Opportunities From: Connect Central Oregon

Executive Director – Equine Outreach Horse Rescue

Location: Bend, Oregon
Type: Volunteer (Approx. 15 hours/week)

Our Mission

At Equine Outreach Horse Rescue, we believe every horse deserves a life filled with respect, dignity, love, and compassionate care. Based in the heart of Central Oregon, we open our gates to abused, neglected, medically fragile, senior, and at-risk equines — offering them not only safety but a new beginning.
Through expert medical care, rehabilitation, patient training, and endless affection, we help horses heal in body and spirit. Some find forever sanctuary or peaceful hospice care here, while others move on to carefully chosen adoptive or foster homes where they can thrive.
Every rescue story is a testament to hope — and to the people who make it possible.

The Opportunity

Equine Outreach is seeking a compassionate, visionary Executive Director to lead with heart and purpose.
This is more than a leadership role — it’s an opportunity to change lives, both human and equine. As our Executive Director, you’ll help shape the future of Equine Outreach, inspiring our volunteers, supporters, and community to stand beside us in our mission to give every horse a chance to heal and be loved.

Key Responsibilities

Lead with Purpose: Partner with the Ranch Manager to support smooth daily operations and uphold the highest standards of equine care. Inspire Volunteers: Support the Volunteer Manager in recruiting, training, and retaining a strong, compassionate team dedicated to our mission. Guide the Journey: Oversee the intake, adoption, and foster programs — ensuring every equine receives thoughtful placement and lifelong care. Champion Fundraising: Collaborate on grants, fundraising campaigns, and community events that sustain our work and expand our reach. Ensure Integrity: Oversee insurance, legal, and state compliance to safeguard the organization and those we serve. Communicate Our Story: Manage outreach through phone, email, website updates, newsletters, and other communication channels to engage and inform our community. Strengthen Systems: Ensure policies and procedures are consistently followed and aligned with our mission and values. Collaborate with the Board: Attend board meetings, providing transparent updates on operations, finances, and organizational growth. Act in Urgency: Lead with calm and compassion during emergencies, always prioritizing the welfare of the horses. Maintain Organizational Excellence: Oversee administrative details, such as vehicle registrations, memberships, and community relationships.

Who You Are

You are a natural leader and compassionate advocate who thrives in a collaborative, mission-driven environment. You bring:

Proven experience in leadership, business, nonprofit, or community service. A genuine love and understanding of horses and/or animal welfare. Strong organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills. The ability to articulate a compelling vision and inspire others to join in it. A steady presence in both calm and crisis — grounded in empathy and integrity.

Why Join Us

At Equine Outreach, you’re not just taking on a role — you’re joining a movement built on compassion, hope, and second chances.
Here, every day offers a tangible opportunity to make a difference. You’ll work alongside dedicated volunteers, generous supporters, and — most importantly — the incredible horses whose lives your leadership will touch.

Together, we create a better world for horses, one rescue at a time.

If this sounds like the role for you, please contact us at admin@equineoutreach.org.

Our Mission

At Equine Outreach Horse Rescue, we believe that every horse deserves respect, dignity, love, and compassionate care. Based in Bend, OR, we accept as many abused, neglected, medically compromised, senior, and equines with uncertain futures as we can. From there, we focus on providing top-grade medical care, rehabilitation, positive training, and all the love, hugs, and TLC we can give. Some horses become sanctuary horses or hospice horses who remain in our care, while others are carefully and meticulously adopted or fostered out into loving homes.

Opportunity

We are currently seeking a highly motivated and experienced individual to join Equine Outreach as a volunteer Fundraising/Development Director. In this crucial role, you will be responsible for managing and implementing our fundraising strategies to support the organization's mission of rescuing and rehabilitating horses in need.

Responsibilities Develop and execute comprehensive fundraising plans, including individual giving, corporate sponsorships, grants, and special events, to meet established financial goals. Identify and cultivate relationships with potential donors, sponsors, and partners, effectively communicating the organization's mission and impact. Lead the grant-writing process, researching and identifying appropriate funding opportunities, preparing compelling grant proposals, and managing grant reporting requirements. Collaborate with the board of directors to create and implement innovative fundraising initiatives to expand donor base and increase revenue streams. Manage donor stewardship activities, ensuring personalized and timely acknowledgment, recognition, and ongoing communication with donors. Oversee the planning and execution of special events, coordinating logistics, sponsorships, volunteer engagement, and donor cultivation aspects. Utilize technology and fundraising software systems to track donor interactions, manage campaigns, analyze data, and generate reports to evaluate fundraising goals and performance.

Qualifications: Proven experience in nonprofit fundraising and development, preferably within the animal welfare or equine industry. Familiarity with the unique challenges and opportunities specific to horse rescues and equine-related causes is highly desirable although not required. Strong track record in securing and managing major gifts, corporate partnerships, grants, and fundraising events. Demonstrated success in meeting fundraising targets and cultivating long-term donor relationships. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling grant proposals, donor communications, and marketing materials. Experience in storytelling and conveying the impact of the organization's work to donors and stakeholders is highly valued. Proactive and adept at networking, with a commitment to donor stewardship and fostering a culture of philanthropy within the organization. Proficient in utilizing fundraising software, donor management systems, and data analytics tools to track donor interactions, manage campaigns, and generate insightful reports for strategic decision-making Knowledge of ethical fundraising practices and regulations, maintaining donor confidentiality and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and guidelines. Passion for animal welfare and a deep understanding of the issues surrounding horse rescue and rehabilitation. The ability to effectively communicate the organization's mission, values, and impact to inspire and engage stakeholders.

Join our dedicated team and make a significant impact on the lives of horses in need through your exceptional fundraising and development expertise.

Our Mission

At Equine Outreach Horse Rescue, we believe that every horse deserves respect, dignity, love, and compassionate care. Based in Bend, OR, we accept as many abused, neglected, medically compromised, senior, and equines with uncertain futures as we can. From there, we focus on providing top-grade medical care, rehabilitation, positive training, and all the love, hugs, and TLC we can give. Some horses become sanctuary horses or hospice horses who remain in our care, while others are carefully and meticulously adopted or fostered out into loving homes.

Volunteer Opportunities

We have a number of different volunteer opportunities available - there is something for everyone who loves horses, even those that may not be in a position to volunteer on the ground! 

Current key needs include: 

Horse Care volunteers: Supporting our ranch manager and volunteer team in feeding, watering, medicating, grooming and mucking.  Facilities work volunteers: Supporting our facilities manager in continuously improving our facilities to make it the best possible environment for both our equines and our volunteers to be. This includes pen building, preparing for winter, grounds cleanup and improvements, etc.  Administration Coordinator (remote ok): Supporting our ED in managing all key organizational level administrative tasks including but not limited to managing vendor partnerships, industry memberships, insurance policies, state licensing requirements etc.  Community Outreach Coordinator (part remote): Supporting our Board of Directors and ED in developing relationships with other equine rescue and animal welfare organizations, joining and participating in local and national industry groups managing EOI community service programs, coordinating visitors trips to the EOI ranch including local aged care and other similar groups, etc.   Additional Information We request a minimum commitment of 2 hours per week Training is provided for all volunteer positions Any additional skill sets are welcome to apply

Our Mission

At Equine Outreach Horse Rescue, we believe that every horse deserves respect, dignity, love, and compassionate care. Based in Bend, OR, we accept as many abused, neglected, medically compromised, senior, and equines with uncertain futures as we can. From there, we focus on providing top-grade medical care, rehabilitation, positive training, and all the love, hugs, and TLC we can give. Some horses become sanctuary horses or hospice horses who remain in our care, while others are carefully and meticulously adopted or fostered out into loving homes.

Board of Directors Openings

We are looking to grow and diversity our Board of Directors!  We are looking for exceptional people with diverse backgrounds and skills and a desire to help horses in need.  No horse experience is required! 

We are specifically in need of Board Members with strong fundraising and development skills to help spearhead fundraising initiatives to support the organization's sustainability and growth. Additionally, we are seeking individuals to support community outreach efforts, raising awareness about our mission and forging meaningful partnerships within the community. 

All Board Members will contribute to strategic planning, governance, and overall decision-making for the organization. If you are passionate about equine welfare and are interested in helping a small, local nonprofit that supports this cause, we invite you to join our dedicated team as we work together to provide care and compassion for horses in need.

Additional Information Board membership is a volunteer position Time commitment equates to approx. 3 hours/week Board Members can be located anywhere in the US, with West Coast timezone being preferable  Any additional skill sets are welcome to apply