Executive Director

To apply , please send a resume (cover letter optional) and answer application questions using this form
. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until Friday, March 13, 2026, with first reviews on the week of February 23, 2026. Finalist interview tentatively scheduled for April 29. Anticipated start date is June 1, 2026.

Since 2016, Growing Healthy Kids (GHK) has provided hands‑on, on‑site outdoor learning and nutrition programming to students in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD). Our mission is to integrate everyday outdoor education into grade‑school academics to promote engagement in learning, inspire environmental stewardship, and cultivate lifelong physical and mental wellness.

Today we serve over 12,000 students at 22 schools (9 Title I) in Bay Point, Clayton, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez and Walnut Creek. Beyond these core programs, GHK runs two innovative pilots:
1) a one‑acre teaching farm at Rio Vista that hosts field trips featuring ecological design and regenerative agricultural practices; and
2) a youth pathway that trains Ygnacio Valley high school students to teach garden education as part of MDUSD’s growing workforce development initiatives.

GHK seeks its third Executive Director to lead a dynamic, mission‑driven organization at an exciting juncture. Our garden education and nutrition programs were developed over 10 years of partnership with MDUSD, parents, teachers, and early innovators in CA’s farm‑to‑school movement. GHK’s innovative on‑site district wide delivery provides broader access to high‑quality instruction and intentionally integrates our curriculum into the academic school day.

In 2024, GHK established a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to ensure continuity of programs as part of a rapid growth phase. In 2025, an interim Executive Director stepped in to build infrastructure and restructure staff to support professionalized services while maintaining GHK’s strong community‑based culture. The next Executive Director will oversee a capable Leadership Team (Head of Programs, Operations Manager) and partner closely with a governing Board committed to building capacity and a more diversified, sustainable revenue model.

GHK is a community‑based nonprofit that is shifting beyond simply “running the program” to building relationships, systems, and structures to sustain what we have built in partnership with MDUSD.

We are focused on building a robust fundraising engine to meet this moment of reduced K‑12 and government funding, rising costs, and competing priorities in schools. Our vision is for future generations of MDUSD youth to experience garden education and nutrition as an integrated part of their school day.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will serve as the organization’s chief ambassador—cultivating relationships with funders, district leaders, and community partners to strengthen the ecosystem and resource development for this community gem. The ideal candidate brings experience in nonprofit leadership, a strong track record for fundraising (beyond grants), and the ability to collaborate across sectors. This is an opportunity for a facilitative, values‑driven leader who enjoys storytelling, relationship‑building, and executing in a fast‑paced, grow‑oriented environment.

• Organizational Leadership (20%)
  • Build and sustain a positive, collaborative workplace culture that attracts and retains diverse staff and board members
  • Coach and mentor Leadership Team and establish a clear cadence for collaboration and strategic prioritization
  • Partner with the Board on governance, financial oversight, recruitment, fundraising and strategy
  • Identify and mitigate organizational and programmatic risks, strengthening long‑term resilience and sustainability
• Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships (60%)
  • Lead GHK’s evolving fundraising strategy, with emphasis on major donors, parent‑teacher organization co‑fundraising contributions, and local business and corporate sponsors
  • Guide cohesive messaging, marketing, communications, and events to align with fundraising audiences (website, newsletters, flyers; social…