Executive Director – Iowa Right to Life
Position Overview
The Executive Director is the public and visible leader of the organization, responsible for advancing the mission to protect and advocate for human life. This role provides operational leadership, and external representation while ensuring organizational sustainability, integrity and measurable impact.
The Executive Director plays an integral role in shaping the direction, credibility and effectiveness of the organization. This position requires principled leadership, strong execution and the ability to navigate complex cultural, legal and public policy environments.
Mission & Strategic Leadership
- Lead and protect the organization’s mission, values and long-term vision.
- Develop and implement strategic plans that advance advocacy, education and public engagement.
- Monitor legislative, cultural, and policy developments impacting life-related issues and respond strategically.
Fundraising, Financial Oversight and Capacity Building
- Lead fundraising efforts, including major gifts, events, grants and donor engagement based on best practices and fundraising techniques utilizing assessments of IRTL donor database and IRTL metrics.
- Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with donors, partners, legislators and stakeholders.
- Oversee budgeting and financial management to ensure transparency, compliance and sustainability.
Board Partnership & Governance
- Work collaboratively with the Board of Directors to set priorities and maintain accountability.
- Provide regular reporting on organizational performance, financial health, and strategic progress.
- Support board engagemnt in fundraising, advocacy and outreach.
Operations & Team Leadership
- Oversee and collaborate with the Office Operations Manager to ensure and coordinate events, scheduling, correspondence to donors and constituents, and internal and external communications by way of website and social media.
- Foster a professional, mission-driven culture focused on excellence and results.
- Ensure efficient systems, policies and procedures are in place.
Public Engagement & Communications
- Serve as the primary spokesperson to media, policymakers, and community partners.
- Oversee messaging, branding, and outreach to broaden public awareness and support.
- Represent the organization in public forums with clarity, credibiity and professionalism.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated commitment to the pro-life mission and advocacy for human dignity.
- Proven leadership experience in nonprofit management, advocacy, or a related field.
- Strong fundraising and donor relationship experience.
- Excellent communication and public speaking skills.
- Strategic, decisive leader able to operate in high-profile and sensitive environments.
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to lift and carry up to 25 – 50 pounds as needed for event setup, including loading and unloading carts and shelves.
- Ability to stand for extended periods and walk long distances as required for job duties.
Submit application and cover letter through email: [email protected] or mail to: Iowa Right to Life, 1450 East 33rd Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50317
I wish I was about 60 years younger. I would fill out your application in a minute. As a person who was born in a home for android mothers in Sioux City back in 1938, I think and praise God every day. My life has been a wonderful one with lots of adventures and many wonderful people. If you ever need an old man to be a spokesman or what you were attempting to do please feel free to call. 903, 746, 2355. Please keep up your hard work. There are too many children who never get the opportunity that I had. My birth mother came from a very difficult background and she had absolutely no way to take care of me. However, she carried me for the nine months, and I was born as a healthy child. She named me, Roger Blair. I was moved from the Florence Crittenden home for unread mothers in Sioux City to the Christian home in Council Bluffs. A wonderful farm couple Helmer and Alpha Lightfoot adopted me. And his story goes, the rest is history. That history included being a customer engineer for IBM, a police officer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then 19 years as a broadcaster on KMA Radio in Shenandoah. In 1984 I jumped off into something I knew nothing about, however, enough people had faith in me that I spent 12 years as a US congressman. I retired at the end of 12 years because I I am a strong reliever in term limits. For the next 14 years, I served as vice president for a company named Forensic Technology Inc. We built a system that has become the world standard to do ballistic forensics. Assistant is now in 88 countries around the world and is the only system used by ATF and INTERPOL. My wife of 50 years and I retired to her own state of Texas. Again, if I can write an editorial or do anything else to help you just give me a call. Please continue to help children be born instead of destroyed and thrown in a garbage can before they ever get the opportunity to take their first breath. God bless you and all that you do.