Executive Director

Position Summary

Huy (pronounced "hoyt") is a Washington State-based 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) non-profit corporation established in 2012 to provide religious, cultural, and rehabilitative support for Indigenous prisoners in the Pacific Northwest. The organization, whose name means "see you again/we never say goodbye" in the Coast Salish Lushootseed language, was founded to address violations of Indigenous religious rights within state prisons and to foster healing through traditional spiritual practices.

Largely volunteer-driven under the leadership of highly respected Indigenous rights attorney and advocate Gabe Galanda, Huy announces the search for its inaugural Executive Director to build sustainable organizational structures, secure critical resources, and guide the organization into its next phase of growth and impact. The Executive Director will cultivate strong relationships with Tribes, Native leaders, and aligned organizations across Washington state and beyond to advance Huy’s advocacy and resource development efforts. Compelling candidates will be passionate advocates for Indigenous rights and religious freedom with a pragmatic approach to building systems and infrastructure from the ground up and the leadership experience to support a growing nonprofit. Demonstrated experience in fundraising, strategic relationship building, and advocacy, as well as familiarity with the corrections system, are highly desirable. Given the nature of a single-person office, the role also calls for someone who can effectively manage day-to-day operations while advancing a bold vision for Huy’s future.

This role is structured as an 80%-time, 1099 contract position, with the opportunity to grow as the organization evolves. Compensation is budgeted at $90,000–$100,000. Please see the full position announcement for additional details. Carolyn Ho Consulting is pleased to support Huy in this search.

Qualifications and Competencies

Compelling candidates will bring a combination of leadership experience, relationship-building expertise, and operational skill, along with a deep commitment to Indigenous rights, religious freedom, and restorative justice. There are no perfect candidates, but highly desirable candidates will possess many of the following values, professional and lived experiences, and core competencies.

Leadership & Strategic Vision

• Capacity to translate vision into actionable plans, systems, and structures that support long-term organizational sustainability and impact. Demonstrated ability to develop and execute organizational strategy, particularly in early-stage or growth-phase nonprofit environments.
• Ability to design and advance integrated advocacy, legal, and narrative change strategies aligned with mission-driven goals.

Fundraising & Resource Development

• Experience in nonprofit fundraising, including grant writing oversight, donor cultivation, and stewardship of diverse funding streams.
• Ability to build and sustain relationships with Tribal governments, foundations, and individual donors.
• Familiarity with grant compliance, reporting requirements, and managing multi-source funding portfolios.
• Strong communication skills for conveying organizational impact across funders, partners, and public audiences. Familiarity with diverse communications strategies, including digital platforms and social media engagement.

Relationship Development & Community Engagement

• Experience building and sustaining trusted relationships with Indigenous communities, Tribal governments, and culturally grounded organizations.
• Proven ability to engage respectfully and effectively with individuals impacted by the carceral system, including incarcerated populations and their families.
• Strong partnership-building skills across nonprofit, government, academic, and philanthropic sectors.
• Ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments, including corrections systems and third-party service providers.

Advocacy & Policy Engagement

• Commitment to advancing Indigenous rights, including religious freedom and criminal legal system reform. Understanding of legal advocacy, policy reform, or public interest work.
• Familiarity with legislative processes, public sector systems, or human and civil rights is desirable.
• Ability to support and amplify advocacy efforts in collaboration with legal partners, coalitions, and allied organizations.
  

Organizational Management & Operations

• Experience managing small nonprofit operations, including budgeting, financial oversight, management of contractors, and administrative systems. Capacity to build infrastructure and systems in lean, single-staff or small-team environments.
• Familiarity with nonprofit compliance requirements, including state registrations and federal tax filings for 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to balance multiple priorities and timelines effectively.

Personal Qualities & Working Style

• Highly self-directed and comfortable working in partnership with a founder and in an evolving organizational environment.
• Collaborative, grounded, and relationship-oriented leadership style.
• Strong integrity, discretion, and respect for cultural sovereignty. Ability to operate effectively in complex, sensitive, and politically charged environments.
• Deep alignment with Huy’s mission and commitment to Indigenous religious rights and healing-centered justice.

Core Responsibilities & Goals

Huy has secured initial funding to recruit, hire, and support the organization’s first Executive Director over the next two years. This seed investment creates a significant opportunity to scale Huy’s work, build organizational capacity, and evolve into a fully developed human rights nonprofit while strengthening its local and national trajectory for social impact on behalf of incarcerated Indigenous people. The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in building the structures, systems, and resources needed for expanded impact. In the first two years, the Executive Director will provide leadership in the following areas:

Relationship Development, Community Building, and Programming

Develop and sustain a strong network of relationships with Indigenous leaders, corrections systems, impacted individuals and communities, and aligned organizations that advance Indigenous religious rights and support healing and redemption grounded in cultural practice and community.

1. Develop and strengthen relationships with supporting Tribes, while cultivating new partnerships with additional Tribes and nonprofit organizations. Nurture existing relationships with key partners such as NARS, ACLU-WA, Evergreen State College, and Look2Justice, and map strategic relationships for future development.
2. Meet with each of the 21 Indigenous Hoops and engage with leadership across all 12 Washington State Department of Corrections facilities to develop a comprehensive understanding of the Hoops. Attend select annual powwows during the summer season. Liaise with the third-party DOC contractor that coordinates the Hoops.
3. Facilitate the annual sub-granting process for the 21 Indigenous Hoops (January to March) and advocate for the ongoing development and health of the Hoops.
4. Plan and help facilitate the Annual Welcome Home Celebration in November and assist with the promotion and screenings of the documentary, “Resilience Inside.”
5. Launch and extend Huy’s “Touching Greatness” initiative in partnership with Indigenous artists, athletes, and cultural leaders.

Vision and Advocacy
Work closely with Chair Gabe Galanda and the Advisory Board to assess organizational needs and opportunities, and to implement a clear plan for scaled impact in year two. This includes developing integrated advocacy, legal, and narrative change strategies that advance Huy’s mission.

1. Develop a strategic vision and roadmap for evolving Huy into a fully developed human rights organization.
2. Design strategies to effectively leverage Huy’s 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) structures to maximize advocacy, programming, and resource development impact.
3. Assess opportunities for expanded geographic reach beyond Washington state, including potential partnerships and replication models in other jurisdictions

Fundraising and Resource Development
Collaborate with and oversee a contract grant writer to expand Huy’s fundraising capacity and align resource development efforts with the organization’s growth plan.

1. In year one, renew all Tribal charitable grants and complete grant reporting for all Tribal and philanthropic supporters to sustain, and where possible, modestly grow existing funding streams. Meet with each Tribal government grantor in year one and engage all 29 Tribal governments by the end of year two.
2. Build and deepen relationships with current and prospective funders, including Tribal charitable entities, individuals, and private foundations. Participate in key funder convenings such as annual Tribal charitable gatherings, Inatai grantee convenings, United Way events, and other relevant philanthropic and community gatherings.
3. Strengthen external communications to key audiences by regularly updating Huy’s website and Facebook page with news, updates, and blog content, while expanding the organization’s presence across LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

Organizational Management

Assess Huy’s current organizational infrastructure and implement initiatives that strengthen capacity as the organization grows. Ensure adherence to best practices in nonprofit management and compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.

1. Manage an annual operating budget of approximately $25,000 to support Executive Director travel and administrative expenses, separate from pass-through funding for the Hoops and other programming. Develop annual budgets and provide regular financial updates to the Board.
2. Maintain and enhance Huy’s website and social media channels and implement strategies to expand the organization’s digital presence and audience engagement.
3. Oversee and coordinate the work of contractors and external vendors to ensure alignment with organizational goals and effective execution of services.
4. Maintain all required state nonprofit corporate registrations and ensure timely completion of applicable federal and state tax filings related to Huy’s 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities.
5. Plan and facilitate annual Board meetings, strategic planning sessions, and ongoing Board communications and updates throughout the year.Core Responsibilities & Goals

Huy has secured initial funding to recruit, hire, and support the organization’s first Executive Director over the next two years. This seed investment creates a significant opportunity to scale Huy’s work, build organizational capacity, and evolve into a fully developed human rights nonprofit while strengthening its local and national trajectory for social impact on behalf of incarcerated Indigenous people. The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in building the structures, systems, and resources needed for expanded impact. In the first two years, the Executive Director will provide leadership in the following areas:

Relationship Development, Community Building, and Programming

Develop and sustain a strong network of relationships with Indigenous leaders, corrections systems, impacted individuals and communities, and aligned organizations that advance Indigenous religious rights and support healing and redemption grounded in cultural practice and community.

1. Develop and strengthen relationships with supporting Tribes, while cultivating new partnerships with additional Tribes and nonprofit organizations. Nurture existing relationships with key partners such as NARS, ACLU-WA, Evergreen State College, and Look2Justice, and map strategic relationships for future development.
2. Meet with each of the 21 Indigenous Hoops and engage with leadership across all 12 Washington State Department of Corrections facilities to develop a comprehensive understanding of the Hoops. Attend select annual powwows during the summer season. Liaise with the third-party DOC contractor that coordinates the Hoops.
3. Facilitate the annual sub-granting process for the 21 Indigenous Hoops (January to March) and advocate for the ongoing development and health of the Hoops.
4. Plan and help facilitate the Annual Welcome Home Celebration in November and assist with the promotion and screenings of the documentary, “Resilience Inside.”
5. Launch and extend Huy’s “Touching Greatness” initiative in partnership with Indigenous artists, athletes, and cultural leaders.

Vision and Advocacy
Work closely with Chair Gabe Galanda and the Advisory Board to assess organizational needs and opportunities, and to implement a clear plan for scaled impact in year two. This includes developing integrated advocacy, legal, and narrative change strategies that advance Huy’s mission.

1. Develop a strategic vision and roadmap for evolving Huy into a fully developed human rights organization.
2. Design strategies to effectively leverage Huy’s 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) structures to maximize advocacy, programming, and resource development impact.
3. Assess opportunities for expanded geographic reach beyond Washington state, including potential partnerships and replication models in other jurisdictions

Fundraising and Resource Development
Collaborate with and oversee a contract grant writer to expand Huy’s fundraising capacity and align resource development efforts with the organization’s growth plan.

1. In year one, renew all Tribal charitable grants and complete grant reporting for all Tribal and philanthropic supporters to sustain, and where possible, modestly grow existing funding streams. Meet with each Tribal government grantor in year one and engage all 29 Tribal governments by the end of year two.
2. Build and deepen relationships with current and prospective funders, including Tribal charitable entities, individuals, and private foundations. Participate in key funder convenings such as annual Tribal charitable gatherings, Inatai grantee convenings, United Way events, and other relevant philanthropic and community gatherings.
3. Strengthen external communications to key audiences by regularly updating Huy’s website and Facebook page with news, updates, and blog content, while expanding the organization’s presence across LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

Organizational Management

Assess Huy’s current organizational infrastructure and implement initiatives that strengthen capacity as the organization grows. Ensure adherence to best practices in nonprofit management and compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.

1. Manage an annual operating budget of approximately $25,000 to support Executive Director travel and administrative expenses, separate from pass-through funding for the Hoops and other programming. Develop annual budgets and provide regular financial updates to the Board.
2. Maintain and enhance Huy’s website and social media channels and implement strategies to expand the organization’s digital presence and audience engagement.
3. Oversee and coordinate the work of contractors and external vendors to ensure alignment with organizational goals and effective execution of services.
4. Maintain all required state nonprofit corporate registrations and ensure timely completion of applicable federal and state tax filings related to Huy’s 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities.
5. Plan and facilitate annual Board meetings, strategic planning sessions, and ongoing Board communications and updates throughout the year.

Compensation and Employment Structure

Compensation is set at $90,000 to $100,000 for 80% time and will be structured as a 1099. The Executive Director will have the opportunity to grow the role with successful fundraising and organizational development. This position is remote within Washington state. The Executive Director will be expected to travel throughout the state to meet with key partners and to have regular in-person time with the Chairman in Seattle.