Application Guide

How to Apply for Chief Strategy Officer

at Family Promise

🏢 About Family Promise

Family Promise is the nation's leading nonprofit dedicated to preventing and ending family homelessness, with a unique model that mobilizes community stakeholders across prevention, shelter, housing stabilization, and affordable permanent housing. Working here means joining a mission-driven organization with a proven track record of impact and a collaborative, community-centered approach. The role offers the opportunity to shape the future of a national movement while working remotely with a passionate team.

About This Role

As Chief Strategy Officer, you will lead the development and execution of a multi-year strategic plan to expand Family Promise's reach and deepen its impact on family homelessness. This role is pivotal in driving data-informed decisions, forging key partnerships across sectors, and aligning the organization around clear priorities. You'll have the chance to shape national strategy while working remotely, directly influencing how communities prevent and end homelessness.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve a morning video call with the CEO to discuss strategic priorities, followed by a data review session with the impact team to track KPIs. Afternoon could include a partnership meeting with a potential corporate sponsor and time blocked for drafting the next phase of the strategic plan, with breaks to check in with remote team members across time zones.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Family Promise Is Looking For

  • A seasoned strategist with 10+ years of progressive leadership in strategy, social impact, or nonprofit management, ideally with experience in housing or human services.
  • A proven fundraiser or business developer who has successfully driven revenue growth through major gifts, grants, or corporate partnerships.
  • A systems thinker who excels at leading strategic planning in complex, multi-stakeholder environments and translating vision into actionable KPIs.
  • A collaborative leader with deep empathy for families experiencing homelessness and a commitment to equity and data-driven impact.

📝 Tips for Applying to Family Promise

1

In your resume and cover letter, explicitly connect your strategic planning experience to measurable outcomes (e.g., growth in families served, funds raised, programs expanded).

2

Highlight any experience with housing instability, homelessness, or adjacent human services sectors, even if not your primary focus.

3

Demonstrate your ability to cultivate partnerships across philanthropy, government, and private sector by naming specific examples and results.

4

Show your comfort with data and impact reporting by mentioning specific tools or frameworks you've used (e.g., balanced scorecard, OKRs, logic models).

5

Tailor your application to emphasize remote work experience and your ability to lead cross-functional teams virtually.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your passion for Family Promise's mission and your understanding of the unique challenges of family homelessness.", 'Your track record in leading strategic planning and execution that resulted in tangible growth or improved outcomes.', 'Your experience in fundraising or business development that directly contributed to revenue sustainability.', 'Your ability to build and maintain strategic partnerships across diverse sectors (philanthropy, government, private).']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read the latest annual report and strategic plan on Family Promise's website to understand their current priorities and impact metrics.
  • → Review their affiliate network model and how local affiliates operate to understand the complexity of multi-stakeholder alignment.
  • → Look into recent news or press releases about Family Promise's advocacy efforts or partnerships to stay current.
  • → Explore their blog or media mentions to understand their messaging and brand voice, especially around housing advocacy.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you approach developing a multi-year strategic plan for an organization with a national footprint and local affiliates?
2 Describe a time you led a major change management initiative. How did you ensure alignment and buy-in from stakeholders?
3 What metrics would you use to measure success in preventing and ending family homelessness?
4 How would you prioritize geographic expansion vs. deepening services in existing communities?
5 Tell us about a successful partnership you cultivated with a government entity or private corporation. What was the outcome?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't submit a generic cover letter that doesn't mention family homelessness or Family Promise's specific model.
  • Avoid focusing solely on strategy without demonstrating experience in fundraising or revenue generation.
  • Don't overlook the remote nature of the role—failing to address how you lead and collaborate virtually can be a red flag.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Family Promise!

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