Seeking Executive Director Applicants

The Language Conservancy

About The Language Conservancy

The Language Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Indigenous communities in the US and Canada to strengthen, revitalize, and sustain their languages for future generations. TLC develops language-learning resources, supports community-led language work, provides training and technical assistance, and partners with Indigenous communities, educators, speakers, and cultural leaders to make language resources more accessible.

The organization is entering an important chapter of growth, accountability, and Indigenous-led leadership. The next Executive Director will help guide TLC with cultural humility, operational discipline, and a deep commitment to Indigenous language sovereignty.

Position Summary

The Executive Director will serve as the senior leader of The Language Conservancy, responsible for organizational strategy, fundraising, operations, staff leadership, community relationships, and accountability to the Board of Directors.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced nonprofit leader with strong grant writing and grant management skills, a demonstrated ability to build relationships with foundations and donors, and the operational background needed to lead a growing, mission-driven organization. TLC especially encourages Indigenous candidates and candidates with deep lived, professional, and community-based experience working with Indigenous nations, language revitalization, cultural preservation, education, and Native-led nonprofit work.

This leader must be both externally credible and internally effective: someone who can sit with Tribal leaders, speakers, elders, educators, funders, staff, and board members with respect, clarity, and follow-through. The position is available at organizational headquarters in Bloomington, Indiana, but may also be fulfilled remotely by the right candidate.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

  • Lead TLC in alignment with its mission, values, board direction, and commitments to Indigenous partners.
  • Develop and execute a clear organizational strategy focused on community trust, high-quality language work, sustainable funding, and operational excellence.
  • Ensure that TLC’s programs and initiatives are guided by Indigenous priorities, informed consent, transparency, and respect for cultural protocols.
  • Work closely with the Board of Directors to set goals, measure progress, and maintain strong governance practices.

Fundraising, Grants, and Development

  • Lead grant strategy, grant writing, grant reporting, and funder stewardship.
  • Build and maintain relationships with foundations, philanthropic partners, individual donors, Tribal partners, public agencies, and aligned institutions.
  • Develop a diversified fundraising plan that includes foundation grants, major gifts, individual giving, government funding, corporate partnerships where appropriate, and community-based support.
  • Ensure grants are well-managed, compliant, and aligned with organizational capacity and community commitments.
  • Represent TLC with credibility and passion to funders and partners.

Operations and Organizational Management

  • Build clear systems for accountability, communication, project management, and decision-making.
  • Support a healthy organizational culture rooted in respect, transparency, collaboration, and high standards.
  • Ensure the organization has the infrastructure needed to deliver on commitments to communities and funders.

Community and Partner Relationships

  • Build trusted, respectful relationships with Indigenous communities, Tribal nations, language consortia, speakers, educators, elders, and cultural leaders.
  • Ensure TLC’s work is community-led and responsive to community needs.
  • Serve as a visible ambassador for the organization while ensuring community voices remain central.
  • Navigate complex relationships with humility, patience, and accountability.

Board Partnership and Governance

  • Partner with the Board of Directors to ensure strong governance, financial oversight, strategic planning, and risk management.
  • Provide clear, timely, and accurate updates on programs, finances, fundraising, staffing, and organizational priorities.
  • Help the Board identify opportunities, risks, and long-term sustainability strategies.

Ideal Qualifications

  • Indigenous identity, lived experience, and extensive professional experience working with Indigenous communities strongly preferred.
  • Demonstrated commitment to Indigenous language revitalization, cultural preservation, education, Tribal sovereignty, and community-led nonprofit work.
  • Significant nonprofit leadership experience, ideally as an Executive Director, Deputy Director, Director of Operations, senior program leader, or equivalent.
  • Strong track record in grant writing, foundation relations, donor cultivation, and fundraising strategy.
  • Experience managing budgets, staff, programs, reporting requirements, and organizational systems.
  • Ability to lead with both cultural humility and executive-level decisiveness.
  • Strong communication skills, including public speaking, writing, funder communication, and board reporting.
  • Experience working with Tribal nations, Native-led organizations, language programs, education programs, cultural organizations, or community-based initiatives preferred.
  • Ability to travel for community meetings, funder meetings, board meetings, and organizational events as needed.

Leadership Qualities

The successful candidate will be:

  • Mission-driven and deeply respectful of Indigenous language sovereignty.
  • A strong fundraiser who can tell TLC’s story with clarity, humility, and urgency.
  • Operationally capable, organized, and able to create systems that help people do their best work.
  • Relationship-centered and trusted by diverse stakeholders.
  • Transparent, accountable, and comfortable leading through transition.
  • Collaborative, but willing to make challenging decisions when needed.
  • Culturally grounded, emotionally intelligent, and committed to long-term community trust.

Priority Outcomes for the First 12 Months

  • Build strong working relationships with the Board, staff, language partners, funders, and key community stakeholders.
  • Assess TLC’s fundraising pipeline, grant obligations, staffing, operations, and program commitments.
  • Develop a fundraising and development plan.
  • Strengthen internal systems for grants, reporting, budgeting, communications, and project management.
  • Establish a clear organizational strategy for the next phase of TLC’s work.
  • Reinforce TLC’s commitment to transparency, informed consent, Indigenous leadership, and accountability.

Compensation

Compensation will be competitive with similarly sized nonprofit executive roles and commensurate with experience. Benefits will include 401(K) retirement and a healthcare stipend.

Equal Opportunity and Indigenous Leadership Commitment

The Language Conservancy is committed to building a leadership culture that reflects and respects the Indigenous communities it serves. Indigenous candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. TLC welcomes candidates with diverse experiences, backgrounds, languages, and community relationships who share a commitment to Indigenous language revitalization, cultural respect, and organizational accountability.

To Apply

Please send a cover letter that describes your qualifications and why you want to lead TLC and a CV by July 30, 2026 to Ian Titus hr@languageconservancy.org.