A testimony by Rebecca Lurie
This past summer I took advantage of free training offered to members of BSEC in Nonviolent Communication. It was a weekend retreat we hosted for the NY Center for Nonviolent Communication (NYCNVC) and we are doing it again! In exchange for the use of space, we get a few free seats. (October 28-30)
https://www.nycnvc.org/discovery-weekends
I cannot say enough about how important these skills are! Many of us in the ethical movement, the left, and peace movements have studied and practiced NVC. Last year we hosted Leonie Smith who taught us aspects of this practice as well. At BSEC we practice the style of NVC when we sit in colloquy, when we teach our children how to speak to one another kindly, and often, (when we are lucky!) when we sit in meetings. But the training here deepens the practice to awaken skills we know we genuinely need to Be the Change we seek in the world.
Please consider being one of the participants later this month when we host it again. If you do, please reach out to me so we can take pleasure and practice the skills together! And if/when enough of us improve our practice, then in any circles we find ourselves in together, we will spread the skills and the practice further.
“Empathic connection is an understanding of the heart in which we see the beauty in the other person, the divine energy in the other person, the life that’s alive in them. We connect with it. The goal isn’t intellectually understanding it, the goal is empathically connecting with it. It doesn’t mean we have to feel the same feelings as the other person. That’s sympathy when we feel sad that another person is upset. It doesn’t mean we have to have the same feelings; it means we are with the other person. This quality of understanding requires one of the most precious gifts one human being can give to another: our presence in the moment.”
– Marshall Rosenberg, Speak Peace in a World of Conf…
The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture (BSEC), a religious non-profit with an annual operating budget of approximately $450,000, seeks a Managing Director to work alongside its lay leadership and staff to nurture and grow our community. More detailed information about the Society – its organization, governance, activities and resources, can be found on our website, www.bsec.org.
BSEC has a long history in a building in Park Slope and is planning on a move to an as-yet-to- be-determined new location with a revitalized approach to our mission. We are at a pivotal moment where a new home and corresponding increased budget can expand our operations and deepen our impact.
Interested candidates should provide a cover letter, resume, writing sample, sample financial plan, professional references, and other helpful materials such as audio/visual of recent talks; to the BSEC Search Committee [email protected], please use Managing Director Application in the subject line.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Managing Director is responsible for the fiscal health of the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture and for ensuring sufficient resources to support growth and member engagement plans. They will coordinate programming activities within the building and proactively seek to balance the schedule with a combination of income-producing and mission-driven activities. They are tasked with recruiting, training, managing, terminating and delegating to employees and volunteers. They will provide coaching, professional and organizational development for staff, trustees and committee chairs to improve organizational structures and overall planning.
Responsibilities:
Phase 1
– Oversee business operations and financial performance
– Support the Treasurer to plan and track budget
– Ensure that funding is robust enough to meet objectives
– Balance building use to advance mission within budget constraints
– Maintain positive and trust-based relations with staff, members, and renters
– Assist the Trustees to articulate strategic plans aligned with financial projections
Phase 2
– Strengthen organizational design
– Support strategies for membership growth and engagement
Duties:
Phase 1
– Manage rentals: negotiate leases/contracts
– Manage Building Calendar Management (internal/external use)
– Work with Outreach Coordinator to manage CRM
– Read & respond promptly to email, voicemail and mail
– Responsible for recording income and expenses, tracking pledges, paying invoices, preparing
deposits and reconciling accounts.
– Produce financial documents, such as: budgets, P & L, and tax
– Payroll & benefits: Use Payroll Service to run payroll, track staff holiday, sick, personal
days
– Taxes: Use Payroll Service to file Quarterly Employer taxes
– Meetings: assist the Executive Committee to prepare documents
– Archives: assist the Board/Committees to archive minutes and memos
– Serve ex-officio on the Board and Financial Committees
– Administration: Develop, document and implement simplified administrative procedures
Phase 2
– Employee Handbook: advise and assist the Personnel Committee to revise and expand the
Personnel Manual into a clear and informative Administrative Procedures Guide
– Work with Board and Committee Chairs to build organizational change capacity
– Facilitate mid-range and long-term strategic planning
Salary, Work Hours and Benefits
– Full Time position (35+ hours per week)
– Salary Range $80-90,000 pa
– Hours are flexible but some evenings and Sunday attendance are required, childcare will be
provided, if necessary, on evenings and weekends
– Generous vacation and sick leave policy
– Comprehensive Health insurance
Managing Director Requirements:
– Minimum 3 years Non-profit executive experience
– Degree in business, non-profit management, change management or a related field
– Experience in developing and implementing strategic and business plans
– Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills
– Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
– Excellent organizational and leadership skills
– Good writing skills
– Proficient in QBO for Nonprofits, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, CRM
Preferred Qualifications:
– Understanding of Ethical Culture (or similar Humanist organizations)
– Community organizing or Organizational Change experience
– Conflict resolution training
– Fundraising experience
– Experience working with a Board of Directors
– Connections to the local community
Application Deadline: Open until position filled
Anticipated Start: September 2022
Brooklyn Society For Ethical Culture members and neighbors are writing postcards to get out the vote in competitive states around the country. Every weekday evening in July, from 5-7 a table is set up in front of the building at: