The Organization
About Tidewater Jewish Foundation
The Tidewater Jewish Foundation (TJF) is invested in building a strong Jewish tomorrow, today. We take the time to educate all generations of philanthropists, beginning with teens and young adults, on the rewards of philanthropy and facilitate the philanthropic process through planned giving and endowments.
The origins of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation date back to 1969 when a grass-roots campaign of Jewish Federation donors began to collect letters of intent to help strengthen the community’s future. 200 letters were initially collected, and the Endowment Fund of the local United Jewish Communities was created. The Endowment Fund reached the million-dollar mark in 1980. When the Fund grew to $2 million in 1984, the Tidewater Jewish Foundation was officially born.
Today, TJF has current assets of just over $110 million, making it one of the leading Jewish Community Foundations in the US. It manages funds of Tidewater community synagogues, agencies, and organizations, a broad range of individuals and families, and several foundations. TJF distributed in its most recent fiscal year over $350,000 in grants from its own unrestricted funds and over $8 million in aggregate grants that serve the needs of the local area, United States, Israel, and nations worldwide.
Honoring the values of tzedakah and tikkun olam, the Tidewater Jewish Foundation is dedicated to creating permanent resources primarily to meet the challenges and needs of the Jewish community. With their small but mighty staff of trained professional advocates, which includes individuals holding an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®) designation, a Certified Public Accountant license and Association of Fundraising Professionals membership, TJF supports the growth and innovation of local synagogues, day schools, social service agency, nursing/assisted living home, arts organizations and other non-profits through a variety of grants and programs, tax and financial advice, and help applying for grants and other funding.
TJF also serves as the planned giving department for many local Jewish agencies, providing information, resources, and training, and helping them secure gifts, understand rules and regulations and fund their future.
TJF is always looking for opportunities to make our partners stronger. Our goal is a Jewish community in which all our agencies and organizations thrive. TJF is currently in its third year as a participant in the national LIFE & LEGACY® Program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, coordinating the legacy development efforts of nearly a dozen local agency teams. TJF has exceeded the Program’s goals for the first two Program years in securing and formalizing new legacy commitments.
For more information or history about TJF, go to https://foundation.jewishva.org/.
Position Overview
TJF seeks a President & Chief Executive Officer who is enthusiastic about the opportunities for growth, expansion, and innovation that the position presents. The new President & CEO will be tasked with enhancing the Foundation’s role in the Jewish and general Tidewater communities and its leadership among Jewish Community Foundations in the US.
TJF’s President & CEO will serve as the organization’s chief professional officer and senior development executive. He or she will be responsible for developing relationships with current and prospective donors to TJF while guiding and consulting on the investment decisions and management of community assets. The President & CEO shall be responsible for arranging with individuals, families, and businesses to establish lifetime gifts, deferred giving programs and bequests to TJF and for securing permanent endowments to support the missions and goals of TJF and its Affiliates.
The President & CEO will report to TJF’s Chairperson of the Board of Directors, work closely with the Board’s standing and ad-hoc committees, and will lead the current team of four professionals responsible for development, operations, and administration. The President and CEO also serves as a board member/officers on numerous supporting foundations.
The TJF office resides within and receives support services from the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus, which is also home to the Simon Family JCC, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, and the Strelitz International Academy.
Priorities, Skills, and Experience
Executive Leadership and Management
. Act as the primary driver in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, and serve as the “face” of the Foundation
· Partner with UJFT and TJF Boards and staff to develop the Foundation’s Strategic Plan and associated Action Plans
· Collaborate with the Federation leadership and board in its role as a primary partner and funder of all needs in the community
· Work in a philanthropic advisory capacity with donors and their families on distribution opportunities both within and beyond the Jewish community
· Develop and/or oversee preparation and presentation of special initiatives and leadership requests and reports to be considered for Board action
· Manage the Foundation’s staff on a day-to-day basis, delegating responsibilities
· Hire, set goals, prepare performance evaluations, discipline and terminate employees
· Approve staff salary increases and negotiate employee benefits for Board approval
· Represent the Board for all community-type events, meetings, funerals, Shiva calls, etc.
· Consider and render first evaluation to grant requests
· Supervise the preparation of the annual report and any other documents to be released to the public
Lay Leadership and Board Development
• Coordinate solicitation efforts, meet with donors, Affiliate solicitors and prospects and close current and deferred gifts via a systematic process of prospect identification, qualification, building of personal relationships and gift strategy development
• Work with TJF Board and Affiliate Boards and their lay leaders to ensure and integrate their respective development goals which serve to formulate the Foundation’s overall goals
• Facilitate development efforts by planning, organizing, collaborating and executing Affiliate action plans
• Keep Board apprised of progress toward projected goals and provide updates on new strategies; maintain quarterly written progress reports
• Maintain a comprehensive database (CRM) in conjunction with staff to include the maintaining of critical demographic information
• Maintain proficiency with regard to preparing gift-planning illustrations including a comprehensive knowledge of the underlying laws, regulations and current strategies in coordination with professional advisors
• Maintain and support industry best practices
• Ensure effective stewardship and recognition programs and events are planned and executed
• Attend professional conferences/workshops to enhance professional knowledge and technical skills
• Keep current by reading/reviewing planned giving material in appropriate media forms
Marketing and Digital Technologies
· Supervise and work collaboratively with TJF development and marketing staff to create marketing, brand identity, and donor communication strategies to increase the visibility of the Foundation through various channels (print, web, social, e-news, video, etc.) for current and prospective donors and with Affiliate leadership
· Monitor database (CRM) integrity with respect to identifying and targeting donors/prospects and serve as the key staff person for this task
· Develop and manage marketing budget and work collaboratively with Marketing Manager to effectively organize and prepare promotional literature in line with development initiatives
Fundraising and Marketing
· Create and implement an expansive fundraising plan to include strategies with foundations and individual gifts
· Craft and articulate a compelling case for giving for TJF.
· Develop partnerships with synagogues and Jewish communal organizations to create visibility and a stronger presence in the Jewish community
Financial Acumen and Administration
· Oversee and supervise CFO’s review of monthly, quarterly and on-demand reports and their formatting to assure proper communication and education
· Review preparation of statistics and reports and assure prompt response to requests from Board, donors, and Affiliates and other organizations
· Responsible for the oversight of the Foundation’s budget in collaboration with the CFO and Controller
· Support the work of TJF’s Grants Committee and provide oversight of the foundation’s grants policy and procedures
· Oversee and supervise Philanthropy Director to ensure that the continued oversight of the LIFE & LEGACY program for its duration and maintain proper relationships with Board, donors, prospects and Affiliates
· Work with staff to understand and improve processes and procedures as it relates to administration and communication with Board, donors, Affiliates/Agencies, staff, and lay leaders
· Manage in conjunction with CFO the policies and administrative tasks established by TJF’s Investment Committee and its Audit and Finance Committee
· Exercise reasonable prudence in obtaining guidance from qualified professionals regarding appropriate decisions, but will not be responsible for the financial investment performance of the investment portfolios or any components thereof
· Oversee fiduciary responsibilities of the Investment Committee and Board in conjunction with CFO
Strong Candidates Will Have:
- Proven leadership in creating and transmitting a clear vision with stakeholders and staff
- Successful track record of fundraising, stewarding relationships with funders, board members, and foundations
· Outstanding communication skills, including the ability to make a dynamic case for TJF, in written products and oral presentations
· Successful track-record of managing an organization of similar size
· Strong experience in overseeing the financial management of an organization
· Experience supervising or developing a marketing and branding plan to support an organization’s growth
· Excellent management skills that encourage creativity, collaboration, growth and problem-solving
· Demonstrated initiative and commitment to achieving and exceeding results with strong analytical skills
· Engaged and interested in Jewish communal life and a long-term vision for the Jewish community
This position description is based upon material provided by Tidewater Jewish Foundation, an equal opportunity employer.
How To Apply
To apply for this position please visit www.DRGsearch.com