About Talent Philanthropy:

Talent Philanthropy is a campaign to maximize foundation investment in the nonprofit workforce. We believe this will increase the performance, impact and sustainability of social change work at the individual, organizational and field levels.

Our objective is to increase funding for nonprofit talent from less than 1% to more than 5% of foundation grants by 2025. But maximizing investment is not just about money; it will mean replacing harmful myths with an affirmation of the value of nonprofit people; and it will mean the evolution of practices in grantmaking, nonprofit governance, and nonprofit management. We work toward these changes using a three-part strategy:

• Make the Case: Research and communications to show the ROI of investing in nonprofit people;
• Equip for Action: Development of tools and trainings to help both funders and fundraisers use talent-investment in their work; and
• Build the Movement: Advocacy and organizing to ensure that investment in nonprofit people a high priority for philanthropy and the social sector.

Launched in 2014, Talent Philanthropy (also known by our social media handle, Fund The People) was founded by Rusty Stahl, President and CEO, who leads a streamlined team of consultants and staff. An Advisory Council informs our work, and is composed of leaders from nonprofits, foundations, and other stakeholders. Talent Philanthropy is fiscally sponsored by Community Partners.

A growing coalition of funders supports our work, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, American Express, Durfee Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Ford Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

About the Position:

We seek our first Director of Programs with a blend of project management expertise alongside interest in philanthropic practice and/or nonprofit staff development. The Director of Programs will report to the President and CEO, and will play a supervisory role in managing teams of consultants and potentially future staff. S/he will be our second full time staff member, and play a significant role in the planning, design, and implementation of programs and activities. The ideal candidate shares a deep sense of the urgency and importance of the mission and goals of Talent Philanthropy.

Talent Philanthropy seeks the following attributes from an individual who wants to do mission driven work in start-up environment:

• The ability to adapt and apply skills to new and changing scopes of work
• Ability to work both independently and in teams of diverse people
• Eagerness for more responsibility and exposure to new challenges
• Kindness, collaboration, and a sense of humor
• The motivation to contribute and try new ideas and ways of doing things
• A deeply held belief in the importance of investing in the skills and support systems for those working in the nonprofit sector
• Comfort and skill in serving as a manager or facilitator in areas outside your expertise

This is a full-time position. Talent Philanthropy is a national project with team members located across the United States; the staff currently operates out of co-working spaces in Beacon, NY and New York City. While preference will be given to candidates living in or close to New York City or the Hudson Valley, remote applicants will be strongly considered as long as they can meet the additional travel associated with quarterly staff meetings there.

Responsibilities:

The Director of Programs will provide both internal and external program leadership, as follows.

Strategic Program Leadership:

• Translate high-level strategic program concepts into distinct programs and deliverables, including program structure, revenue-generation and/or fundraising, distribution and business plans as needed
• Support the continued implementation and refinement of existing programs through management of researchers, the iterative refinement of our toolkit, and the launching of trainings and events
• Provide ongoing management of a core team of consultants working on specific program deliverables
• Provide leadership and project management for a proposed longitudinal study on the value created by foundation investments in nonprofit people. This may include coordinating logistics and activities among participating foundations, nonprofits, scholars, evaluators and other stakeholders across multiple geographic sites
• Manage the annual gathering of our 75-member Advisory Council to inform and develop champions for our work. Also manage several small working groups composed of Advisory Council members, and one-on-one relationships with select Council members
• Handle logistics involved in conducting occasional in-person events or training of varying complexity and scale

External Representation:

• Speak and write articulately and passionately about our mission and work in relevant networks and events, including at conferences, panel discussions, etc.
• Develop structures to empower local, state, and national leaders and organizations to become an engaged network of partners that will activate their resources and influence in support of our mission
• Distill research and program learning to be shared with multiple audiences
• Lead our contribution to the field through participating in and leading research and learning groups

Qualifications:

• Proven track record of detailed-oriented execution of programs and projects of the highest quality within vision-based and rapidly evolving organizations
• Demonstrated credibility and content expertise in philanthropic practice or nonprofit leadership development
• Experience with or interest in work with diverse communities and people
• Three to five years of management experience, preferably in the nonprofit sector with a preference for those with a demonstrated commitment to philanthropy, leadership development, issue-campaigns, and/or organizational change
• Experience in knowledge management and design, especially with the ability to convert concepts and frameworks into structured products (manuals, guidebooks, trainings, conferences, etc.)
• Open to regular work-related travel (not likely to exceed a trip monthly); in addition, staff not residing in New York’s Hudson Valley or New York City will be expected to travel to this area (at organizational expense) on at least a quarterly basis
• Outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Willingness and ability to cultivate strong working partnerships and build networks
• Experience in program evaluation and using data (process and outcomes, qualitative and quantitative) for performance improvement strongly desired
• Comfort with social media and being a regular presence on targeted social media channels
• Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred. Comparable experience will be considered
• Experience working on national initiatives using technology platforms is a plus

Compensation and Benefits:

Talent Philanthropy strives to model the values it seeks to promote through its compensation and benefits package and through professional development opportunities.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Benefits include paid holidays and vacation; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution and match; medical, dental and vision insurance; flexible savings account; and professional development opportunities.

Beyond the traditional professional development budget, this position will offer a rich professional learning experience including opportunities for building skills across functional areas; growing your network; participating in key conferences and convenings in the field; and engaging with preeminent leaders in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.

To Apply:

Please prepare a resume and a letter incorporating the answers to the questions below as a single PDF attachment:

• Tell us about a person, institution or program that has made a difference in your development as a leader and why it was significant.
• If you had a wand and could change one thing about the way funders support nonprofits, or the way nonprofits develop staff, what would you change and why?

Send your application materials with “Director of Programs Application” and your name in the subject line to [email protected] by Tuesday, January 31, 2016. The letter should be addressed to the Selection Committee. We expect to make an offer to the finalist by the end of March with a start date in mid to late April.

Talent Philanthropy, a project of Community Partners, is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ applicants.

Download the full job description here.