Executive Director

The South Side Community Growth Foundation (SSCGF) is a newly established nonprofit committed to advancing equity, expanding opportunity, and driving neighborhood transformation in the South Side of Syracuse, New York. Founded in 2024 by Syracuse native Chedy Hampson—a business leader and philanthropist—SSCGF works in close partnership with residents, local organizations, and government agencies to support initiatives that help South Side neighbors thrive.

Rooted in the community surrounding McKinley Park—from West Brighton Avenue to Ballantyne Road, and from South Salina Street to Valley Drive and South Avenue—SSCGF is focused on place-based investment and inclusive revitalization. With a long-term vision for increased resident leadership, housing stability, financial security, and civic pride, the organization has recently completed a comprehensive strategic planning process to guide its work for the next decade.

In the initial phase, SSCGF will focus on three foundational areas: housing development, community engagement, and internal infrastructure. Within the community engagement pillar, the organization will also respond to emerging neighborhood priorities—examples might include strengthening shared community spaces, supporting community-driven initiatives, or exploring a business corridor partnership strategy.

Through other programs like homeowner grants and loans, land acquisition for new builds, and neighborhood gatherings, the organization is working to build both the physical and social fabric of the South Side—amplifying resident voice and activating a sense of shared ownership across the community. SSCGF is in the earliest and most exciting stages of its journey, offering a rare opportunity to shape a deeply rooted, community-led nonprofit from the ground up.

To learn more, visit southsidegrowth.org

South Side Community Growth Foundation is seeking a strategic, community-centered Executive Director to lead a place-based revitalization effort in the South Side neighborhood of Syracuse, New York. Backed by stable, multi-year philanthropic funding and grounded in a deep commitment to the community, this is a rare opportunity to build and scale a new nonprofit focused on housing, economic mobility, and neighborhood transformation.

As the organization’s first hire, the Executive Director will partner closely with the founder to translate vision into strategy and strategy into action. This role plays the part of a strategic quarterback—taking in community feedback and resident priorities, identifying who in the ecosystem is already doing the work, determining where the gaps are, and then coordinating partners and resources to fill those gaps and drive initiatives forward. An early priority will be assessing what work is needed to bring the strategy to life—and then building internal infrastructure and hiring, contracting and partnering with the right people to do that work.

The ideal candidate is a dynamic, entrepreneurial leader with experience in community development, collective impact, or systems-building work. With a strong equity lens, the Executive Director will elevate resident voice, respond to community priorities, and shape an organization built in partnership with those it exists to serve.