Executive Director

Overview

San Juan Community Home Trust is a nonprofit community land trust based in Friday Harbor, Washington, dedicated to creating and preserving permanently affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents of San Juan Island. The organization acquires land, develops and builds homes, and then sells or rents them below market value while retaining land ownership to ensure lasting affordability, allowing residents to build stability and home buyers to build equity within a supportive, community-focused model.

Its work supports community stability and diversity by enabling essential workers, families, and individuals to live and remain on the island through innovative home ownership and stewardship practices. Since its founding in 2001, the Home Trust has developed several permanently affordable neighborhoods and continues expanding with new projects, including up to 40 affordable rental homes, designed to meet the island’s ongoing housing needs.

The Home Trust is the only permanent affordable housing organization on San Juan Island with four Real Estate projects currently under development totaling approximately $43 million in total project costs. The organization has a yearly operating budget of approximately $1M. The organization has a three-person professional staff and a contract project manager and is supported by contributions, grants and project developmentfees.

To learn more about the organization, visit https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

The San Juan Community Home Trust is seeking a mission-driven, community-oriented Executive Director to lead the organization. This is a great opportunity to serve as the public face of a trusted local organization working to preserve and expand permanently affordable housing on San Juan Island.

The ED will provide strategic, operational, and external leadership for the Home Trust, working closely with the Board of Directors, staff, donors, and public partners. The ED represents the Home Trust publicly, stewards relationships with partners and supporters, ensures strong internal operations, and advances the organization’s mission of permanently affordable housing.

The ED leads a small, growing, dedicated team and engages deeply with community members, homeowners, government partners, donors, and volunteers. This role is both hands-on and strategic, balancing development oversight, fundraising, team leadership, and community engagement in a small, high-impact organization.

The new leader will initially spend time listening and learning, understanding the organization’s internal dynamics and community needs, and building relationships and trust with the staff,boardand partners, as they betterunderstand the organization’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities.

Building upon these foundational relationships, the new ED will need to address the following key priorities in their first 12 months:

• Build and deepen relationships with town and county staff and elected officials, public agencies, major donors, homeowners, and community partners, serving as a trusted bridge-builder in a complex political environment.
• Strengthen and diversify fundraising and resource development
  , including donor cultivation, grant strategy, and a long-term case for support.
• Advance current real estate development initiatives
  , ensuring momentum continues and key milestones are achieved.
• Partner with the Board on strategic planning
  , clarifying long-term goals, priorities, and the organization’s business model for growth and sustainability.
• Strengthen operational structure and internal systems to support a small team, strengthen decision-making, and build sustainable organizational practices.

Education and Experience

• A minimum of 3-5 years of senior level experience and success, preferably in a nonprofit or similarly complex, community-serving organization
• Proven affordable housing and community land trust experience: Strong understanding of affordable housing development and/or land trust models, with a demonstrated ability to navigate complex projects and community needs.
• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent…