Executive Director

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ABOUT HELPING HEARTS

Helping Hearts is a newly launched national nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring dignity and connection to those carrying unattended grief. Founded by David Kessler, Helping Hearts was created to address the critical gaps in grief support that private-sector models cannot fill, including volunteer mobilization, policy advocacy, conferences, scholarships, and community-based healing initiatives. Helping Hearts will focus on advocacy for grieving families, grief education and workforce development, volunteer training, community-building through conferences, scholarship programs, and direct grief support services.

Helping Hearts exists to restore dignity and connection to those carrying unattended grief by providing compassionate support, educating communities in grief care, and advocating for the rights of children and families affected by death. The organization envisions a compassionate world where every loss is honored, every griever is seen, and no heart heals alone.

Headquartered in Los Angeles (Studio City), Helping Hearts is designed to be a national organization with leadership based in Los Angeles.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Executive Director (ED) is the founding operational leader of Helping Hearts. Reporting to the Board of Directors and working in close partnership with Founder David Kessler, the ED will build the organization’s infrastructure, operational systems, and early program strategy from the ground up. This is a rare opportunity to shape a national nonprofit at inception. The ED must be entrepreneurial, operationally strong, and comfortable creating organizational structures. The ED will establish policies, systems, governance practices, and staffing plans while collaborating with the Founder and Board to prioritize early program initiatives.

The ideal candidate is both a builder and a strategist, someone who thrives in startup environments, brings strong nonprofit governance and compliance expertise, and can translate vision into operational reality. The ED must demonstrate sensitivity to grief and loss while maintaining professional boundaries and leadership focus.

This role requires an external-facing leader capable of cultivating partnerships and strengthening philanthropic relationships. The ED must be comfortable supporting the development strategy and engaging aligned funders and collaborators in partnership with the Founder and Board.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Foundational Leadership & Organizational Build

• Serve as the first full-time executive leader, building Helping Hearts’ operational foundation from inception.