WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION.
The mission of Serving Orphans Worldwide (SOW) is to rescue, train and sustain struggling children’s homes. Although family is the ideal solution to the orphan crisis, SOW understands that it’s not an immediate option for most children globally. That’s why they believe their role in the ever-evolving landscape of orphan care is to help orphanages and children’s homes raise their standards of care.
Here’s what they do:
Support Orphanages and Children’s Homes:
SOW identifies struggling children’s homes worldwide and provides initial resources to keep their doors open.
They offer training opportunities and ongoing funding to improve the quality of care.
Their goal is to move beyond mere survival and help partner homes become self-sustainable.
100% Direct Donations Promise:
100% of the donations made to SOW go directly to orphan care.
Administrative costs are covered by SOW Ambassadors, ensuring that all funds raised benefit the children.
Global Impact:
SOW works with Christian children’s homes and orphan care projects in 32 countries and continues to grow.
They provide monthly support, invest in sustainability ventures, and grant scholarships to children aging out of care.
The President serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors. The President is the strategist, primary decision-maker, day-to-day operational leader to staff and volunteers, quality control for all communication messages, as well as the liaison with the Board of Directors and major donors. This leadership role is the primary public face and voice for SOW to champion a culture that advances its mission around the world. As expected, the President exercises supervision of all the affairs of the organization and reports to the Board of Directors.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
The work of Serving Orphans Worldwide began just after the financial crisis of 2008 as a response to many orphanages struggling with operational funding. The initiative originated with the Lazarus Foundation, a benevolence vehicle founded by the Gregory family who already had a decade of experience with orphan care. That initial vision soon formalized into a 501(c)3 and the ministry model that SOW operates today.
Through SOW’s mission, they evaluate struggling homes that have been identified through a global network of relationships and come alongside them as a partner with monthly operational funding, coaching opportunities to raise their standards of care, and covenantal accountability to strengthen credibility and sustainability.
While the organization is very solid and steady, SOW has plateaued in organizational development and in its improvement cycle. Their fundraising is healthy and growing, and their international network is increasing. The organization has key staff members who are energized and fueled by the mission and vision potential, and leadership desires to move them to the next level for deeper impact.
SOW is an independent, nonprofit organization supported through the generosity of contributors.
You can learn more here: An Introduction to Serving Orphans Worldwide
OPERATIONS & HOME BASE
Serving Orphans Worldwide is a remote opportunity with offices in Bristol, Tennessee and Tyler, Texas. There are currently seven (7) full-time employees—4 of whom are in Tyler and 2 in Bristol——and 8 part-time. SOW currently serves 81 children’s homes in 32 countries while serving more than 8,000 children.
The annual budget is currently $4.5 million. Their healthy budget continues to grow due to the implementation of a child sponsorship model, greater pastor networking and church presentations, and deepening major donor relationships.
SOW’S VALUES & COVENANT AGREEMENT
All children are loved by God. Throughout Scripture, we see God’s heart for the fatherless. James 1:27 makes very clear the mandate to care for orphaned children to His glory. SOW cares for orphaned children by empowering their caregivers to do their best work, with:
COMPASSION | GRACE | INTEGRITY | EXCELLENCE
In accordance with these values, we commit to:
Pray for the children, their caregivers, and SOW supporters regularly
Strive to increase global awareness of the plight of orphaned children around the world
Visit and assess Covenant Homes annually
Encourage Covenant Homes to achieve the best care possible
Prioritize family as God’s created method of care
Help Covenant Homes explore innovative ways to become self-sustainable
Foster God-honoring relationships between Covenant Homes and the SOW Family of Supporters
Give 100% of all donations designated for orphan care to Covenant Homes, covering all administrative costs incurred by separate funding from our Board of Directors and affiliates
Provide resources from the SOW Family of Supporters and partner organizations to ensure that the physical, spiritual, emotional, and educational needs of each child served are met
In turn, our Covenant Homes commit to:
Utilize 100% of SOW funding for the cost of caring for orphaned children
Embrace visits by SOW Representatives, announced and unannounced
Protect the rights of the child and look to his or her best interest when making care decisions
Maintain a bank account in the organization’s name approved by the organization’s governing body
Provide Monthly and Annual Reports in a timely fashion and comply with a policy of full transparency, allowing SOW access to all information asked of the Home
OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES
With the anticipated transition of its current President, the Board of Serving Orphans Worldwide seeks a committed and visionary leader with experience leading a multinational, multicultural team to advance the organization’s mission. For this opportunity, they have identified the following key priorities:
Hire great team players and lead them well (i.e., board/staff/volunteers partners/donors).
Uphold biblical principles and lead through strategic visioneering and intentional leadership.
Develop and implement the strategic direction of SOW and ensure a healthy organization.
Ensure proper financial stewardship and accurate records are maintained and filed according to IRS requirements and ECFA guidelines.
Oversee day-to-day global operations, partnerships, resources, staff, and partner development.
Oversee the resource development and overall marketing/communication efforts of the organization.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
TITLE: President
POSITION: Regular Full-Time, Exempt
REPORTS TO: Board of Directors and the Chairman
LOCATION: Remote (maintains offices in Bristol, TN and Tyler, TX)
OVERVIEW
Serving Orphans Worldwide is a Christian global ministry focused on orphan care. We come alongside partner children’s homes around the world and provide monthly financial support, training, scholarships, and special funding for crisis needs and facility improvements.
The President is the Chief Executive Officer of SOW and is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievement of its mission and vision by achieving results through people. The President will provide leadership to the staff and represent the organization’s mission and interests globally in a way that reflects the biblical values of the organization while establishing and delivering on the organization’s strategic plan to achieve regular ongoing goals for each respective responsibility.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Vision & Leadership
Start by hiring great team players.
Uphold biblical principles and lead through strategic visioneering and intentional leadership of a healthy Board, Staff, Volunteers, Partners, and Donors by becoming a consistent role model as leader, learner, and practitioner.
Provide inspirational leadership and direction to all ministry leaders/staff by empowering and developing them to ensure achievement of annual and long-term goals.
Foster a culture of collaboration, trust, and open communication to ensure continued development and management of a professional and productive team. This occurs through efficient decision-making processes with direct dependence on God’s guidance and direction.
Develop and guide strategic planning with the Board while working in close partnership with the senior team, as approved by the Board while ensuring that financial targets and organizational culture targets are met.
Strengthen and cultivate global relationships with partner homes through reinforcing values and energizing the base with vision.
Develop a senior staff team that can grow with the organization and help lead in areas of Development, Finance, Global Field Work, and Marketing/IT.
Invest time and resources into the SOW staff to develop a more effective team. Conduct annual evaluations and provide opportunities for open communication and feedback.
In strong cooperation with the Board, maintain a highly engaged Board who is willing to leverage their networks and connections for the benefit of the goals of SOW.
Represent and expand the public image of Serving Orphans Worldwide, speaking at events, churches, and networking with peers. The President will be knowledgable about the work of SOW and be seen as a "champion" for orphan care across numerous public settings.
Financial Planning & Administration
Oversee the financial health of the organization and ensure proper financial controls are in place with incoming and outgoing financial resources being allocated in accordance with good stewardship as adopted by the board of directors within the strategic plan.
Ensure that proper records are maintained and filed according to IRS 501c3 requirements and ECFA guidelines while cooperating with auditors and outside agencies to ensure full accountability.
Approve overall fundraising strategy and plans, and personally support fundraising efforts by being available for major donor visits, key donor events, and written communication.
Oversee organizational HR policies and review with SOW leadership and staff to ensure guidelines are current, understood, and observed.
Work with SOW advisors and the Board Chair to ensure insurance and legal liabilities are adequately covered as the ministry expands locally and globally.
Global Operations
Collaborate with field coordinators for the day-to-day operations to strengthen existing relationships with SOW partner home directors and help equip leaders within the homes to improve their effectiveness and capacity.
Evaluate reports and site visits to make recommendations to SOW leadership for allocations consideration. Develop a robust annual allocations and review process to better serve our partner homes as well as our SOW donors.
Lead regular staff meetings with our US team, global field staff, and lead periodic in-person or virtual gatherings with directors and partners in the field to strengthen our SOW community and culture.
Uphold our commitments to both our partner homes and SOW supporters. This includes making sure each partner home is visited in person at least once a year, that monthly reports are received regularly, and that lapses in communication or other breaches of our agreement are addressed responsibly and expeditiously.
Cultivate new international relationships with potential orphanage partners, organizations and other ministries to maximize our collective impact.
Develop standard operational procedures for SOW programs including field work. Provide training and leadership to the global team so that as SOW expands, we can stay on mission and all work towards the same common goals.
Monitor the evolution of global orphan care and strategically adapt to emerging trends and challenges with innovative solutions.
Development/Communications
Oversee the resource development and overall marketing/communication efforts of the organization.
Effectively manage top 50 existing major donor relationships.
Spend time working with the board and current development staff to successfully cultivate new relationships that can lead to more financial resources for the ministry.
Provide leadership to the staff regarding the SOW child sponsorship program. Work with current US development team as well as the global field team to ensure orphanage rosters are updated and approve communications that go out.
Evaluate, revise, and approve major marketing collateral and digital communications to ensure that our online presence and forward-facing messaging matches the voice/brand of SOW.
Lead major donor visits to key orphanage projects, when necessary.
Research and explore new technology platforms that can help us become more efficient in our work.
Work with SOW board leadership and staff to set achievable goals each year in fundraising and engagement.
Support the overall development team efforts by occasionally speaking at churches and interfacing directly with pastors, ministry partners, and share in other public settings.
WORK ABILITIES AND TIME REQUIREMENTS
Ability to travel domestically and international, at least 50 days per year. Must possess an up-to-date passport.
Excellent written and verbal communication.
Understanding of common technology platforms such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Applications, and experience in a professional office environment.
Successful experience in development or sales.
Strong biblical Christian faith with the ability to lead a team within biblical principles.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
At least ten (10) years of professional experience in nonprofit management or leadership demonstrating increasing growth of responsibilities and results with successful board management experience.
Must be an active participant of a local church that aligns with the faith principles found in SOW’s covenant agreement that all partner homessign.
Demonstrated knowledge of orphan care, including basic understanding of the challenges facing many of the children they serve (trauma, attachment disorders, etc.).
Experience interacting with Board and senior level executives in past roles.
Experience communicating cross-culturally.
Ability to work collaboratively with other senior leaders and manage a team effectively.
Bachelor’s degree or higher in business management, finance, or related field with relevant certificates and training preferred (or commensurate ministry or business leadership experience).
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
A deep understanding of intercultural work, and ideally has lived overseas or served in global ministry for several years.
Nonprofit and Christian ministry experience are a plus.
Bilingual candidate preferred, and experience utilizing translation apps and communicating cross-culturally is required.
SOW EMPLOYEE CULTURE EXPECTATIONS
Character: Constructive attitude, genuine humility, spiritual vitality, and teachable character.
Competence: Skills match, resilient flexibility, results-driven, and God-honoring excellence.
Chemistry: Relationally intelligent, works collaboratively, and shared commitment to the cause.
SOW team members are passionate about Jesus while serving orphans worldwide. They have a consuming passion to rescue, train, and sustain struggling children’s homes. To achieve this, they serve one another and the children as a team, globally and within the U.S.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Salary: $125–145,000, depending on experience (paid bi-weekly)
Medical Benefit: SOW covers an individual medical policy
Holidays: Eleven (11) paid holidays
Vacation: Based on prior experience
To learn more about the work of Serving Orphans Worldwide, please visit their website at www.SOWorldwide.org. To view their most recent Annual Reports, click here.
WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION.