The Organization – Weingart Foundation
About The Weingart Foundation
The Weingart Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation advancing racial, social, and economic justice in Southern California. Founded in 1951 by Ben and Stella Weingart, the Foundation has provided over $1 billion in grants and loans to thousands of organizations across the region. By strengthening organizations focused on providing critical services and building power in communities of color, the Weingart Foundation is demonstrating what is possible when we invest and trust in our partners.
Mission
The Weingart Foundation partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial, social, and economic justice for all.
Overarching Goal and Vision
The Weingart Foundation seeks to achieve inclusion and opportunity for all Southern Californians, especially for those who have historically been excluded due to their race, income level, gender, religion, immigration status, disability, age, sexual orientation, or zip code.
To achieve this goal, the Foundation’s grantmaking program and other support are designed to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, collaboratives, and coalitions working to meet essential needs, expand opportunity, and eliminate structural barriers to equity by building the community power required to sustain long-term prosperity.
Our vision is a dynamic and effective social change sector in Southern California that is creating equitable systems and structures needed to achieve justice.
Core Values
Courage: The work of equity and justice often involves pushing against the status quo, taking risks, and holding ourselves and others with privilege accountable in pursuit of collective goals. We strive to show courage, drawing inspiration from the courage that communities continue to show in the face of great challenges.
Dignity: Every person matters and deserves a sustainable standard of living. The measure of our society is how we treat those among us who face oppression, inequity, or lack of opportunity.
Innovation and Curiosity: We commit ourselves to becoming more effective by staying open to new ideas and risks and by learning from each other, our peers, and our partners.
Partnership: We strive to break down the power imbalance between nonprofits and funders, and the silos within the social change sector. Our goal is to be an engaged and supportive partner to organizations, leveraging our resources and reach to help them achieve their own goals and amplify the power of their communities.
Racial Justice: Rather than addressing the symptoms of structural inequities, we seek to confront our nation’s deep history of racism and to help imagine something beyond it. We commit to using our influence, position, and resources to eliminate racist policies and practices to achieve justice, inclusion, and opportunity for all people.
Respect: The people served by our work deserve our respect. We honor their dedication to improving their own lives and the lives of others in their communities, and we trust them as experts on their own experiences.
Trust: Our partners know what they need, and they know what their communities need. We trust them to identify the best pathways to impact and be responsible stewards of the resources we provide.
To learn more about the Weingart Foundation, visit their website: https://weingartfnd.org/, which includes additional information including their Grantmaking Practice (https://weingartfnd.org/mission-values-and-practice/), Learning and Assessment Framework (https://weingartfnd.org/learning-and-assessment/), and statement on their Full Commitment to Equity and Justice (https://weingartfnd.org/commitment-to-equity-and-justice/).
The Opportunity
The Weingart Foundation seeks an innovative, equity-minded, and visionary leader to oversee all facets of the Foundation’s work and to guide the organization into its next stage of impact as its next President & CEO. This dynamic leader will embody Weingart’s fervent commitment to racial justice and will have the lived experience to authentically model these values internally and externally. This individual will be inspired to lead the strategy to solidify Weingart’s bold and leading voice as a changemaker in philanthropy and a funder rooted in racial, social, and economic justice.
The President & CEO will be responsible for carrying out Weingart’s consistent achievement of its mission, strategy, and impact objectives. They will bring transparency and visionary leadership to all areas of the Foundation, providing oversight for grantmaking programs, culture, values, talent, operations, and financial stewardship, while owning and protecting the mission of Weingart. Guided by a justice-oriented approach, they will be motivated to lead a highly respected community-informed foundation that is a significant voice for equity-based strategies and approaches in philanthropy. They will prioritize centering community voices and will be emboldened to lead Weingart’s strategic framework focused on building strong and healthy individuals and communities; civic, cultural, economic, and political power of those most harmed by inequities; and equitable and just systems.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will actively engage the Board to align strategic initiatives, ensure transparent communication, and drive impactful decision-making towards the organization’s mission. The CEO will be a voting member of the Board of Directors and ex-officio member of all committees. This individual will be an inclusive and accessible leader who will work closely with a talented and committed staff of 25 to assess the needs and opportunities in the region and will represent the Foundation to grantees, community partners, government officials, and policymakers. The CEO will be a natural collaborator and an empathetic and transformational leader, skilled at relationship building to continue broadening Weingart’s reach regionally with all constituents, deepening and accelerating its impact throughout the Southern California region.
Candidate Profile
The CEO will be a courageous, vulnerable, and authentic leader with a solid track record of advancing racial equity and social justice in communities, and experience creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizational culture. They will be a collaborative leader who values team-based decision-making, transparency, and accountability. Committed to bringing their whole authentic self to work, they will hold space for others to do so as well. The CEO will actively build a culture that values empowerment, creativity, and equity.
While it is understood that no one candidate will bring every desired skill, characteristic, and experience, the following offers a reflection of the ideal candidate profile:
Passion for the Mission & Impact Work in Southern California
Embodying the values and mission of the Weingart Foundation, this leader will be genuinely dedicated to racial equity and social justice and will be driven by a deeply rooted passion for fighting injustice. The CEO will be an empathetic and confident leader who treats others with respect and leads by example, demonstrating humility, vulnerability, and trust. The CEO will be an individual of unquestioned integrity, ethics, and values — someone who can be trusted without reservation. In addition, the CEO will recognize and honor the personal identities others bring to this work.
Acting as a strong community ambassador, the CEO will be knowledgeable of and possess strong connections to the Southern California regions Weingart serves including Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. They will bring deep understanding and appreciation of the unique socio-economic, cultural, and demographic landscape of the regions, including familiarity with the diverse communities, and their specific needs, challenges, and strengths. The CEO will have strong relationships with peers and other funders in the philanthropic ecosystem in order to observe best practices, develop partnerships, and work collaboratively to advance issues in the sector.
Commitment to Equity and Racial Justice
The CEO will come to the Weingart Foundation with a deep commitment to equity and racial justice with the desire to actively work to dismantle societal practices rooted in inequity and systemic injustice. They will be confident and comfortable in leading and engaging in conversations related to social justice, racial equity and justice, and anti-Black racism. Known as an active listener and responsive leader throughout the organization, this leader will demonstrate the capacity and willingness to bridge differences regarding issues of race, socioeconomic status, gender, and other aspects of identity.
The CEO will be energized by the prospect of leading the organization’s staff and Board of Directors in developing awareness, comfort, and confidence to address and champion equity and justice in all aspects of the Foundation. Equipped with a multi-faceted understanding of the evolving DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) landscape and best practices, the CEO will lead the organization’s efforts to develop shared language and strategies to examine and dismantle implicit and explicit bias, racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination.
Visionary and Strategic Mindset
The CEO will be a strategic leader with the capacity to align a diverse group of constituents to articulate and implement an inspiring, holistic, and unifying vision for the Foundation’s next chapter. Working closely with staff and Board, the CEO will play a critical part in strengthening the existing culture and infrastructure to contribute to the strategic direction of Weingart. They will have a strong understanding of philanthropy and the goals and priorities of Weingart while providing the longer-term vision necessary to ensure continued impact in Southern California and the sustainable growth of the Foundation. A trailblazer, the CEO will have the drive and passion to remain at the forefront of the philanthropy field by continuing to refine and develop opportunities to serve Weingart’s mission and its grantee partners and communities.
Change and Transformational Leadership
The CEO will bring an understanding of what it means to lead an organization during a time of transformation and change. This individual will be an ‘agent for change’ with the ability to solidify Weingart’s reputation of a bold and leading voice as a racial justice funder. They will understand the potential and power of the Weingart Foundation to lead by example and will identify new and unique opportunities to advance its mission across Southern California. With strong facilitation skills, the CEO must have expertise in bringing together various groups under a shared vision to help drive decisions and outcomes, and to harmonize and integrate processes, practices, and procedures. They will demonstrate integrity and fairness in their actions, earning the confidence of team members through consistent and ethical leadership. The CEO will have the ability to diagnose critical areas for attention, build shared understanding, and implement clear strategies with eyes consistently focused on the future and how to best adapt the Foundation to its ever-changing environment.
Inclusive and Engaged Manager
Energized and motivated to lead a team of individuals dedicated to racial justice and equity, informed by lived expertise, the CEO will be passionate about creating a human-centered culture that is empowering and inclusive for all employees while sustaining the organization’s warm and welcoming environment. Approachable and accessible, they will have demonstrated success in attracting, developing, and retaining talented staff with a diverse set of skills and lived experiences. The CEO will strive to cultivate a collaborative and productive work environment while providing professional growth opportunities for all staff. Inspiring a powerful sense of shared purpose, the CEO will motivate staff to engage in the opportunities and challenges ahead through unity and collective action, driving the organization towards its shared goals while honoring the richness of its individual strengths and diversity.
Board Relations
The CEO will actively engage the Board of Directors to champion, preserve, and fortify Weingart’s mission and vision. This individual will prioritize building authentic relationships with Board members, fostering an environment of inclusivity, transparency, and mutual respect. Together, they will collaborate to amplify the organization’s efforts in supporting underserved communities and advancing racial justice and equity. The CEO will be forward thinking and proactively communicate with the Board around sensitive or controversial issues. By identifying key priorities, opportunities, and challenges faced by both the Foundation and the communities it serves, the CEO will guide the Board in formulating innovative and pragmatic strategies aligned with Weingart’s mission and strategic objectives. These strategies will not only uphold the Foundation’s commitment to racial justice and equity but also pave the way for transformative impact.
Relationship Builder, Communicator, and Community Engagement
The CEO will be an innate relationship builder with dynamic and effective interpersonal and communication skills to inspire trust and confidence from broad and diverse audiences. A natural collaborator, this leader will build bridges and sustain meaningful relationships with internal and external constituents. The CEO will be committed to continuous learning and earning trust to build and strengthen relationships with all Weingart’s staff, Board, grantees, and community partners. This individual will be a bold leader known for their honesty, transparency, strong diplomacy, and for being an engaged and active listener. Leading with integrity and authenticity, the CEO will have experience contributing to a setting that listens to and engages the voices of all staff, Board, grantees, and the communities Weingart serves.
Confident and humble, this individual will adapt and adjust flawlessly to different audiences from grassroots organizations, community partners, and social and racial justice leaders to elected officials, policymakers, and other philanthropic leaders. The CEO will possess a strong record of community engagement and will be an exceptional communicator who engages with and builds community by uplifting the voices of others, particularly from marginalized and underrepresented communities.
Compensation & Benefits
The annual base salary range for the President and CEO role is $500,000 to $625,000 with a generous benefits package.
Contact
Koya Partners has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Michelle Bonoan and Jennifer Smith will be leading this search on behalf of Koya Partners. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile: https://apptrkr.com/5071079 or emailing the search team directly at Weingart_CEO@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential. The deadline for submissions is 04/08/2024.
Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
Weingart Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.
About Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group
Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.
Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the firm’s website: http://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/our-brands/koya-partners/