Application Guide

How to Apply for Executive Director

at Generation Patient

🏢 About Generation Patient

Generation Patient is unique as the only national organization exclusively representing young adults with chronic and rare conditions, maintaining complete independence by refusing all private health-industry funding. This creates an authentic, patient-centered advocacy platform that directly challenges pharmaceutical and insurance industry influence while advancing disability justice and access to medicines through grassroots mobilization.

About This Role

As Executive Director, you'll be responsible for building a sustainable funding base from private individuals and foundations while leading organizational strategy and policy initiatives that amplify young adult patient voices nationally and globally. This role directly impacts the 25+ million young adults with chronic conditions by shaping advocacy efforts, securing multi-year support, and ensuring all programs align with Generation Patient's mission of independent patient representation.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve morning strategy sessions with policy staff on upcoming healthcare legislation, afternoon calls with foundation program officers to discuss multi-year funding opportunities, and reviewing advocacy materials that center young adult patient experiences. You'd balance team management, donor cultivation, and ensuring all organizational activities align with Generation Patient's mission of independent patient representation.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Generation Patient Is Looking For

  • Has 5+ years of direct staff supervision experience in nonprofit settings with proven ability to cultivate donor relationships (able to provide a reference from a foundation or major donor)
  • Demonstrates specific experience analyzing complex healthcare policy documents and translating them into actionable advocacy strategies
  • Possesses a track record of securing multi-year funding from private individuals and large foundations, not just grant writing
  • Can articulate a clear vision for increasing young adult patient influence in policy debates while maintaining organizational independence from industry funding

📝 Tips for Applying to Generation Patient

1

Quantify your fundraising achievements specifically with private individuals and foundations (not corporate sponsorships) since Generation Patient refuses health-industry funding

2

Include a reference from a foundation representative or major donor in your application materials, as explicitly required in the job description

3

Demonstrate your understanding of disability justice frameworks and how they intersect with chronic illness advocacy in young adults

4

Highlight any experience with global health initiatives, as Generation Patient has international programs mentioned in their description

5

Show how you've maintained organizational independence in previous roles, particularly regarding funding sources and advocacy positions

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your specific experience cultivating relationships with private donors and foundations (not corporate partnerships)', "How you've successfully supervised teams while advancing equity and inclusion, particularly for disabled/chronically ill communities", 'Your approach to policy analysis and strategy development for complex healthcare issues affecting young adults', 'Your commitment to maintaining funding independence from the health industry while building sustainable revenue streams']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Generation Patient's current advocacy campaigns and policy positions (available on their website and social media)
  • → Recent healthcare legislation affecting young adults with chronic conditions (like the Inflation Reduction Act's drug pricing provisions)
  • → Other organizations in the disability justice and patient advocacy space to understand Generation Patient's unique positioning
  • → Major foundations that fund health advocacy work without industry ties to identify potential funding partners
Visit Generation Patient's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you develop a 3-year fundraising strategy focused exclusively on private individuals and foundations, given the restriction on health-industry funding?
2 Describe your experience analyzing and responding to specific healthcare policy proposals (like drug pricing legislation or insurance reforms) that affect young adults with chronic conditions
3 How would you balance immediate advocacy opportunities with long-term organizational strategy development?
4 What metrics would you establish to measure the influence of young adult patients in policy debates?
5 How have you previously fostered an inclusive team culture that centers the experiences of disabled and chronically ill individuals?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Proposing corporate partnerships or health-industry funding strategies, which contradicts their core value of independence
  • Generic advocacy experience without specific examples related to chronic illness, disability, or young adult populations
  • Focusing only on grant writing without demonstrating experience cultivating relationships with individual major donors
  • Failing to acknowledge the unique challenges of representing a geographically dispersed community in a remote work environment

📅 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 Generation Patient!

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