The Organization
Environmental Grantmakers Association seeks a visionary, courageous bridge-builder with integrity and humility to work collaboratively with the Board of Directors, staff and members. The President & Chief Executive Officer will amplify impact as a convener, capacity builder and catalyst for equity and guide the organization to a new level of excellence in promoting effective environmental philanthropy.
About Environmental Grantmakers Association
Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA), a non-profit membership organization, represents over 200 foundations from North America and around the world who collectively hold approximately $200 billion in assets and give more than $1.8 billion dollars annually to environmental causes. The ultimate goal of EGA and its members is a world with healthy, equitable and sustainable ecosystems, communities and economies. EGA works with members and partners to promote effective environmental philanthropy by sharing knowledge, fostering debate, cultivating leadership, facilitating collaboration and catalyzing action. EGA envisions a high-impact network of environmental funders working to achieve a sustainable world. Recognizing the importance of diverse perspectives, the organization values ecological integrity, justice, environmental stewardship, inclusivity, transparency, accountability, respect and balancing pragmatism with idealism.
EGA values the full participation of communities, organizations, and individuals and embraces the many forms of diversity, including race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, economic status, ability and gender identity. To help its members learn, share, network, and collaborate, EGA hosts events such as an annual Fall Retreat and Policy Briefing. To seed and enhance discussions and understanding among members as well as to provide resources to help facilitate their work, EGA produces publications such as Tracking the Field – an ongoing research-based initiative that monitors trends in environmental philanthropy. These events and publications often lift up and tackle EGA’s current priority themes of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI); Global Engagement and Constituency Building.
In the last decade, EGA has advanced racial equity internally and across our community with increasingly diverse staff and Board and gatherings, tools and engagements centered on inclusion, belonging and championing equity. EGA has also become a stronger network – growing our membership and staff, increasing member engagement and more than doubling our budget – and launched important new programs such as the Environmental Fellows Program (EFP) – in partnership with Dr. Dorceta Taylor and the University of Michigan’s School of Environment and Sustainability – to promote inclusion and diversity.
Initially founded in 1987, EGA is motivated by the “urgency of now” evident in the number of environmental stresses and related injustices around the globe. EGA continues to evolve to support members in forging a path to a sustainable future working beyond traditional movements to include aligned democracy, health, arts and justice funders. With an annual budget of $3.2 million, and offices in New York, NY and Oakland, CA, EGA has a highly collaborative, values-based and supportive culture across its dedicated 16-member Board of Directors and creative, team-centric staff of eight. More information about EGA can be found at www.ega.org.
Position Overview
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President & Chief Executive Officer will be responsible for overseeing the organization’s day-to-day activities and operations and managing relationships with members, staff and the board supportive of EGA’s collaborative culture. The President & CEO will ensure that the organization is fiscally and programmatically sound and that all its programs are meeting the needs and interests of its members. They will further refine and drive execution of EGA’s Strategic Framework with the following goals for impact: 1) Strengthening EGA as an institution; 2) Improving the quality of communications and relationships among the EGA community; 3) Increasing knowledge of environmental philanthropy and priorities among EGA members and 4) Increasing resources from the broader philanthropic community for environmental priorities. In addition, they will share responsibility for developing and implementing new strategies to help EGA enhance the impact of its members’ environmental grantmaking.
Key Responsibilities
Internal and External Relational Leadership
● Build and maintain effective relationships with EGA’s Board and diverse membership, ensuring that EGA is responsive to their needs and input
● Regularly brief the Board on the status of the organization and remain actively in touch with and well-informed about the Board’s activities
● Model and contribute to EGA’s team-oriented, collaborative environment
● Lead, augment, evaluate, mentor and develop a stellar staff through thoughtfully enhancing opportunities across the organization for personal and professional growth
● Facilitate collaboration increasing the quality and best practices of information sharing and convening to help members become more effective grantmakers
● Regularly engage with members at signature events and beyond in order to understand their programs and needs
● Work with cross-sector partners on promoting just and sustainable ecosystems
● Center Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and other marginalized communities who bear the brunt of environmental oppression, creating a welcoming space for learning and partnership
● Be an effective and visible spokesperson for EGA, increasing public awareness of EGA’s mission and work and attracting aligned new connections in the field
Strategic and Programmatic Oversight
● Work in close partnership with the Board and staff to develop, manage, and implement EGA’s strategic plan
● Provide clear vision and direction to strengthen EGA’s current programs in order to enhance the value EGA adds to its members and to the environmental field
● Work collaboratively with staff, Board and members to develop new programs, services and approaches to strengthen the environmental philanthropy
● Assure the quality, effectiveness, engagement and impact of EGA’s programs
● Oversee branding and communications strategies aligned with EGA’s goals
● Spearhead successful national and regional meetings, in response to members’ needs and current events, including EGA’s signature Fall Retreat and Policy Briefing
● Maintain current knowledge of and respond to the changing needs of the environmental philanthropy community to ensure that EGA’s services are appropriate, effective and timely
Fiscal and Operational Oversight
● Oversee the organization’s financial operations, ensuring a financially healthy organization with sound financial controls and funds that are spent wisely
● Shape and implement fundraising goals using staff and Board members’ talents, resources, relationships and ideas to enhance fundraising activities
● Through effective supervision and partnership, ensure day-to-day operations and programs are professionally and efficiently organized and administered
● Ensure strong internal communication and coordination among staff
Desired Qualifications and Experiences
The President & CEO should have the following experience and qualifications:
● Seven to ten years of proven senior-level managerial experience preferred, including strategic planning, networking, consulting, fundraising, problem solving and organizational development in philanthropy, nonprofit, government or related settings; experience gained in and understanding of environmental organizations, environmental philanthropy and/or membership organizations is a plus
● Credibility and experience to connect EGA to prospective members and income derived from grants and other contributions and an ability to engage the full spectrum of EGA’s constituents, ranging from community and grassroots advocates to senior foundation leaders
● Experience working effectively with diverse groups of people and managing stakeholder processes with diplomacy and decisiveness with an ability to adjudicate among the interests of different constituencies
● A record of success with demonstrated experience leading and managing a staff of at least 5, including mentoring, ensuring staff development, cultivating culture and providing inspirational and effective leadership; experience leading an organization in transition is desirable
● Proven verbal and written communication skills, including excellent public speaking skills for both formal and extemporaneous presentations, and an ability to represent EGA to a diverse public
Desired Leadership Competencies
The President & CEO should be:
● An outstanding relationship builder and network weaver who can galvanize diverse stakeholders around common goals
● An inclusive diplomat who can balance the need to engage and support diverse constituencies with the need to maintain an organizational focus
● A humble, equity-driven and impact-oriented leader with the capacity to listen and cultivate support, volunteerism and leadership among EGA’s members that leads to transformation organizationally and in the field
● An astute visionary able to anticipate and act on events which may create opportunities for EGA, originate ideas and conceptualize programs that meet changing needs
● A passionate advocate for promoting effective and equitable philanthropy
● An intentional team builder who understands the subtleties of motivating, directing and working with diverse, strong, independent partners
● An adept manager able to delegate and prioritize multiple activities and responsibilities among a tightly-coordinated team
● An emotionally intelligent collaborator who functions decisively without being autocratic and has a sense of humor in order to maintain balance and perspective
● An inspiring communicator who is able to effectively convey the mission and values of EGA to a number of constituencies in a way that draws people in
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $195,000 – $265,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience. There is an excellent benefits package including generous medical, dental, prescription and vision plans; paid time off; a retirement plan and partial tuition reimbursement.
How To Apply
EGA is partnering with Walker and Associates Consulting – a DEI-centric, Bay Area-based, national strategic management consulting and search firm – to facilitate this search. To apply, email a cover letter and resume to EGA@walkeraac.com by 5:00 p.m. PT on Monday, March 15, 2021. Use the subject line: President & CEO Search. Please submit PDF or Microsoft Word files only, preferably with all materials in one combined file. Resume review begins immediately.
Environmental Grantmakers Association is an equal opportunity employer who encourages leaders from BIPOC and other historically marginalized communities to apply and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation or any other legally protected status.
