Eden Prairie, MN

The Organization
MARGARET A. CARGILL PHILANTHROPIES (MACP)
Margaret A. Cargill was a woman of warmth, modesty and generosity.  She was the granddaughter of William Cargill, co-founder of Cargill, Inc., one of the world’s largest agribusiness companies.  Ms. Cargill was a significant, but usually anonymous, philanthropist during her lifetime, making substantial donations over the years to organizations globally, nationally and in Southern California, where she lived most of her adult life. During her lifetime, Ms. Cargill created two grantmaking organizations, Anne Ray Charitable Trust (ARCT), which makes grants nationally and globally, and Akaloa Resource Foundation (Akaloa), which focuses grantmaking on Southern California. Margaret A. Cargill Foundation (MACF) was created upon Ms. Cargill’s death in 2006. All are based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

OUR COMMON MISSION
The three charitable grantmaking organizations formed by Margaret A. Cargill (Akaloa Resource Foundation, Anne Ray Charitable Trust and Margaret A. Cargill Foundation) are dedicated to providing meaningful assistance and support to society, the arts and the environment. The philanthropic vision of the organizations includes program areas such as animal welfare, environment, disaster relief and recovery, aging services, arts and cultures, children and families, and health.  There is also a history of support for all the Philanthropies’ interests in one region and a continued commitment to investing in and making a difference to the communities living there.

Position Overview
The Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies seeks a Program Director with broad intellectual interests, humility, integrity and the strength of character and conviction not driven by ego, but by a passion for carrying out Ms. Cargill’s legacy and dynamic mission to make a difference in the world. In addition to managing a highly skilled and competent staff to ensure effective grantmaking, he/she will sit on the Philanthropies’ Program Leadership Team to advance the overall philanthropic vision of Ms. Cargill.

BASIC FUNCTIONS, PRIORITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Managing Program Director, the Program Director will specifically provide oversight for board and leadership directed giving activities which can include grantmaking in all of the Philanthropies’ focus areas. This position will also oversee the Animal Welfare Program. He/she will have strong management and convening skills, overseeing a staff of five with three program officers and two program associates. In conjunction with the Managing Program Director, he/she will support the work of the Program Officer for Animal Welfare with strategic investments currently targeted in seven states, including Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Alaska. Additionally, the Program Director will oversee two program officers committed to two large and broad portfolios; an important legacy portfolio as well as a varied board and leadership directed giving portfolio. He/she will serve as a member of the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies Program Leadership Team to support organization-wide goals, coordinate program and operations, and model the culture and expertise the Philanthropies represent to its employee and grantees.  As part of the initial priorities, the Program Director will be expected to:

•    Gain comprehensive knowledge and insights into the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies’ history, mission, values, culture, programs, constituencies and infrastructure.

•    Understand and embrace the values of caring and humility embodied by Margaret A. Cargill, which provide the underpinning for all the work of the Philanthropies.  Work in partnership with other leaders to advance the overall philanthropic vision of Margaret A. Cargill.

•    As member of the Program Leadership Team, participate in budget development, program planning, learning leadership, organizational development and teambuilding, and promote and ensure the adherence to cultural values.  Model the culture and expertise the Philanthropies represents to its employees and its grantees.

•    Develop and implement a plan to achieve the strategic and annual distribution goals for specific program areas.

•    Recruit, manage and provide effective leadership for a talented and dedicated team of five. Build strong relationships with the team and across the organization to foster cohesiveness. Set benchmarks with team members and hold them accountable. Coach, mentor and provide professional development opportunities for team to enhance their skills.

•    Oversee program officers’ strategic review, program analyses and grantee evaluation.

•    In collaboration with Evaluation Director, develop and oversee an evaluation plan for identified program areas, establishing and monitoring appropriate success metrics.

•    Select and oversee outside consultants who may from time to time be engaged to help with grant identification, planning, delivery or evaluation.

•    Evaluate opportunities to coordinate and collaborate with other funders and contribute expertise to promote effective partnerships to further mission areas and multiply overall impact.

•    In cooperation with legal, finance, grants management and evaluation functions, maintain accountability for due diligence on all grants within portfolio.

IDEAL VALUES
The Program Director should be and reflect the following values and aspirations:

•    A caring leader with humility, modesty, honesty and integrity driven by a passion to help others and represent the Philanthropies without being ego-driven – for whom the ownership and/or credit for ideas is less important than the collective results of the effort.

•    A general understanding, appreciation for and commitment to the Philanthropies’ seven program areas.

•    An unwavering work ethic and commitment to excellence.

•    A naturally consultative and inclusive management style with the maturity, confidence, wisdom and collaborative skills necessary to garner the trust and confidence of the staff across the Philanthropies and the external constituencies, including grantees.

•    Deep emotional intelligence to navigate effectively a complex organization and a rewarding set of relationships internally and externally and promote effective collaborations and partnerships.

•    A reflective and pragmatic practitioner. Ability to think conceptually, critically and strategically.  A commitment to and experience with learning, exploring and sharing for a common purpose.  An active listener who values and appreciates hearing everyone and is able to learn from others.  An agile learner with intellectual curiosity and openness to new ideas.  A lifelong learner.

•    An ability to lead by example, bringing out the best in others and inspiring others to realize and act upon the philanthropic spirit within themselves.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE
The Program Director should have the following experience and qualifications:

•    Supervisory experience with demonstrated ability to manage and develop effective teams.

•    Extensive experience and recognition in philanthropic grantmaking with a proven track record for success and leadership accomplishment.  Willingness to serve a generalist grantmaker with deep intellectual curiosity.

•    A track record of developing and delivering large grants across a wide range of interests.

•    An understanding of the key issues in philanthropy, a detailed knowledge of grantmaking tools and types, a broad perspective of various program areas with deep experience in more than one field and an appreciation for place-based grantmaking.

•    A strategic thinker and dynamic innovator with the ability to keep an eye on the importance of the mission and the goals of the organization.

•    Demonstrated record of success working with a diverse constituency of partners and stakeholders to achieve specific programmatic outcomes.

•    Demonstrated pragmatism in moving large issues into specific program delivery mechanisms.  A focused leader who is able to distill ideas and clarify issues.  Someone with a high degree of intuition.

•    Strong detail orientation, with the ability to maintain perspective on the broader principles driving an organization’s work.

•    Strong project management skills.

•    Strong interpersonal and communication skills.  The necessary sophistication, finesse and gravitas to build collaborative relationships and operate in a team environment. A strong track record as a motivator, collaborator, innovator and builder of partnerships across culturally and economically diverse community groups.

•    A record of being self-motivated and able to work independently.

•    Ability to generate innovative ideas and practices.

•    Perseverance, resilience, flexibility in the face of change. Experience leading teams through organization change.

•    Experience in a customer service-oriented organization or reporting to a board.  Demonstrated ability to translate the goals and strategies of the organization into actionable plans that align to the stylistic preferences of the organization.

•    Experience conceptualizing, administering, evaluating and communicating programs.  Excellent oral and written skills.

•    High capacity and enjoyment of balancing multiple priorities and tasks simultaneously.  An ability to maintain a sense of humor under pressure with a style that is open, communicative and confident.

•    A graduate-level academic degree in a related field or equivalent level of experience preferred.  Minimum requirement is an undergraduate degree with at least 15 years of relevant experience.