Founded in 1949, Philanthropy Southwest is the most enduring association of grantmakers in the United States. Our long history means we know how to provide timely information and connect colleagues across the region to help them thrive and succeed in their work.
PSW is the premier philanthropy serving organization in the southwestern United States, with hundreds of member organizations across the region. We believe that philanthropy is done best when done collaboratively and with excellence, and we foster a network across which our members generously help and support each other. We would like to see philanthropy drive meaningful impact on pressing regional issues.
PSW provides the following core programs and services:
1. Annual Conference – 70 years of convening the region’s grantmakers to learn, connect, collaborate, and grow 2. Educational Offerings – dozens of local, regional, and online training sessions designed to meet the professional development needs of our members’ trustees and staff 3. Membership Network – a robust and diverse group of hundreds of grantmaking and philanthropic organizations, connected to each other, and committed to philanthropic excellence and impact 4. Research and Resources – a robust resource library, and both primary and secondary research on issues that are important to our members 5. Policy Advocacy – opportunities to join with peers to advocate for the views and needs of grantmakers at the local and national level 6. Collaboration-Building – catalyzing of and backbone services for several issue- and geographyfocused collaborations of grantmakers 7. Peer Networks – creation of and support for affinity groups based on role, geography, etc.
PSW has also recently completed a robust strategic direction-setting initiative led by the board of directors. That initiative has resulted in our new vision and mission, a significant new focus on building meaningful collaborations with our partners and peers, and a reimagination of PSW as a leading-edge, impactful philanthropy serving organization. The PSW Board and staff team are extremely excited about bringing on a new CEO to help lead the organization into a bold new future!
Position Overview
Philanthropy Southwest (PSW) is seeking a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead our organization, in partnership with our board of directors and staff, as we work to foster philanthropic excellence and trusted partnerships that make a positive impact on our region’s most pressing issues. The next CEO of PSW will have an exciting opportunity to help shape our evolution as the longest-serving philanthropy support organization in the country.
The CEO oversees and manages our programs and services, finances, partnerships, donor relations, and influence in the region. The CEO will supervise a small but talented and passionate staff team and will work in close partnership with the board of directors, who view their role as including a combination of strategic leadership, fiduciary governance, membership representation, and committed direct involvement in key organizational committees and initiatives.
The overarching responsibilities of the CEO are to: • Lead the active pursuit of PSW’s vision of building a thriving southwestern U.S. through the power of collaborative philanthropy • Partner closely with the board of directors to set a clear strategy for PSW (including long- and short-term goals and objectives), and lead the ongoing execution and evaluation of that strategy • Manage the PSW 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with integrity and according to best practices • Supervise, develop, and build the PSW staff team (currently four other professionals) • Develop strong relationships with our members, serving as a strategic connector across the network, and ensuring that our members receive timely and high-quality service and support • Lead the PSW staff effort to provide programs, resources, and educational opportunities (to include but not limited to annual conference, workshops, seminars, etc.) to support PSW’s membership learning about and applying excellent philanthropy • Actively recruit new members to join PSW • Develop strategic partnerships among our peer philanthropy-serving organizations that benefit our members and their work • Proactively develop and maintain leadership-level expertise in the world of philanthropy, and serve as a subject matter expert in the philanthropic arena • Build relationships with grantmakers and donors for the purpose of raising funds, including submitting grant proposals • Ensure PSW’s public image (including our brand, web and social media presence, PR profile, etc.) remains positive • Communicate regularly and clearly with the board of directors and the broader membership • Advocate for our members, and for their collective interests and needs, with policy-makers and other influencers
Just a few of the many reasons we believe this position will be attractive to candidates include: • The emerging new vision and mission for PSW is compelling, and the organization’s strategy is innovative and forward-looking • PSW is a stable, 70-year-old nonprofit with a long history of success, impact, and solid support • Philanthropy in the southwest is on the rise, with dozens of new grantmaking organizations being created every year, and philanthropy’s impactful role in our region growing rapidly • Both the board and staff are filled with highly engaged, talented individuals who are excited about welcoming a new leader • The organization is financially strong, and its members are all philanthropic organizations, many of which generously support PSW over and above their annual membership dues
CEO Job Description
Responsibilities In relationship to the PSW Board, responsibilities include: • Work with the chair of the board to set the agenda for regular board meetings • Create and manage an annual budget that will be reviewed and approved by the board • Ensure board meetings and their logistics are planned and managed well • Meet regularly with the PSW Board members individually and collectively to drive adoption and execution of board initiatives • Ensure PSW’s various board committees are well-supported, and either personally serve or assign another staff member to serve as a staff liaison for each committee • Provide information and metrics to measure performance to assist the board in evaluating the performance of the CEO • Be responsible for the execution and fulfillment of decisions made by the PSW Board • Oversee all PSW financial management, including budgeting, financial reporting, external auditing, accounting, payroll, etc. in a manner that appropriately engages the board and ensures their satisfaction with regard to their fiduciary oversight • Serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the PSW Board of Directors • Work with board to identify and recruit a strategically diverse pool of board directors
In relationship to our members, responsibilities include: • Cultivate personal relationships with members throughout the region to promote their active engagement in PSW’s member network and programs • Ensure members receive accurate and timely communications, opportunities to interact with other members, resources they need to be successful, and prompt, high-quality service from PSW staff • Respond to and anticipate member needs, and identifying opportunities and developing products and services that address those needs • Actively recruit new members and ensure an organization wide membership recruitment and retention plan is in place and executed against • Continuously seek to enhance member benefits and ensure that membership dues and benefits are competitive and offer members great value • Help ensure that PSW has a diverse and inclusive membership
In relationship to peer philanthropy-serving organizations, responsibilities include: • Develop and maintain collaborative, constructive relationships with southwest region state-level philanthropy serving organizations and with other such regionally- and nationally-focused organizations • Seek opportunities to create collaborative programs and other offerings with our peer organizations
In relationship to our funders, responsibilities include: • Ensure an annual fund development plan, with a clear understanding of the fundraising needs of the organization, is shared with the board and managed by the staff • Develop healthy, long-term relationships with donors, ensuring they receive full communication and any information they need to continue to support our work
In relationship to PSW staff, responsibilities include: • Serve as a mission leader to the staff, working to inspire them to rally behind our mission and vision • Within budget parameters, manage day-to-day operations and all PSW staff, including ensuring appropriate levels of staffing • Regularly evaluate staff performance, both individually and collectively • Support the staff’s professional development needs • Cultivate a healthy, respectful, and diverse work environment and culture • Ensure the organization has appropriate systems, tools, technology, processes, and policies required according to leading practices
Required Competencies • Has experience casting a vision for an organization and working to achieve that vision • Is a skilled relationship developer and builder, with a demonstrated understanding of the strength of networks • Has a strong working knowledge of the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors • Has solid business acumen and a strong understanding of financial analysis, revenue and expense management, and budgeting • Has demonstrated a capability to raise funds for an organization • Has been a change agent and is comfortable embracing and leading change • Has successfully managed a team of employees, volunteers, or both • Has a strong work ethic and is a self-starter • Has an effective, collaborative interpersonal manner • Has demonstrated experience in building consensus among diverse stakeholders and facilitating action towards a common goal • Demonstrate strong organizational skills, able to balance multiple competing priorities and schedules • Is an effective communicator, both interpersonally and in a public speaking format
Additional Preferred Competencies • Experience working in a membership-focused nonprofit organization • A genuine enthusiasm for philanthropy • Experience developing and leading earned revenue service offerings (in nonprofit or business) • Executive-level experience leading a nonprofit organization, ideally in the philanthropic sector, and/or similar experience in the for-profit arena • Experience and/or close involvement with conference planning and management • Familiarity with current technologies used to manage and support nonprofits, especially membership organizations • Experience promoting equity and inclusion in organizations and networks • Some experience with organizing policy analysis and advocacy efforts
Education and Experience • Preferred 7-10 years of executive or senior management experience successfully leading teams and organizations is required • Previous experience in the nonprofit and/or philanthropy sectors is strongly preferred • Bachelor’s Degree (required) or Master’s Degree (preferred)
Compensation • PSW will offer an executive-level salary that is competitive with industry standards and commensurate with experience • Benefits include paid health, dental, and vision benefits, as well as an employer retirement contribution and generous personal time off and holidays • A performance bonus is also part of the compensation package
Job Classification and Expectations • This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position, subject to State of Texas employment laws • Candidates should expect a combination of traditional work days and weeks (e.g. roughly 40hour weeks, approximately 8:30a-5:30p days) with occasional need to work evenings and weekends • The PSW office is located in Dallas, TX, and there is a preference that the selected candidate would be able to live full-time in Dallas. However, given the right candidate and situation, the board is willing to consider other arrangements. • Regular travel throughout the southwestern U.S. (by air and car) is expected for this position
Reporting Structure • This position reports to the PSW Board Executive Committee and ultimately to the full board of directors • Four PSW staff members (one of whom is a contractor) currently report directly to the CEO position
How To Apply
Application Process • This search is being led by PSW’s Strategy and Search Committee, with the guidance of a search consultant • Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, official resume, and a list of 3 references to: search@philanthropysouthwest.org • Information should be submitted no later than January 6, 2019 • All interested applicants can expect to be contacted in some manner within three weeks of the above date • All candidate submissions will remain confidential with our search consultant (Good Works Strategic Advisors), and only vetted semi-finalist candidates will be revealed to PSW Strategy and Search Committee members for interviews