:
The Executive Director of West End Neighborhood House will be a deeply mission-aligned leader with a proven track record of executive leadership in the nonprofit sector.
Qualifications:
- Mission Alignment: Deep personal commitment to the organization’s mission and values with an understanding of the communities West End serves, including lived or professional experience with relevant populations or issues.
- Leadership and Management: Demonstrated experience leading and managing a complex organization with a proven ability to recruit, develop, retain, and inspire a high-performing staff team.
- Board Governance and Partnership: Experience working effectively with a volunteer board of directors with a clear understanding of the distinction between board governance and staff management. Ability to communicate proactively and build trust with board leadership.
- Fundraising and Development: Demonstrated success cultivating relationships with individual donors, foundations, or government funders. Comfort and confidence in making direct solicitations of major gifts.
- Visionary and Creative: Proven experience piloting and creating new programs and initiatives.
- Financial and Business Acumen: An ability to read, interpret, and manage organizational budgets and financial statements with experience in nonprofit financial oversight, including working with a board on fiduciary responsibilities, and a track record of maintaining or improving financial sustainability.
- Interpersonal, Communication, and Relationship Building Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; active listener and relationship builder who embraces the Delaware Way and builds coalitions across organizations, government agencies, and the community.
See Position Details linked above for a comprehensive overview of the key responsibilities of and qualifications for the role.
Location:Wilmington, DE (On-site)
DRiWaterstone is proud to lead this search on behalf of West End Neighborhood House.
