Background

Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) is a growing community of foundation professionals and other changemakers working to advance equity within and through philanthropy. Our mission is to empower emerging leaders and elevate philanthropic practice in order to build a more just, equitable, and sustainable world. 

EPIP has established itself as a leading network for diverse early- and mid-career philanthropic professionals, particularly those who identify as people of color, women, and/or LGBTQ. Our 16 member-led chapters span the country and provide peer-to-peer programs, networking opportunities, and support while serving as platforms for member leadership.

EPIP’s new strategic plan, adopted in 2017, outlines three core strategies to achieve our mission over the next four years:

• Professional and leadership development supporting members in succeeding, leading and advancing in their institutions and in the sector;
• Advocacy and innovation to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive field; and
• Community-building to enrich the EPIP experience, bring opportunities to our members, and amplify our and others’ influence to move the sector into deeper leadership for equity and social justice.

Values: Our Five Commitments

We advance our work through these shared commitments:

• Shared Leadership: We lead boldly and lift up the leadership that lives throughout the EPIP community - individually and collectively, locally and nationally, and intergenerationally. We believe there’s power in collaboration. We invite ourselves and each other to step into greater leadership, and we bring our unique strengths to our work with partners to influence the sector.
• Excellence: We hold ourselves to high standards of professional practice and integrity, working compassionately and creatively to respond to the complex needs of the people and communities we support. Recognizing that excellence commands respect, we develop talent with an eye for supporting our members to grow our collective influence.
• Community: Acknowledging that philanthropy alone doesn’t hold all the answers, we believe in the power and leadership of communities most affected by inequities. We actively seek to uplift the voice and wisdom of communities we support, and for a growing number among us, the communities we come from.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: We work to advance a sector that reflects the rich diversity of our nation at all levels of leadership, and that protects and ensures fair access to resources, opportunities, and political processes to all people, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, class, ability, and age.
• Learning: We believe we are all always a work in progress. We’re committed to our development as leaders by taking measured but courageous risks, thoughtfully testing ideas, being honest about failures, and embracing learning as part of a continuous growth process.

EPIP will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2021 and is looking to build on its success. This is an extraordinary opportunity for the right person to lead EPIP into its next phase of impact. The Board is therefore seeking a dynamic, entrepreneurial and strategic leader to guide the organization into its next phase.

The Position

The Executive Director (ED) of EPIP is the leader of the organization and is responsible for the overall direction and management of the organization, including the oversight and development of staff. Reporting to and working with the Advisory Board of Directors, the ED must be dynamic and entrepreneurial about developing opportunities for EPIP, be able to identify and create appropriate funding strategies, and be a clear and passionate advocate for the EPIP community. With an adaptive and facilitative leadership style, the ED will be an effective mobilizer, collaborator, and bridge-builder among EPIP members, chapters, staff, and the broader philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. Committed to implementing a framework of racial equity as core to philanthropic effectiveness, the ED will ensure that the principles of transparent communication, collaboration, and commitment to equity are consistently promoted both externally as well as within the fiber of the organization.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

The ED will be a passionate, accomplished leader with practical and substantive experience in community and philanthropy. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated ability to manage a dynamic and evolving organization, as well as significant fundraising experience. Extensive experience in advancing social and/or racial justice progress is also strongly desired with a high level of demonstrated experience. Candidates with “lived experience” are encouraged to apply. Ideal candidates will bring the following competencies and personal characteristics:

Bold Leadership: The ED will have a demonstrable commitment to social justice. Leading with integrity and authenticity. Keys to the ED’s success will be their ability to dynamically and successfully ensure relevant and actionable programs and services, attract new members and resources, and equip members and chapters with additional tools to bring real progress to the communities they represent. All of the efforts of the next leader will be driven by a sense of passion, community, respect, humility, equity, and action, as well as a firm belief in the untapped potential of philanthropy.

Fundraiser: A creative fundraiser with established relationships as well as the ability to cultivate new relations that will lead to support of EPIP. The ability to develop and implement a sustainability plan that aligns network needs, programmatic / systems work, and operational effectiveness towards meaningful outcomes. A thought-provoking communicator that can craft and deliver messaging on the work of EPIP to diverse funder audiences.

Board Relations: Establish a strong working partnership with the Advisory Board of Directors built on trust that enriches their experience and brings forth their best ideas and efforts in the governance and support of EPIP. Facilitate the work of the standing Board committees. Build strong, collaborative working relationships between Board and staff. Help strengthen the Board through the recruitment of new members as needed.

Relationship Builder, Collaborator, and Network Builder: A natural and deliberate consensus- builder, the ED will be skilled at building and sustaining excellent relationships across all levels. The ED will bring a compassionate and caring approach in their leadership and stakeholder interactions with a skilled approach to consensus building.

Exceptional Engagement Skills: Serve as a visible spokesperson and advocate for the EPIP community, increasing membership and attracting resources. Build EPIP’s reputation as a leader and partner in the field. Shape and deliver compelling messages that move EPIP’s agenda forward. Serve as EPIP’s principal public spokesperson to media, members, and other important constituencies about the organization’s mission, services, programs, and members. Represent EPIP as a thought leader through national committees, conversations, and convenings. Together with staff, monitor key trends and issues in the field of philanthropy and communicate their implications to staff and Board with recommended action.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience putting racial equity into practice and working with a diverse membership base;

• Proven track record in building membership services, cultivate, and seize new opportunities for revenue generation;

• Strong understanding of the funding landscape including individual donors, private foundations, and public dollars;

• Solid grounding in grassroots advocacy, political systems, policy influence strategy, and community organizing;

• Deep understanding of the philanthropic and nonprofit fields with respect to capacity building, evaluation, systems thinking, change management, and organizational learning from an equity perspective; possess a firm understanding of the philanthropic community – its policies, leaders, trends, and funding matters;

• Nimble and curious, with an openness to learning new things and seeing things in new ways;

• Proven managerial, problem-solving, and strategic-planning skills as a results-oriented executive in a growth-oriented environment; have the creativity to break free from established structures and try new approaches to solving problems;

• Catalyst for transformative change to balance long-term strategic vision with daily operational responsibilities;

• The ability to attract and retain top people to work for the organization and to nurture high- performing teams; have the ability to share responsibility for leadership of the organization and partner with the Board and staff to set goals, track progress, and assess effectiveness of the organization;

• High level of emotional intelligence, with the ability to bring people together around a shared vision and common cause;

• Experienced leader with at least 5-7 years senior management experience, with non-profit management experience preferred;

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary range for the position is $115K - $125K based on experience
• Competitive benefits package
• Opportunities to engage and build a national body of work
• Remote work location with moderate to frequent travel -- approximately 50% travel

To Apply

• EPIP has retained the services of SHARED Strategy Group, LLC to conduct this search. Inquiries, nominations, and applications may be directed in confidence to [email protected].
• Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.
• Please note “EPIP Executive Director Search” in the subject line of your e-mail.
• Closing date: October 31, 2019 at 5 pm PST / 8 pm ET

EEOC Statement:

EPIP through the Tides Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. At EPIP we celebrate diversity and welcome all qualified applicants regardless of race, age, gender identity, ethnicity, and physical ability. We encourage strong leaders of all types to apply.

EPIP is a fiscally sponsored Program of the Tides Center.