The Organization
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a nonpartisan, private charitable foundation that advances ideas and supports institutions to promote a better world. For more than 50 years, we have supported efforts to advance education for all, preserve the environment, improve lives and livelihoods in developing countries, promote the health and economic well-being of women, support vibrant performing arts, strengthen U.S. democracy as well as Bay Area communities, and make the philanthropy sector more effective. In addition, we make grants for special projects and address other timely problems, such as cyber security, systemic racism, wealth inequality, and the COVID-19 crisis. The foundation’s assets are approximately $11 billion, with annual awards of grants and gifts totaling about $450 million. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and have approximately 120 employees, all located in the Bay Area, working together to advance the foundation’s mission and support our grantees. For more information about the Hewlett Foundation, please visit http://www.hewlett.org/.
Position Overview
Reporting to, and in partnership with the President, the Director of Effective Philanthropy seeks to continuously improve the foundation’s processes for effective philanthropy and help to ensure that the foundation lives up to its Guiding Principles in its work with staff, grantees, and other external partners. Acting as an internal consultant, the Director of Effective Philanthropy co-creates with colleagues by offering advice, guidance, and support in strategy, evaluation, and organization effectiveness. In addition, the Director of Effective Philanthropy oversees an external grantmaking portfolio.
Essential Responsibilities
- Lead the Effective Philanthropy team in supporting the Hewlett Foundation and all programs to be disciplined and outcomes-focused, with rigor that is reasonable under the circumstances.
- Develop and implement strategies for grantmaking and “beyond the grant dollar” support to strengthen the philanthropic sector and improve its effectiveness. This includes an annual grantmaking budget of approximately $14 million.
- Lead, manage, and develop a dynamic, flexible, and strong team, capable of adding value to the other programmatic teams and furthering the overall mission of the Hewlett Foundation.
- Periodically revisit and refresh the foundation’s approaches and resources to ensure that they work well, meet emerging needs, and adapt to lessons learned.
- Working with the foundation’s programs, provide technical assistance and guidance for Organizational Effectiveness grantmaking. OE grantmaking represents approximately 2% of the foundation’s grantmaking budget every year and is a high leverage vehicle for strengthening our grantee partners.
- Lead critical cross-foundation projects to materially improve grantmaking practices, such as “Excellent Work with Grantees” and “Listening to Beneficiaries.”
- Represent the Hewlett Foundation in public settings in ways that reflect the foundation’s values commitment to effective philanthropic practice and continuous learning.
- Lead the Program Director Forum to ensure it functions as a vehicle for program directors, key operational leaders, and the President to share and harmonize grantmaking practices, solve problems, and consider new opportunities.
- Participate in the Administrative Director group.
- Serve as a key member of the Senior Staff.
Qualifications and personal attributes:
- Commitment to the Guiding Principles of the Hewlett Foundation.
- Significant experience as a senior leader or consultant driving effective philanthropic and capacity-building work. Understands the broader field, the organizations, associations, databases, publications, and other players that work to support donors and nonprofits.
- Brings tangible accomplishments across some combination of the following:
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- grounded and operational implications into plans that fit current and long-term organizational needs.
- o Designing, implementing and managing a broad range of applied evaluation tools, methodologies, and techniques.
- o Formulating institutional-level policy and practice.
- o Developing useful and adaptive tools for practitioners.
- Strong, committed manager with a track record investing in skill development and creating a healthy team culture.
- Excellent diplomatic, problem-solving, meeting facilitation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills. Skilled at navigating and decoding complex organizational and ecosystem dynamics to partners at all levels.
- Prior experience working effectively with individuals from diverse racial, socio/economic, and cultural backgrounds.
- Demonstrated effective communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to share information with diverse audiences.
- Possesses the highest level of personal and professional integrity, and quality standards.
- Possesses strong interpersonal skills, and personal capacity for humility, self-reflection, humor, and empathy.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a related field is preferred.
Physical Demands/Work Environment
The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
The position is based in Menlo Park, California. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to spend extended periods of time at a computer. This position also requires moderate levels of travel. Program directors of the Hewlett Foundation serve for an eight-year term.
Compensation and Benefits
The Hewlett Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a salary that is commensurate with experience and education. This position is exempt and full-time.
How To Apply
Please send your resume and a cover letter (non-PDF) detailing your interest in this position to: hewlettfoundationEPG@viewcrestadvisors.com.
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to economic, social, and racial justice. The foundation is firmly committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) laws and strictly prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of the individual’s race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, height and/or weight, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or partnership status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military status, and any other characteristic protected by law. People of color, women, LGBTQIA+ people, and members of other historically disenfranchised groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
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