[email protected]

Logo
Donate Here
About Us

Executive Staff

Chief Executive Officer

Position Overview

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO)—frequently titled the Executive Director (ED)—of an adaptive sports nonprofit serves as the primary strategic, operational, and financial leader of the organization. Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the CEO is responsible for ensuring long-term financial sustainability, driving community impact, and expanding inclusive athletic opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities.

Core Job Responsibilities

  • Fundraising and Development: Securing financial sustainability is the top priority. The CEO leads grant writing, cultivates major individual donors, establishes corporate sponsorships, and oversees high-profile fundraising events.
  • Strategic Planning: Collaborating with the Board of Directors to set the long-term vision, expand regional or national athletic programs, and grow athlete participation safely.
  • Specialized Program Oversight: Ensuring that all adaptive sports clinics, camps, and competitive leagues meet specialized safety, physical therapy, and equipment handling guidelines.
  • Financial and Budget Management: Building and tracking the annual operational budget, managing cash flow, and maintaining strict compliance with public non-profit tax regulations.
  • Public Advocacy and Partnerships: Serving as the chief spokesperson to elevate local visibility, lobby for accessibility, and partner with equipment manufacturers, physical rehabilitation hospitals, and parks services.
  • Risk Management and Safety: Designing and enforcing strict medical waivers, participant safety rules, emergency incident response protocols, and background checks.
  • Team and Volunteer Mobilization: Recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse network of adaptive coaches, specialized staff, and hundreds of volunteer handlers.

Specialized Skills & RequirementsUnlike standard corporate roles, a leader in the adaptive sports sphere needs niche operational expertise:

  • Adaptive Equipment Fluency: Practical understanding of specialized gear, including mono-skis, sport wheelchairs, handcycles, and tandem running rigs.
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance: Thorough knowledge of legal inclusion standards and accessibility mandates for public spaces, gyms, trails, and waterways.
  • Medical and Participant Care Awareness: General familiarity with universal transfer techniques, autonomic dysreflexia risk factors, and common injury prevention for paralytic or neurodivergent athletes.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 5 to 7+ years of executive leadership inside a nonprofit, healthcare system, or disability service group.
  • Education: Certification, Associates, Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Non-Profit Management, Sports Management, Therapeutic Recreation, or Exercise Science.
  • Certifications (Preferred): Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), Certified Association Executive (CAE), or credentialing from governing bodies like Move United.

Chief Financial Officer

This customizable job description template is tailored for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at a California-based nonprofit organization.It incorporates strict state-specific compliance standards, federal grant guidelines, and California labor laws.Helping Empower Adaptive Lives (H.E.A.L.) — Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Position Overview

  • Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board of Directors
  • FLSA Status: Exempt
  • Location: Greater Sacramento Area, California (Hybrid/On-site/Remote)
  • Position Type: Full-time

Job Summary

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO)will oversee all financial operations, strategy, and compliance for Helping Empower Adaptive Lives (H.E.A.L.). As a core member of the executive team, the CFO directs accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and long-term financial planning to support our mission. This role ensures strict compliance with California non-profit regulations, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and federal grant requirements.Core ResponsibilitiesFinancial Strategy & Executive Leadership

  • Partner with the CEO and Board on strategic financial choices.
  • Assess organizational metrics against long-term strategic plans.
  • Present financial reports to the Board of Directors.
  • Manage banking, investment, and endowment relationships.
  • Advise on fundraising plans and capital health.

Financial Management & Accounting Operations

  • Oversee accounts, general ledgers, and reporting systems.
  • Maintain robust internal financial control environments.
  • Direct cash flow planning and cash forecasting.
  • Lead the annual budgeting process with managers.
  • Produce accurate monthly and annual financial statements.

California & Federal Compliance

  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws.
  • Manage compliance for government contracts and private grants.
  • Coordinate all internal and external audit activities.
  • Oversee the preparation and filing of IRS Form 990.
  • File the California Franchise Tax Board Form 199 timely.
  • Submit the Registry of Charitable Trusts Form RRF-1 and CTR-1 annually.
  • Monitor compliance with the California Nonprofit Integrity Act.

Common Qualifications/Education and Experience

  • Degree: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or Economics.
  • Certification: Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or CMA preferred.
  • Experience: Minimum 7–10 years of senior financial management.
  • Nonprofit: Minimum 5 years in nonprofit fund accounting.

Knowledge & Skills

  • Deep knowledge of nonprofit GAAP and net asset rules.
  • Mastery of complex federal grant Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).
  • Strong leadership skills to manage accounting personnel.
  • Clear written and verbal communication styles.
  • Expertise in nonprofit financial software (e.g., Quickbooks, Sage Intacct, Blackbaud).

Chief Operating Officer

Core Job Responsibilities

  • Daily Program Logistics: Overseeing the execution of all sports clinics, competitive leagues, and recreational camps across all geographic locations.
  • Asset and Inventory Management: Managing highly expensive, specialized adaptive gear (e.g., handcycles, racing wheelchairs, mono-skis) including procurement, preventative maintenance, and secure storage.
  • Risk Management and Compliance: Ensuring strict adherence to safety protocols, ADA regulations, venue accessibility requirements, and mandatory participant medical waiver systems.
  • Staff and Volunteer Systems: Designing recruitment, training, background screening, and scheduling frameworks for full-time coaches, program coordinators, and large volunteer teams.
  • Cross-Department Coordination: Serving as the internal hub connecting fundraising goals, marketing schedules, finance teams, and frontline program staff.
  • Data and Impact Tracking: Monitoring performance metrics, athlete attendance, equipment utilization, and program outcomes to justify grant funding and maximize capacity.
  • Venue and Partner Relations: Negotiating operational contracts and usage agreements with ski resorts, community pools, public parks, and athletic facilities.

Specialized Operational KnowledgeAn adaptive sports COO must navigate unique operational friction points that traditional COOs rarely face:

  • Accessible Transportation Systems: Coordinating specialized transit fleets or accessible busing to move athletes and bulky adaptive gear to remote venues like mountains, lakes, or trails.
  • Participant Care Protocols: Ensuring frontline staff are rigorously trained in universal transfers, basic sign language, neurodivergent sensory accommodation, and weather-related health risks for spinal cord injuries.
  • Complex Event Logistics: Structuring check-in, equipment fitting, and safety briefing flows at events to prevent bottlenecks for athletes with mobility impairments.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 5+ years in a senior operations role, ideally within adaptive sports, therapeutic recreation, accessible hospitality, or healthcare management.
  • Education: Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Operations Management, Sports Administration, Therapeutic Recreation, or Business Administration.
  • Certifications (Preferred): Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), Certified Sports Administrator (CSA), or advanced certifications in risk management.

Secretary of H.E.A.L.

Position Overview

The Secretary of an adaptive sports nonprofit serves as the backbone of organizational governance, administrative compliance, and communication, keeping the board of directors and the leadership team aligned. While the CEO leads strategy and the COO runs logistics, the Secretary ensures all official decisions, legal filings, and internal communications are meticulously documented and legally compliant.

Depending on the organization's size, this is either a vital volunteer Board Officer role or a full-time administrative staff position.

Core Job Responsibilities

  • Governance and Documentation: Recording detailed, accurate minutes for all Board of Directors and committee meetings, ensuring clear documentation of official votes, resolutions, and policy changes.
  • Compliance and Record Keeping: Maintaining official corporate records, including bylaws, IRS tax-exempt status documents, conflict-of-interest forms, and active state charity registrations.
  • Meeting Coordination: Managing the annual board calendar, distributing agendas, and organizing the logistics for board meetings, annual general meetings, and public forums.
  • Frontline Athlete & Family Liaison: Serving as a central point of contact for incoming inquiries from prospective athletes, parents, and healthcare providers seeking program information.
  • Participant Data Management: Operating the secure database containing athlete registration files, medical disclosures, media releases, and emergency contact details in compliance with data privacy standards.
  • Official Correspondence: Handling legal notices, board notifications, and sending official acknowledgment letters to major institutional donors, grantors, and community partners.

Specialized Administration for Adaptive Sports

A secretary in this niche field handles sensitive data and unique administrative compliance frameworks: 

  • HIPAA & Privacy Awareness: Safeguarding sensitive medical histories, functional mobility assessments, and diagnostic disclosures submitted by athletes during program intake.
  • Specialized Document Tracking: Verifying that every athlete, volunteer, and coach has signed up-to-date liability waivers specifically tailored to high-risk adaptive activities (e.g., adaptive climbing, water skiing).
  • Credential Verification: Tracking and organizing background checks, SafeSport certifications, and specialized medical credentials for all coaching staff and volunteers.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 2 to 4+ years in administrative management, corporate governance, or as an executive assistant, preferably within a nonprofit, legal, or healthcare setting.
  • Education: Associate's or Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, Non-Profit Management, or a related field.
  • Skills: Mastery of board portal software, secure CRM databases (like Salesforce or Raiser's Edge), digital document management, and parliamentary procedure (e.g., Robert's Rules of Order).

Executive Assistant

Position Overview

The Executive Assistant (EA) to the leadership team of an adaptive sports nonprofit serves as the primary administrative gatekeeper, calendar strategist, and workflow coordinator for the CEO and COO. Unlike a traditional corporate assistant, this role requires a high degree of empathy and community awareness, often acting as the initial, welcoming voice for athletes, donors, and community partners.

Core Job Responsibilities

  • Calendar and Schedule Management: Managing complex calendars for the CEO and COO, prioritizing high-value donor meetings, community events, and critical board sessions.
  • Donor and VIP Liaison: Coordinating logistics, tracking follow-ups, and drafting personalized correspondence for major donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation directors.
  • Board of Directors Support: Assisting the Board Secretary with compiling board packets, coordinating meeting spaces, catering, and tracking action items assigned to board members.
  • Travel and Event Coordination: Booking accessible travel arrangements, lodging, and logistics for executives and staff traveling to national adaptive tournaments, conferences, or fundraisers.
  • Expense and Budget Tracking: Reconciling executive credit cards, managing expense reports, and tracking departmental invoices alongside the finance team.
  • Meeting Preparation: Conducting background research on potential donors, creating briefing documents, and designing presentation decks for external speaking engagements.

Specialized Adaptive Sports Tasks

The EA manages unique administrative workflows native to the disability sport community:

  • Accessible Logistics Planning: Vetting hotels, conference rooms, and restaurant venues for meetings to ensure absolute ADA compliance, ramps, and zero step-entries for wheelchair-using guests.
  • Community Traffic Routing: Field-testing incoming phone calls and emails from adaptive athletes, families, or rehabilitation centers, and routing them to the correct program coordinators.
  • Grant Submission Coordination: Tracking strict application deadlines, gathering internal documentation, and formatting attachments for federal, state, and private foundation grants.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 3 to 5+ years of experience supporting C-level executives, preferably in a nonprofit, healthcare, disability advocacy, or public relations setting.
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, Non-Profit Management, or a related field.
  • Technical Skills: Mastery of project management tools (e.g., Asana, Monday.com), video conferencing setups, and donor management databases.

Senior Staff

Chief of Staff

Position Overview

The Chief of Staff (CoS) in an adaptive sports nonprofit acts as a strategic partner, high-level project manager, and organizational integrator for the CEO. While an Executive Assistant manages the CEO's schedule, the Chief of Staff manages the CEO’s priorities. They work across departments to break down silos, accelerate strategic initiatives, and ensure the organization’s mission is executed efficiently.

Core Job Responsibilities

  • Strategic Initiative Execution: Leading critical cross-departmental projects that do not naturally fall under one specific department, such as launching a new multi-sport facility or expanding programs into a new region.
  • CEO Proxy and Liaison: Attending meetings, community panels, and internal briefings on behalf of the CEO to gather information, provide direction, and protect the CEO's time.
  • Operational Alignment: Coordinating the leadership team (COO, CFO, Development Director) to ensure all departments are working toward the same organizational goals and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs).
  • Board and Stakeholder Management: Managing the preparation, content creation, and follow-through for all Board of Directors meetings, ensuring the CEO is fully briefed and prepared.
  • Internal Communications: Scripting organization-wide updates, drafting executive presentations, and ensuring the frontline adaptive coaches and program staff understand major leadership decisions.
  • Crisis and Special Project Management: Serving as a rapid-response leader for unforeseen challenges, such as unexpected venue losses, sudden regulatory changes, or urgent grant opportunities.

Specialized Niche ContributionsA Chief of Staff in this specific sector must navigate complex advocacy, sports governance, and funding ecosystems:

  • Bending Policy into Action: Translating complex national adaptive sports governance mandates (such as Move United or Paralympic compliance rules) into internal operating policies.
  • Strategic Partnership Development: Vetting and building early-stage relationships with healthcare systems, veterans' affairs (VA) hospitals, and universities before handing them off to the COO for daily management.
  • Macro Grant Optimization: Synthesizing data from the programs team and the finance team to help the development team position the nonprofit for massive multi-year federal or corporate foundation grants.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 6 to 10+ years of fast-paced professional experience, including management consulting, non-profit leadership, or high-level project management.
  • Education: Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Public Administration (MPA), Non-Profit Leadership, or Sports Management.
  • Skills: Exceptional emotional intelligence, advanced organizational design, financial acumen, and a proven ability to influence leaders without having direct authority over them.

HR Director

Position Overview

The Human Resources (HR) Director of an adaptive sports nonprofit designs, builds, and protects the workforce architecture required to safely execute inclusive recreational programming. This leader balances standard corporate HR functions (like payroll and benefits) with high-stakes volunteer compliance, specialized staff certifications, and strict risk-management regulations native to disability sports.

Core Job Responsibilities

  • Risk and Credential Compliance: Enforcing mandatory, regular criminal background screenings, sex offender registry checks, and abuse-prevention training (such as SafeSport) for all personnel.
  • Recruitment and Talent Sourcing: Building talent pipelines for highly niche positions, including certified adaptive ski instructors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and specialized sports coordinators.
  • Volunteer Workforce Architecture: Designing standard operating procedures for vetting, onboarding, training, and tracking compliance for thousands of hours of unpaid volunteer labor.
  • DEI and Accessibility Leadership: Driving diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives internally, ensuring employment practices actively recruit and accommodate professionals with lived disabilities.
  • Compensation and Benefits Administration: Structuring equitable wage tiers, managing employee health benefits, and navigating complex non-profit budget constraints.
  • Employee Relations and Culture: Creating clear grievance procedures, managing workplace conflict resolution, and fostering a high-empathy, mission-driven culture to prevent staff burnout.
  • Policy Development and Legal Care: Authoring and updating the employee and volunteer handbook to comply with federal labor laws, OSHA standards, and specific state nonprofit guidelines.

Specialized HR Challenges in Adaptive Sports

An HR Director in this field must navigate distinct workforce environments that do not exist in corporate settings: 

  • Medical and Liability Screening: Ensuring the onboarding process explicitly tracks relevant professional medical certifications or therapeutic licenses needed for high-liability sporting clinics.
  • The Staff-Volunteer Hybrid Dynamic: Managing the delicate cultural balance and potential legal friction points when paid staff and passionate volunteers work side-by-side on the field.
  • Adaptive Workplace Accommodations: Leading by example by executing seamless workplace accommodations (such as assistive tech or physical office adjustments) for staff or coaches with physical or cognitive impairments.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 5 to 8+ years of progressive human resources experience, ideally with a mix of non-profit management, healthcare networks, or large-scale volunteer organizations.
  • Education: Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or Organizational Development.
  • Certifications (Preferred): SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR professional human resources credentials.

Grant Manager

Position Overview

The Grant Manager of an adaptive sports nonprofit serves as the financial engine of the organization, securing and managing public and private funding to keep programs accessible and affordable for athletes. Because many adaptive sports organizations rely heavily on external funding for specialized gear and facilities, this role is highly specialized, blending technical writing, complex financial tracking, and impact metrics.Core Job Responsibilities

  • Prospect Research: Identifying and vetting new funding opportunities from corporate foundations, private family trusts, community foundations, and government entities (federal, state, and local).
  • Grant Writing and Proposal Submission: Drafting highly compelling, technically accurate grant applications that clearly communicate the organization’s mission, program design, and budget needs.
  • Post-Award Compliance: Tracking strict spending timelines and reporting requirements to ensure all awarded grant funds are used in exact accordance with donor restrictions.
  • Financial Tracking and Collaboration: Partnering closely with the finance team or CFO to reconcile grant revenue, monitor programmatic expenditures, and build accurate line-item grant budgets.
  • Impact Reporting and Data Collection: Gathering quantitative metrics (e.g., participant hours, equipment utilization) and qualitative data (e.g., athlete testimonials, success stories) to write comprehensive impact reports for funders.
  • Funder Stewardship: Building and maintaining strong, long-term relationships with foundation officers through regular communication, event invitations, and timely updates.

Specialized Funding Focus for Adaptive SportsA Grant Manager in this field must navigate highly specific funding pipelines and complex compliance frameworks:

  • VA and Federal Funding: Navigating massive, highly regulated federal funding streams, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Grants for Adaptive Sports Programs for disabled veterans and Servicemembers.
  • Capital Campaigning for Gear and Facilities: Securing funding specifically restricted for high-cost capital assets, such as wheelchair-accessible vans, specialized mono-skis, or facility retrofits.
  • Healthcare and Therapeutic Alignment: Framing sport and recreation programs using therapeutic or medical terminology to successfully pitch health insurance foundations, hospital systems, and physical rehabilitation funds.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 3 to 5+ years of dedicated grant writing and management experience, with a proven track record of securing five- and six-figure foundation or government grants.
  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Technical Writing, Communications, Non-Profit Management, English, or a related field.
  • Technical Skills: Mastery of grant tracking databases (e.g., GrantStation, Foundation Directory Online, Instrumentl) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems like Salesforce or Raiser's Edge.

Program Director/Head Coach

Position Overview

The Program Director/Head Coach of an adaptive sports nonprofit is the heart of the organization, responsible for the safe design, athletic execution, and daily leadership of all adaptive sports programs. This hybrid role balances administrative strategy—such as venue booking and risk management—with hands-on coaching, athlete instruction, and volunteer coaching development.Core Job Responsibilities

  • Curriculum and Clinic Design: Developing safe, progressive, and inclusive athletic curricula for a wide range of sports, catering to diverse physical, visual, cognitive, and neurodivergent needs.
  • On-Field Head Coaching: Leading flagship sports clinics, competitive leagues, and recreational camps, acting as the primary tactical and technical authority on the field.
  • Volunteer and Coach Training: Developing a comprehensive training curriculum to certify volunteer handlers, assistant coaches, and safety personnel in sport-specific adaptive techniques.
  • Athlete Intake and Assessment: Conducting physical and functional mobility intake assessments for new participants to ensure they are paired with the proper equipment and safety ratios.
  • Facility and Venue Coordination: Securing and managing relationships with athletic venues, including ski resorts, community pools, public parks, and gymnasiums.
  • Safety and Risk Management: Serving as the chief safety officer on the field, enforcing strict medical waivers, emergency incident protocols, and weather-related safety mandates.
  • Equipment Allocation: Supervising the setup, fitting, and adjustment of specialized gear for individual athletes before and during every session.

Specialized Niche RequirementsThis role demands specialized athletic and therapeutic expertise far beyond a traditional sports coaching position:

  • Adaptive Rigging and Biomechanics: Mastery of fitting, strapping, and balancing athletes in complex equipment, ensuring proper weight distribution and pressure-sore prevention in seating systems.
  • Universal Classification Awareness: Understanding international and national paralytic classification systems to prepare competitive athletes for formal tournament structures.
  • Emergency Medical Red Flags: Deep awareness of disability-specific medical emergencies, such as autonomic dysreflexia in spinal cord injuries, thermal regulation issues, and seizure protocols.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 5+ years of coaching or directing adaptive sports programs, therapeutic recreation clinics, or paralympic-level training environments.
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation, Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Sports Management, or a related field.
  • Certifications (Highly Preferred): Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), sport-specific adaptive credentials (e.g., PSIA-AASI Adaptive Skiing, USA Hockey Adaptive, CARSS), and advanced First Aid/CPR.

Community Service Director

Position Overview

The Community Service Director (often called the Community Engagement or Outreach Director) of an adaptive sports nonprofit builds the bridges between the organization and the community, ensuring that programs are visible, accessible, and deeply trusted. This role focuses on athlete recruitment, community integration, equity in access, and cultivating grassroots partnerships with families, schools, and healthcare networks.Core Job Responsibilities

  • Athlete Recruitment and Intake: Designing outreach strategies to find and welcome new participants, guiding families and athletes through the initial orientation and enrollment pipeline.
  • Healthcare and Institutional Partnerships: Building formal referral pipelines with physical rehabilitation hospitals, veteran centers, adaptive schools, and occupational therapy clinics.
  • Community Events and Inclusion: Organizing local awareness events, sports demonstrations, and educational workshops to promote disability inclusion and reduce systemic barriers to recreation.
  • Family and Caregiver Support: Serving as the primary point of contact for participant families, creating support networks, feedback loops, and educational resources for caregivers.
  • Scholarship and Equity Program Management: Overseeing the distribution of financial aid, gear stipends, or transportation scholarships to ensure low-income athletes can participate.
  • Advocacy and Local Policy: Representing the nonprofit on local parks and recreation boards, accessibility committees, and community coalitions to lobby for universally designed public spaces.
  • Alumni and Peer Mentorship: Developing peer-to-peer mentoring networks where experienced adaptive athletes support and guide newly injured or novice participants.

Specialized Outreach Focus for Adaptive SportsA Community Service Director in this space must possess a deep, empathetic understanding of the disability community's unique barriers:

  • Trauma-Informed Engagement: Engaging with individuals and families who may be navigating recent, life-altering injuries or medical diagnoses with high empathy and trauma-informed communication.
  • Cultural and Intersectional Accessibility: Addressing intersectional barriers to play, ensuring that outreach materials, registration forms, and events are accessible to diverse socio-economic, linguistic, and cultural groups.
  • Transportation Barrier Mitigation: Developing community-based carpool, shuttle, or transit partnerships to solve the number one barrier keeping adaptive athletes from attending programs—accessible transportation.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 4 to 6+ years in community organizing, social work, therapeutic recreation outreach, or public health, ideally within the disability advocacy sector.
  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Public Health, Human Services, Communications, Disability Studies, or a related field.
  • Skills: Lived experience within the disability community or fluency in American Sign Language (ASL) is highly valued; strong proficiency in public speaking and community database management.

Mobility Equipment Director

Position Overview

The Adaptive Equipment Director of an adaptive sports nonprofit manages the lifecycle, maintenance, customizing, and safety of all specialized athletic gear and mechanical technology. Because adaptive equipment (e.g., mono-skis, racing chairs, handcycles, electronic tracking gear) is highly specialized, custom-fit, and represents a massive capital investment, this role is the operational backbone that keeps athletes safe and moving.Core Job Responsibilities

  • Fleet Inventory Management: Tracking, cataloging, and organizing a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar inventory of adaptive gear across multiple storage hubs and mobile trailers.
  • Custom Fitting and Rigging: Adapting and adjusting gear on-site to match individual athlete biomechanics, ensuring proper strapping, center of gravity balance, and pressure-sore mitigation.
  • Preventative Maintenance and Repair: Conducting routine mechanical inspections, safety checks, and complex fabrications or repairs on structural frames, hydraulic systems, and specialized braking mechanisms.
  • Procurement and Vendor Relations: Negotiating purchases, managing custom orders, and building strong relationships with specialized adaptive equipment manufacturers and parts suppliers.
  • Safety and Inspection Compliance: Designing and executing strict daily and seasonal equipment safety logs to ensure absolute mechanical integrity before any athlete takes the field.
  • Coach and Volunteer Education: Developing and leading training clinics to teach coaches, handlers, and volunteers how to safely transport, lift, assemble, and fit adaptive equipment.
  • Capital Budgeting: Partnering with the COO or finance director to forecast gear lifecycle replacement timelines, calculate depreciation, and prioritize new asset purchases.

Specialized Niche RequirementsThis role demands a unique combination of technical mechanics, safety awareness, and anatomical understanding:

  • Biomechanical Adaptations: Deep knowledge of seating systems, foam contouring, and mechanical leverages required to accommodate various amputations, paralysis levels, or asymmetric muscle tone.
  • High-Stakes Technical Mechanics: Proficiency with mechanical systems unique to adaptive sports, such as hydraulic dampeners on sit-skis, intricate cable steering on handcycles, and quick-release safety bindings.
  • Mobile Fleet Transport Logistics: Managing the secure packing, trailering, and weight distribution of heavy, awkwardly shaped adaptive gear to remote venues like mountains, lakes, or tournament gymnasiums.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 4 to 6+ years as a bicycle mechanic, wheelchair technician, prosthetic assistant, or equipment manager inside an adaptive sports, therapeutic recreation, or rehabilitation engineering environment.
  • Education: Certificate or degree in Mechanical Technology, Rehabilitation Engineering, Orthotics/Prosthetics, Sports Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
  • Certifications (Preferred): Assistive Technology Professional (ATP), specialized bike mechanic certifications (e.g., PBMA), or equipment manufacturer certifications (e.g., Tessier, Freedom Concepts).

Junior Staff

Program Coordinator

Position Overview

The Program Coordinator of an adaptive sports nonprofit is the logistical engine of daily activities, directly organizing schedule tracks, facility rentals, and participant communications. While the Program Director sets the curriculum, the Program Coordinator handles the concrete details to ensure coaches, volunteers, equipment, and athletes all arrive at the right venue at the right time.Core Job Responsibilities

  • Session and Clinic Scheduling: Managing the operational master calendar, coordinating weekly time slots for multi-sport clinics, competitive leagues, and recreational camps.
  • Roster and Attendance Tracking: Managing active athlete registration lists, tracking daily attendance metrics, and maintaining clear communication with families regarding schedule changes.
  • Volunteer Coordination: Assigning vetted volunteers to specific athlete support roles based on physical matching requirements and coach-to-athlete safety ratios.
  • Venue and Permitting Logistics: Booking athletic spaces, securing permits for public parks or waterways, and coordinating facility access codes with venue managers.
  • Frontline Communication: Serving as the primary point of contact for daily parent, athlete, and volunteer inquiries regarding weather delays, locations, and packing lists.
  • On-Site Event Support: Managing check-in tables, verifying signed waivers, distributing athlete jerseys, and providing general administrative backup to the coaching staff on the field.
  • Supply and Asset Logistics: Ordering, tracking, and transporting basic program supplies, including first aid restocks, hydration stations, and adaptive promotional signage.

Specialized Niche RequirementsA Program Coordinator in this space must manage operational details unique to accessible recreation:

  • Accessible Logistics Vetting: Verifying that parking spaces, restrooms, check-in gates, and staging zones at third-party venues are fully accessible before athletes arrive.
  • Dynamic Intake Matching: Screening incoming athlete profile data to flag specific needs—such as visual impairment guiding, sensory accommodations, or lift-assist requirements—before building rosters.
  • Waiver and Medical Compliance: Meticulously cross-referencing registration records to guarantee that no athlete or volunteer steps onto the field without complete liability waivers and up-to-date medical clearances.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 2 to 4 years of experience in program coordination, event logistics, or administrative support, preferably within a youth sports league, recreation department, or disability service group.
  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management, Recreation Administration, Communications, Non-Profit Management, or a related field.
  • Skills: Strong proficiency in scheduling software, cloud-based databases (e.g., Active Network, TeamSnap, Salesforce), and highly organized multi-tasking skills.

Assistant Coach - Adaptive Sports

Position Overview

The Assistant Coach of an adaptive sports nonprofit provides direct, on-the-ground athletic support, safety spotting, and instructional reinforcement during sports clinics and team practices. Working under the guidance of the Program Director or Head Coach, this role ensures that individual athletes receive the personalized attention, physical transfers, and equipment adjustments they need to participate safely and build confidence.Core Job Responsibilities

  • Direct Athlete Instruction: Delivering individual coaching and feedback to athletes, reinforcing the technical skills and drills outlined by the Head Coach.
  • Athlete Safety and Spotting: Serving as a dedicated physical spotter or safety handler during high-velocity or high-impact activities (e.g., adaptive skiing, wheelchair rugby, or open-water paddling).
  • Equipment Setup and Fitting: Assisting with the unloading, assembly, and custom fitting of specialized gear—such as securing straps, adjusting footrests, and checking tire pressures.
  • Physical Transfers: Executing safe, universal lifting and transfer techniques to assist wheelchair-using athletes into and out of specialized adaptive equipment.
  • Volunteer Guidance: Helping coordinate and direct frontline volunteers, ensuring they are positioned correctly for safety drills and athlete assistance.
  • Incident and Injury Response: Monitoring athletes for signs of physical fatigue, medical distress, or skin friction, and administering basic first aid or emergency protocols when necessary.
  • Venue Prep and Breakdown: Setting up cones, safety netting, target lines, and timing gear before clinics, and ensuring all equipment is cleaned and packed away afterward.

Specialized Niche Requirements

Assistant Coaches must possess a hands-on understanding of adaptive sports safety and disability etiquette:

  • Disability Etiquette and Communication: Communicating effectively and respectfully with athletes across a broad spectrum of physical, visual, cognitive, and neurodivergent abilities.
  • Pressure and Skin Safety Awareness: Checking that athlete straps, cushions, and brackets are secured correctly to prevent pressure sores or circulation issues during extended athletic movement.
  • Basic Mechanical Troubleshooting: Making quick, on-the-field adjustments to adaptive gear, such as tightening a loose brake cable or adjusting a seating bracket.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 1 to 3 years of experience coaching youth or adult sports, volunteering in adaptive recreation, or working in a related care environment (e.g., special education, physical therapy assisting).
  • Education: High school diploma required; coursework or a degree in Sports Science, Kinesiology, Special Education, or Therapeutic Recreation is a plus.
  • Certifications (Required/Preferred): Standard CPR/First Aid certification is mandatory. Sport-specific grassroots coaching or adaptive certifications (e.g., SafeSport, fundamental adaptive coaching modules) are highly preferred.

Adaptive Life - Lead Mentor

Position Overview

The Lead Mentor of an adaptive sports nonprofit serves as the primary peer advocate, role model, and community integration leader for newly injured, diagnosed, or novice adaptive athletes. Unlike a traditional technical coach, the Lead Mentor focuses on the psychosocial, emotional, and everyday lifestyle transitions of disability sports, helping participants build independence, confidence, and a sense of belonging through shared lived experience.Core Job Responsibilities

  • Peer-to-Peer Mentorship: Providing direct emotional support, goal-setting guidance, and lifestyle advice to athletes and their families navigating the transition into adaptive sports.
  • Intake and Onboarding Support: Assisting the community outreach team during orientation, sharing personal stories to ease the anxiety of new participants entering the athletic environment.
  • Community Circle Facilitation: Leading peer support groups, roundtables, and informal discussions before or after sports clinics to discuss topics like traveling with a disability, independent living, and mental wellness.
  • Empowerment-Based Instruction: Co-leading introductory clinics alongside coaching staff, focusing on building user confidence, basic mobility independence, and personal autonomy over their equipment.
  • Advocacy and Leadership Development: Identifying and cultivating leadership potential within the athlete community, helping advanced participants transition into junior mentor or volunteer roles.
  • Family and Caregiver Liaison: Offering perspective and reassurance to parents, spouses, and caregivers regarding the safety, capability, and potential of their loved ones in adaptive sports.
  • Alumni Network Management: Overseeing the organization’s athlete alumni network to keep veteran participants engaged as long-term community champions and volunteers.

Specialized Niche ContributionsA Lead Mentor brings irreplaceable, non-clinical expertise that accelerates an athlete's physical and emotional rehabilitation:

  • Lived Experience Integration: Utilizing personal, first-hand mastery of navigating life with a disability to break down psychological barriers to athletic participation.
  • Real-World Disability Literacy: Teaching critical "life-hacks" that happen off the scoreboard, such as navigating inaccessible venue restrooms, packing specialized medical supplies for travel, and independent gear loading.
  • Psychosocial Safety Monitoring: Recognizing signs of emotional burnout, isolation, or post-traumatic stress among participants, and safely routing them to professional counseling or organizational leadership.

Common Candidate Qualifications

  • Experience: 3+ years of active participation in adaptive sports or disability advocacy, with a proven track record of informal leadership, public speaking, or community peer mentoring.
  • Education: High school diploma or equivalent required; background in social work, psychology, counseling, or disability studies is highly beneficial.
  • Skills: Deep, empathetic listening capabilities; strong communication skills; extensive knowledge of local and national disability resources and independent living networks.

What does a H.E.A.L. Captain do?

The role of a sports captain in a nonprofit organization—often found in charity running groups, volunteer leagues, or youth development programs—is to drive the community mission by combining athletic leadership with advocacy. Unlike traditional sports captains who focus strictly on winning, a nonprofit captain prioritizes fundraising, community engagement, and inclusivity.

The main responsibilities of a nonprofit sports captain include:

1. Mission Representation & Advocacy

  • Ambassador for the cause: Captains actively share the nonprofit's mission and purpose with participants, donors, and the general public.
  • Storytelling: They help humanize the cause by explaining exactly how the sports program helps the community (e.g., funding cancer research, providing youth mentorship).

2. Fundraising & Awareness Support

  • Leading campaigns: Captains often spearhead peer-to-peer fundraising drives, setting a giving goal for their specific team or group.
  • Donor engagement: They encourage team members to find sponsors and thank donors for supporting the nonprofit's sports events.

3. Culture & Inclusivity Management

  • Weekly Check-In with the team (Once a week) - talk about life accomplishments, struggles, goals, etc.
  • Prioritizing participation over winning: They foster an environment where athletes of all skill levels, ages, and backgrounds feel welcome and valued.
  • Positive reinforcement: Captains focus on celebrating personal milestones, team effort, and community impact rather than just final scores.

4. Logistics & Operations

  • Volunteer coordination: They often help organize game days, hand out jerseys or fundraising kits, and ensure safety guidelines are followed.
  • Liaison to staff: Captains serve as the main link between the sports participants and the nonprofit's administrative staff or board of directors

5. Team Bonding and Socials

  • Team Dinners: Host a meal before a big game or after a win.
  • Watch Parties: Gather at a local spot to watch a pro game.
  • End-of-Season Party: Celebrate the year with food and fun.
  • Group Outings: Go bowling, do an escape room, or have a BBQ.

6. Practice and Game Fun

  • Fun Drills: Turn a hard warm-up into a quick game or contest.
  • Shout-Outs: Give a small funny prize or trophy after each game.
  • Positive Reinenforcement
  • Weekly Accomplishment Recognition
  • Keeping themselves and teammates accountable with positive recognition

Looking To Serve and Work for H.E.A.L.?(Click on the link to apply!)

Executive Staff Application