About the Greater Chicago Food Depository
The Greater Chicago Food Depository believes that food is a basic human right, and its mission is to end hunger. Widely recognized as a leading, equity-driven organization, the Food Depository serves as the food bank for Chicago and all of Cook County—working in partnership with a dynamic network of 850 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, community organizations, and other partners committed to ensuring that no one in the community goes hungry.
A Critical Lifeline in the Face of Rising Need
In a region where an estimated 1 in 5 households experiences food insecurity—with families with children and communities of color disproportionately impacted—the Food Depository remains a vital source of nourishment, stability, and hope.
As the effects of inflation and the rollback of federal nutrition programs persist, hunger continues to surpass pre-pandemic levels. In fact, visits to food pantries across the Food Depository’s network have increased compared to 2022, reflecting the urgent and ongoing demand for food assistance.
In Fiscal Year 2025, the Food Depository:
- Distributed the equivalent of 96 million meals, serving neighbors through 2.3 million household visits to free grocery partners
- Engaged 26,000 volunteers, who donated nearly 103,000 hours to repack 7 million pounds of food
- Helped more than 3,000 neighbors apply for SNAP benefits, totaling more than $5 million in assistance
This powerful impact is made possible by tens of thousands of annual donors–individuals and institutions with a deeply rooted commitment to the Food Depository’s mission to end hunger.
Moving Beyond Food Distribution
The Food Depository’s work goes beyond delivering food. As a proud member of the Feeding America network, the organization leads with bold, equity-centered strategies to address the root causes of hunger: poverty, systemic inequity, and structural racism.
Key initiatives include:
- Statewide work focused on protecting the nutrition safety net
- A strategic partnership with City Colleges of Chicago
- The development of a home-meal delivery response for older adults and people with disabilities
- The expansion of a prepared meal strategy that connects vulnerable individuals with healthy meals
Investing in Community-Led Solutions
With a deep commitment to community voice and localized investment, the Food Depository is channeling more than $14 million into historically disinvested neighborhoods—those with the highest rates of food insecurity.
- 52% of all food is distributed to these high-priority communities
- 100% of partners receive food at no cost, empowering them to allocate resources toward other essential services
A Mission-Driven Anchor Institution
The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a respected leader in hunger relief—known for its compassion, innovation, and deep connection to the communities it serves. The Food Depository’s work is driven by its core values:
- We center our work on neighbors who face hunger
- We work for justice
- We are inclusive
- We are courageous
Driven by a dynamic and mission-oriented team, the Food Depository’s success is rooted in both its people and its strong operational and financial foundation. The next Vice President of Finance will join this purpose-driven organization at a pivotal moment, providing critical financial leadership and stewardship to sustain and scale impact. This leader will play a key role in ensuring the organization’s financial strength, transparency, and resilience—helping to advance a future where everyone in Chicago and Cook County has access to the food and resources they need to thrive.
Learn more about the Greater Chicago Food Depository at chicagosfoodbank.org.
Explore the organization’s vision for the future by reviewing the Strategic Plan.
The Opportunity
The Greater Chicago Food Depository is seeking an experienced and technically excellent, mission-driven finance executive to serve as the Vice President of Finance, providing overall financial leadership and stewardship to the organization.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and serving as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the VP of Finance oversees all aspects of the organization’s finance function, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, cash management, accounts payable, procurement oversight, and compliance. The VP of Finance serves as the staff liaison to the Board’s Finance and Audit Committees, and acts as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and the Board on financial matters. This is an outstanding opportunity for a seasoned, hands-on finance leader to play an integral role in the next chapter of the Food Depository’s success.
Key responsibilities include:
- Provide overall strategic and operational leadership for the Finance function, including accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, accounts payable, and procurement;
- Lead and develop a team of eight, fostering a culture of precision, accountability, and continuous improvement;
- Serve as the primary financial partner to the Chief Operating Officer, providing clear and actionable financial insights to support strategic decision-making;
- Oversee all financial planning processes, including the preparation of annual operating and capital budgets, long-range projections, and related forecasting;
- Direct the preparation of all financial reports, including the annual audit, income statements, balance sheets, tax returns, and government and regulatory compliance reporting;
- Lead the organization’s grant tracking and government contract reporting, ensuring rigor, accuracy, and compliance across all restricted funding streams;
- Serve as the staff liaison to the Board Finance and Audit Committees; prepare and present financial materials with clarity and confidence to Board members and committee leadership;
- Partner with the Development function to ensure accurate and timely revenue reporting, supporting strong cross-departmental relationships;
- Continuously evaluate and strengthen financial systems, controls, and processes, with a focus on optimization and organizational resilience; and
- Other duties as appropriate.
Candidate Profile
While it is understood that no candidate will offer every desired skill, quality, and characteristic, the following competencies offer a detailed, aspirational view of the ideal candidate profile:
Deep Technical Finance Expertise
This leader will bring:
- Comprehensive, hands-on expertise across accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, audit management, cash management, and compliance.
- Ideally, significant experience in large, complex nonprofit organizations, with fluency in nonprofit accounting standards, fund accounting, restricted revenue management, government contract reporting, and grant compliance—or, for candidates without direct nonprofit backgrounds, a demonstrated commitment to learning the nuances of the nonprofit financial environment quickly and a deep appreciation for the stakes of mission-driven financial stewardship.
- A track record of precision and excellence; an orientation toward rigor, accuracy, and accountability in all financial matters.
- Strong change management and systems improvement skills, with experience implementing or optimizing financial systems and controls in complex environments.
- The ability to move fluidly between strategic financial analysis and hands-on operational execution—a leader who is willing and able to roll up their sleeves.
A Skilled Leader of People
This leader will bring:
- A track record of developing, mentoring, and retaining strong finance teams, creating a culture of growth, accountability, and belonging.
- A leadership style that balances high standards with genuine investment in staff; someone who can maintain structure and controls while earning the trust of a talented team.
- The ability to set clear expectations and hold teams to them, with a constructive and empowering approach to performance management.
- A collaborative spirit that builds strong cross-functional relationships, particularly with development, operations, and program leadership.
Effective Communicator & Board-Ready Presence
This leader will bring:
- The ability to distill complex financial data into clear, accessible narratives that inform strategic decision-making; moving fluidly between technical detail and high-level insight.
- Strong written communication skills and the capacity to build trusted partnerships with colleagues at all levels of the organization.
- Confidence and credibility in presenting financial information to senior leadership and Board members, including sophisticated committee members with deep financial backgrounds.
- A comfort level with the preparation and delivery of materials in Board Finance and Audit Committees.
Commitment to the Mission & Values of the Greater Chicago Food Depository
This leader will bring:
- A deep connection to the mission to end hunger and a passion for serving the community.
- A commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice.
- Sincerity, humility, and transparency to every interaction.
- An understanding that the work of financial stewardship directly enables community impact.
- An entrepreneurial sensibility and a can-do attitude; someone who embraces complexity and approaches challenges with ingenuity and drive.
- The ability to inspire and unite others around shared purpose, particularly in a high-demand environment where financial sustainability is inseparable from mission delivery.
Location
The successful candidate must be based in or willing to relocate to Chicago, Illinois. The VP of Finance is expected to work in-person at the Food Depository's offices five days per week.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with the selected candidate’s experience. The salary for this role is expected to range from $250,000-$290,000, along with a comprehensive benefits package.
Contact
DSG | Koya, the executive search firm dedicated to mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Cheryl Stevens and Claire Hunt are leading the search.
To express interest in this role, please fill out our Talent Profile or reach out directly at [email protected].
DSG|Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.