Bright Promise Fund Executive Director Position Description 

Purpose 

The Executive Director will provide leadership and vision for the organization, direct the day-to-day operation in conjunction with staff, maintain and develop strong relationships with donors, school leaders and school Boards, and continue—with God’s blessing—to grow the reach of the organization into new areas of service. 

Desired Qualifications 

● A deep commitment to Jesus Christ as evidenced by moral character, integrity, and servant leadership. 

● Active engagement in a Christian fellowship of believers. 

● A commitment to the mission and vision of Bright Promise Fund. 

● At least a Bachelor’s degree in a related field. 

● At least two to three years prior experience with non-profits or, educational enterprise, or organizational leadership position, with emphasis on relationship development. 

● Demonstrated ability to set and achieve fundraising goals. 

● Strong organizational, interpersonal and planning skills. 

● Strong verbal and written communication skills. 

● Experience with and/or willingness to learn database or information systems software.  

● Established network of contacts in and around Chicagoland. 

● A self-starter. 

Areas of Responsibility 

● Recruit and maintain a strong and engaged Board of Directors, involving them in the growth of Bright Promise Fund. 

● Serve as the “public face” of Bright Promise Fund, embodying its mission and vision. 

● Represent Bright Promise Fund to its various constituencies: Donors, non-profits, network schools, civic organizations, and media outlets. 

 

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● Maintain and grow a dynamic portfolio of donors for annual and planned giving through regular personal visits and cultivation of new donors. At least 75% of time is to be devoted to this. 

● Recruit, hire and supervise all staff. 

● Direct the maintenance of an accurate and useful donor database. 

● Direct the marketing and social media presence for Bright Promise Fund. 

Accountability and Professional Development 

● Report to the Board of Directors. 

● Stay abreast of trends and developments in the non-profit and fundraising world. 

Compensation 

The Board has established a compensation package to include a salary reflecting related experience, and including health insurance, a retirement plan, and travel expenses. 

 

Interested Parties should send a cover letter and resume to search@brightpromisefund.org. 

   

 

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Prospectus: Bright Promise Fund for Urban Christian Education 

Bright Promise Fund Yesterday 

In the mid 90’s Chicago attorney Case Hoogendoorn and several friends from Christ Church of Oak Brook established the Urban Non-Public Education Fund as a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization. Their vision was to strengthen urban Christian schools for their potential to be salt and light for Jesus Christ and his Kingdom in the civic life of Chicago, and beyond. 

In the summer of 2009 Mr. Hoogendoorn and Mary Post--representing seven urban Christian schools--asked Dr. David Larsen to consider directing this Fund. With a steering committee, and the support of two foundations for start-up and operational costs, the work was begun of starting an operational non-profit for the benefit of urban Christian education in Chicago. In November of 2009 a “doing business as” application was filed with the State of Illinois, and Urban Non-Public Education Fund assumed the name “Bright Promise Fund for Urban Christian Education.” 

The steering committee held three meetings prior to a transition to a formal Board and the adoption of an organizational constitution and by-laws. Steering Committee members were Jim Achterhof, Clive Cragen, Case Hoogendoorn, Marty Ozinga IV, Mary Post, Harriet Potoka, Cathy Vanderbrug, and Dan Wagenmaker. They officially hired Dave Larsen, established a salary, and with him began laying plans for opening an office at 1550 S. State Street in the Daystar School building.  

One of the first tasks for the new Director was to firm up and formalize the relationship with the first seven affiliated schools, whose leaders had been meeting for several years for mutual encouragement, prayer, and the sharing of best practices. Those schools were Chicago West Side Christian, Cambridge, Daystar, Humboldt Community Christian, Pui Tak, Roseland Christian, and Salem Christian. 

Another priority was the recruitment of a Board of Directors. Again, God’s hand of blessing was evident in the search process. The first Board members of Bright Promise were Sheryl Hammer, John Hays, Case Hoogendoorn, Meika Mersman, Mary Webster Moore, Martin Ozinga III, Charles Self II, George Velazquez, and Esther Wong. The first meeting of the Board was held on January 19, 2011.  

From this beginning other significant events have occurred. The Foundation that offered support for operating expenses filed for dissolution and was unable to keep its commitment. At about the same time God provided an estate gift of nearly one million dollars, which the Board set aside as an endowment for operating expenses. 

As Bright Promise Fund grew, five affiliated schools were added: Midwestern Christian Academy, Chicago Hope Academy, Lydia Urban Academy, Cornerstone Academy, and Master’s Academy, bringing the total number of network schools to twelve.  Sadly, both Roseland Christian School and Master’s Academy closed in 2015 due to financial burdens and low enrollment, and Lydia Christian 

 

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Academy closed the following year for the same reasons. In 2015 Bright Promise Fund disaffiliated with Chicago Hope Academy. 

In 2013, in collaboration with Trinity Christian College and in fulfillment of an early Bright Promise Fund idea, the Center for Christian Urban Educators was established to provide professional development and leadership training for teachers and administrators of the Bright Promise Fund network.  This partnership continues to strengthen under the leadership of Harriet Potoka, former principal of Daystar School. The Center provides a professional network for Christians involved in private, public, and Christian schools in the unique context of urban life in North American cities. It serves as a school improvement network, a center for conferences and symposia for urban Christian educators, and partners with the schools of the Bright Promise Fund network for teacher education, research, and the sharing of best practices.  

The vision of and for Bright Promise Fund continues to prosper in God’s grace. 

Mission and Vision

Our Mission is . . .  

to strengthen and sustain partner Christian schools by generating new sources of revenue so that more families may experience and benefit from urban Christian education Our Vision is . . .

● to enrich the life of Chicago and the communities served by partner schools through excellent Christian education

● to increasingly broaden and deepen a donor base of support by identifying new donors from within the Chicago business, corporate, church and Foundation communities

● to extend the reach of the Bright Promise Fund, so that former Chicagoans or those with a heart for urban Christian education nationally and globally become sustaining donors

● to increase the number of partner schools in Chicago

● to enhance the marketing effort of all partner schools through collaborative technologies

● to partner with similar organizations in Chicago and the nation so that urban Christian education is strengthened 

● to be a voice for school choice and educational justice

   

 

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Bright Promise Fund Today 

Our Network of Schools 

In 2017, the Bright Promise Fund Board of Directors agreed to expand the reach of Bright Promise Fund by extending an invitation to schools that meet the established characteristics of network schools outside the geographical boundary of Chicago. This resulted in the addition of eight area schools to our member network. Founding schools include Chicago West Side Christian School, Daystar School, Pui Tak Christian School and Salem Christian School. Our affiliate schools are Calvary Academy, Calvin Christian School, Cornerstone Academy, Deer Creek Christian School, Lansing Christian School, Midwestern Christian Academy, New Life Celebration Christian Academy, Southwest Chicago Christian Schools, The Field School, Unity Christian Academy and Walther Christian Academy.  

Our schools serve over 3500 students in the Chicago area, and over 400 students and their families directly benefited from the scholarship funds Bright Promise Fund provided this year. 

School Funding Distributions 

As reported in the 2017 Annual Report, Bright Promise Fund distributed $213,000 to our network schools, a 20% increase in funding to our founding schools over last year. This reflects distributions to our four founding schools as well as gifts to our three affiliate schools. We are grateful to our supporters – individuals, businesses and corporations, churches and foundations – for enabling us to further our mission to strengthen and sustain partner Christian schools so that more families may experience and benefit from urban Christian education. Each founding school received $42,000, and our three affiliate schools each received $15,000! 

Because Bright Promise Fund meets its operating expenses through gifts from the Board of Directors and an endowment fund of over 1.5 million dollars, we are able to say to all donors that their gifts go directly to funding scholarships and tuition assistance.  

Donors 

Our donor base has increased to 350 donors since Bright Promise Fund’s inception. Our donors include individuals, businesses, foundations and churches in 25 states across the nation. In the 2016/17 fiscal year 35 new donors were added. 

 

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BRIGHT PROMISE FUND BOARD OF DIRECTORS Board Directory, 2018 

 KATE BOONSTRA Term of Service: 2015-2018 Account Director Upshot 939 W. Belden Avenue Chicago IL 60614 katherineboonstra@gmail.com M: 630-989-1184  JOEL BUIKEMA Board President Term of Service: 2015-2018 Attorney Sandrick Law Firm LLC 1001 W. Madison Street, #211 Chicago, IL 60607 jbuik@yahoo.com jbuikema@sbtaxlaw.com M: 312-961-1561 W: 312-867-1515  BILL DAVIDS Term of Service: 2014-2020 President and CEO Clarence Davids & Sons Landscaping 22901 S. Ridgeland Matteson, IL 60443 bill.davids@clarencedavids.com W: 708-720-4100     

RYNE DEBOER Term of Service: 2017-2020 Vice President for Strategic Business Morey Corp. 656 Riford Road Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 rdeboer@moreycorp.com M: 312-320-1420  MARTIN OZINGA IV Officer of the Board Term of Service: 2014-2020 President and CEO Ozinga Inc. 900 S. Carpenter Street Chicago, IL 60607 mo4@ozinga.com M: 312-296-4884 W: 312-432-8130  DR. FELECIA THOMPSON Officer of the Board Term of Service: 2014-2020 Director of Domestic Missions Christ Church Oak Brook 10046 S. St. Lawrence Avenue Chicago, IL 60628 fthompson@cc-ob.org H: 773-785-9389 W: 630-321-6784   

JABARI TURNER Term of Service: 2017-2020 Financial Advisor Northwestern Mutual 8015 S. Whipple St. Chicago, IL  60652 jabariturner@nm.com M: 312-330-6119  CHRIS WIESEHAN Term of Service: 2016-2019 Founder CJW Capital 415 W. Fullerton Parkway, Apt. 507 Chicago, IL 60614 chris@cjwcapital.com M: 312-686-2078  TED WILLIAMS Term of Service: 2015-2018 Political Science Faculty City Colleges of Illinois 12559 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60628 tdwillia@hotmail.com M: 773-602-5169  

   

 

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BRIGHT PROMISE FUND STAFF  DR. DAVE LARSEN Director 1226 Dartmouth Road Flossmoor IL 60422 dave@brightpromisefund.org M: 708-321-0403  LOIS THOMSON Accountant 7344 W. 155th Street Orland Park, IL 60462 lois@brightpromisefund.org M: 708-347-3832 H: 708-532-2925 

KRISTIN ZANDSTRA Administrative Assistant 125 E. 13th Street, Unit 1405 Chicago, IL 60605 kristin@brightpromisefund.org M: 312-505-2382  BRIGHT PROMISE FUND 1550 S. State Street, Ste. 105 Chicago, IL 60605 Website: www.brightpromisefund.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/brightpromisefund Twitter: @brightfund 

  CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN URBAN EDUCATORS STAFF HARRIET POTOKA Executive Director, Center for Christian Urban Educators 1469 Hamily Ct. NE  Grand Rapids, MI 49505 hpotoka@ccuechicago.org M: 708-293-4984  CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN URBAN EDUCATORS (CCUE) 1550 S. State Street, Ste. 105 Chicago, IL 60605 Website: www.ccuechicago.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/ccuechicago Twitter: @ccuechicago   

 

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BRIGHT PROMISE FUND SCHOOLS 

Partner/network schools meet the following general qualifications for affiliation with the Bright Promise Fund:  

1. They are committed to the Bible as the final authority for faith and practice, the basic doctrines of the Christian faith, and to the integration of that faith into the life and learning of the school.  

2. Their mission includes service to communities of poverty. 

3. They hire professing Christians as teachers and administrators. 

4. They have a non-profit tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service.  

5. They demonstrate sound leadership by Board and administration. 

6. They are an elementary, middle or secondary school within or near the city of Chicago. 

7. They are registered with the state of Illinois.  

8. They must submit to an annual financial review or audit by a CPA firm or by the parent agency (church) that owns the school, and agree to share that review or audit with Bright Promise Fund, including the annual IRS 990 form. 

9. They must be willing to participate in BPF branding with our presence on their website and public materials. 

10. They must demonstrate a record of success through test scores and positive impact on students’ lives, primarily through tracking of alumni. 

11. To be approved for affiliation, a majority of partner schools must affirm that the applicant school is educationally sound.  

   

 

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BRIGHT PROMISE FUND SCHOOLS 

CALVARY ACADEMY 16300 S. State Street South Holland IL 60473 (708) 333-5471 calvary-academy.com  CALVIN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 528 E. 161st Street South Holland IL 60473 (708) 331-5027  calvinschool.org  CHICAGO WEST SIDE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 1240 S. Pulaski Road Chicago, IL 60623 (773) 543-0663 cwscs.org  CORNERSTONE ACADEMY 1111 N. Wells Street, #403 Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 572-8854 cornerstonechicago.org  DAYSTAR SCHOOL 1550 S. State Street Chicago, IL 60605 (312) 791-0001 daystarschool.org  

DEER CREEK CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 330 W. Highland Drive Chicago Heights IL 60411 (708) 672-6200 deercreek.org  LANSING CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 3660 Randolph Street Lansing IL 60438 (708) 474-1700  lansingchristian.org  MIDWESTERN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 3465 N. Cicero Avenue Chicago, IL 60641 (773) 685-1106 mca.school  NEW LIFE CELEBRATION CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 14243 S. Dante Avenue Dolton IL 60419 (708) 849-2787 newlifecelebrationcog.org  PUI TAK CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 2301 S. Wentworth Avenue Chicago, IL 60616 312-328-1188 puitakschool.org     

SALEM CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 2018 N. Richmond Chicago, IL 60647 (773) 227-5580 salemcs.org  SOUTHWEST CHICAGO CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS 12001 S. Oak Park Ave. Palos Heights, IL 60463 (708) 388-7656 swchristian.org  THE FIELD SCHOOL 931 Lake Street Oak Park, IL 60301 (312) 718-4477 thefieldschool.org  UNITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 15924 S. Park Avenue South Holland IL 60473  WALTHER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 900 Chicago Avenue Melrose Park IL 60160 (708) 344-0404 walther.com  

   

 

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Bright Promise Fund Tomorrow: Strategic Issues 

● Hiring of an additional staff member for fundraising has been a recent Board discussion. ● Determining a more equitable formula for distributing funding to the network schools. ● Redesigning major publicity pieces, especially the website. ● By Board policy, operating expenses are met by Board gifts and the endowment fund. 

Although there are at least four estate gifts intended for Bright Promise Fund, this funding formula may have to yield in favor of a more typical non-profit funding approach. 

Bright Promise Fund Policy Statements from Board Minutes 

Unrestricted Gifts The Board considered a recommendation that unrestricted estate, honor and memorial gifts be directed toward Bright Promise Fund’s endowment. A motion to that effect carried. (January 19 2011) 

Endowment Income A motion that “all funds designated for the Bright Promise Fund as endowment income be invested with the Barnabas Foundation Endowment Fund” carried. (March 8 2011) 

Financial Distribution The board reviewed a recommendation from the executive committee regarding financial distributions to the schools, which states: 

“Bright Promise Fund will welcome another school as a funded member of the network when all other BPF schools each receive at least $30,000 in our annual distribution.”  

It was noted that the board may revisit this recommendation at any point in time. The recommendation was approved. (June 25 2012) 

Board Member Recruitment The board reviewed the recommendation that until such time that a more formal nominating or governance committee is deemed necessary, the executive committee should be charged with the recruitment and orientation of new Board members. The board approved this recommendation. (June 25 2012) 

Policies on Non-Discrimination, Conflict of Interest, and Whistleblower (January 29, 2013) Policy on non-discrimination: 

Bright Promise Fund maintains a policy of nondiscrimination in its hiring and board membership on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, handicap, or age. We maintain a commitment to inclusion and diversity that must find full expression in our organizational culture, values, norms and behaviors. 

Policy on conflict of interest: 

The standard of behavior at Bright Promise Fund is that all staff and board members scrupulously avoid conflicts of interest between the interests of the BPF on one hand, and personal, professional, and business interests on the other. This includes avoiding potential and actual conflicts of interest, as well as perceptions of conflicts of interest. 

 

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Employee Protection (Whistleblower) policy: 

If any employee reasonably believes that some policy, practice, or activity of Bright Promise Fund is in violation of law, a written complaint must be filed by that employee with the Executive Director and/or the Board President. 

It is the underlying purpose of this policy is to support the organization’s goal of legal compliance. The support of all employees is necessary to achieving compliance with various laws and regulations. An employee is protected from retaliation only if the employee brings the alleged unlawful activity, policy, or practice to the attention of BPF and provides BPF with a reasonable opportunity to investigate and correct the alleged unlawful activity. The protection described below is only available to employees that comply with this requirement. 

BPF will not retaliate against an employee who in good faith, has made a protest or raised a complaint against some practice of BPF on the basis of a reasonable belief that the practice is in violation of law, or a clear mandate of public policy. 

BPF will not retaliate against employees who disclose or threaten to disclose to a supervisor or a public body, any activity, policy, or practice of BPF that the employee reasonably believes is in violation of a law, or a rule, or regulation mandated pursuant to law or is in violation of a clear mandate of public policy concerning the health, safety, welfare, or protection of the environment. 

Terms of Service A motion was brought from the Executive Committee for a revision to our bylaws: “Each director shall hold office for an initial term of three years. Renewal of service for a second subsequent three-year term will be by mutual agreement of the director and the full Board. In special circumstances, consideration will be given to a director’s desire to continue for a third subsequent term of three years. This motion passed. (February 25 2014) 

Funding of CCUE A motion was made and passed to accept the recommendation that, beginning with fiscal year 2015-16, Bright Promise Fund will fund half of the salary and program costs for the Center for Christian Urban Educators (CCUE). The projected cost would not exceed $20,000. The balance will be provided by our collaborating partner, Trinity Christian College. (Note: Beginning in fiscal year 2016 Bright Promise Fund assumed the full funding of CCUE due to budget constraints at Trinity Christian College.) 

Fund Distribution Restriction A motion was made and passed to restrict our distributions to the schools for scholarships and tuition assistance. The board discussed the merits of restricting our fund distribution to scholarships/tuition assistance only. In the past, we have not put any restrictions on the use of distributions. The belief is, by restricting our distribution, we align more closely with our mission. Each school would be given the freedom to manage their own tuition assistance programs. This will include requiring the schools to provide us with more data. Special considerations/emergency requests/exceptions to this purpose can be brought before the board for consideration. (June 23 2015) 

Funding Formula The board reviewed the executive committee recommendation regarding fund distribution to schools: that we maintain for this year the current practice of funding the original schools with full shares and the affiliated  

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schools with the seventh (Roseland) share and, going forward, each year a funding formula recommendation will come to the final Board meeting of the fiscal year as a recommendation from the Executive Committee. A motion was made and passed to continue this funding plan for the current fiscal year. (October 8 2015) 

Expanded Geographical Reach The board considered the executive committee recommendation to expand the reach of BPF as outlined, “That our current definition of our area of service – urban Christian schools within the geographical boundary of the city of Chicago – be expanded to include Christian schools in Chicago’s surrounding suburbs which meet the established characteristics of network schools” as outlined in the 3/23/17 meeting minutes. A motion was made and passed to expand definition based on listed criteria. (March 23 2017) 

 

 

 

 

 

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