The Organization
The National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of NCFP to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. NCFP prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.
NCFP envisions a world where all communities and systems are vibrant, equitable, and regenerative. To support this, NCFP works to ensure that philanthropic families gain greater clarity of purpose and achieve more meaning and impact in their giving while the field of family philanthropy pursues an ambitious vision toward intentional giving.
When NCFP was founded, philanthropy as a professional field was nascent and NCFP developed programs to successfully meet the needs of the family philanthropists it served at that time. Organizations serving philanthropists were not common, and NCFP was instrumental in organizing and building a base of knowledge to support the development of a now recognized field of family philanthropy.
Today, the field of philanthropy is crowded with consultants, financial advisors, membership organizations, and academic centers. The pace of change in external context has rapidly accelerated as the field reckons with national disruption, the effects of climate change, health crises and long-standing structural inequities. The field of family philanthropy is calling for support to respond to an increasingly intersectional world, requiring social-impact investments that are more strategic, justice-minded, and effective. Motivations for engaging in philanthropy, the structures that support giving, and the very definitions of philanthropy and family, are changing and being challenged.
NCFP is responding with support that is agile, evolving, and increasingly co-created by stakeholders and partners in the field. To achieve this, NCFP has adopted a new strategic plan, with a theory of impact linked to a clear business model, that calls for both an expansion in the number of families served as well as a deepening of their engagement toward more effective practices.
NCFP, guided by its refreshed theory of impact, works to:
- Elevate a vision for family philanthropy, including the potential and practices of impactful and intentional giving.
- Equip families and their partners to achieve purposeful outcomes with curated and relevant tools, resources, and skills.
- Activate and connect a diverse and engaged peer community of philanthropic families and partners.
A newly designed Family Giving Lifecycle framework serves as a guide for NCFP’s programmatic offerings. The Lifecycle encompasses the breadth and inflection points of family philanthropy and orients donors to effectiveness for the purpose of promoting better outcomes. It recognizes the complexity of family decision making and acknowledges the iterative nature of the journey families undertake, making room for revisiting topics as the family and philanthropy evolve. Program strategies will extend opportunities for peer-based learning and incorporate a wider variety of tools and learning modalities to meet the connection, exploration, and training goals of philanthropic families. Based on feedback that the field is asking for expert-led communities of practice, these programmatic approaches increasingly include ongoing peer learning and networks.
Position Overview
Reporting to the Chief Impact Officer (CIO) and in partnership with the Vice President for Programs, the Program Director will create, manage, and execute program strategies aligned with NCFP’s mission and overarching program model. She/he/they will help create a culture of trust and accountability, transparent communication, and continuous improvement. The Director will help bridge the various functions of the organization, helping to integrate program, performance management, communications, and financial management workstreams and goals. The successful candidate will be both a strategic thinker and an executor with a can-do approach. She/he/they will be a flexible team player able to work in a cross-functional team environment. The Director will be committed to motivating and supporting internal and external stakeholders to create a culture and practice that centers the many intersectional aspects of equity and racial equity.
The salary for this position is $90,000 – $110,000 depending on experience plus benefits, which include paid vacation; 11 holidays; new parent leave; 100% employee premium paid for medical/dental/vision insurance; 5% retirement contribution; short and long-term disability and life insurance; transportation benefit; and professional development. This is a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) status exempt position based in Washington, D.C. Staff are working remotely through December 2021.
CORE FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Design and Delivery
The Program Director will take the lead on a subset of the following areas, and support the program team with implementation in the remaining areas.
NCFP Learning and Action Networks
NCFP Learning and Action Networks (LANs) are ongoing peer cohorts dedicated to deep shared learning about a specific focus area in family philanthropy, with a commitment to defined actions following and as part of the learning. Current LANs include a Racial Justice Learning and Action Network, a Mission Investing Institute and Action Network and a Trust-Based Philanthropy Learning and Action Network. Each LAN cohort collectively works through a curriculum carried out through multiple peer learning events led by experts in the field. Learning and Action Networks provide a connected and dedicated peer community while challenging funders to think differently and commit to learning and real action. The Program Director will manage budgets and execute programming for existing Learning and Action Networks and will work with other staff to further expand LAN offerings.
NCFP Fellows
NCFP created the Fellows program to honor veteran leaders in family philanthropy and to nurture a generation of new leaders who will strengthen and add to the field. Fellows work with NCFP and the family philanthropy community to inform and shape resources and frame discussion of critical issues. They identify and advance issues of personal interest within the context of NCFP’s programmatic agenda. The Fellow appointment recognizes a significant track record and celebrated history of leadership in family philanthropy. Fellows are mid-career and new leaders whose research and service contributes to advancing the field. The Director will help evolve the Fellows program in the context of NCFP’s new strategic plan, and provide administrative, operational, and strategic support to the existing fellows engagements with NCFP.
Peer Networks
NCFP’s Peer Networks are small group virtual learning conversations focused on a particular topic. Sessions are held several times a year via video chat. Joining a peer network connects participants with others facing similar challenges and opportunities. Current networks include The Board Chair Peer Network, Non-family Staff Peer Network, Engaging Youth Peer Network and Strategic Lifespan Peer Network. The Director will help co-design Peer Networks and may lead one or more networks.
NCFP Consultations and Speaking Engagements
Each year NCFP leadership accepts a limited number of consulting engagements to facilitate family philanthropy learning agendas and speaking engagements on a variety of topics. In support of these, the Program Director will participate in business development, project manage engagements, conduct research, identify new learning and information resources, compile reports and findings, and assist leadership with interpretation and presentation of data and talking points.
Technical Assistance and Research
The Program Director will be tasked with helping develop a proactive strategy and process for handling substantial ongoing requests for information (RFIs), triaging requests, researching and answering a portion of the RFIs, assigning RFIs to other staff, and conducting and compiling research to support responses. The Director will provide research and writing support for projects leading to the publication of papers, articles, and other media, and contribute to the NCFP Content Collections.
Conferences, Workshops, Salons
NCFP conferences, workshops, salons and other events are crafted to feature emerging themes from the sector and fundamental topics in family philanthropy. They are practical skill-building programs, virtual and in-person, that are designed and led alongside sector partners with the aim to educate participants and direct their practices to effective strategies for meaningful social impact. The Program Director will provide planning, implementation support and project management for events, including the National Forum on Family Philanthropy, Trustee Education Institute, CEO Retreats, and others.
Emerging Program Strategies and Opportunities
While the Director will be responsible for, or share responsibility for, the roles and activities above, it is expected that as NCFP implements its new program model and organizational structure, duties will evolve along with those of all staff.
Organizational Integration, Performance Management and Sustainability
The Program Director will:
- Support the planning and execution of team meetings with strong facilitation and timely use of outcomes and financial data that informs ongoing program development and implementation.
- Connect families, partner organizations and other stakeholders to NCFP’s work through participation in relevant programming. Work closely with the Chief impact Officer and Director of Development and Community to implement a relationship development and engagement strategy that is connected to both program impact and revenue generation.
- Help design and implement systems and tools to assist with generating feedback, data collection, and analysis necessary for successful performance management, learning and improvement, and resource allocation.
- Work in partnership with communications, program, and fund development team members to ensure regular communication with the NCFP community that supports strong engagement and encourages investment in the work.
- Supervise and develop staff.
- Develop and track revenue, expenses, and key performance indicators against annual goals.
- Listen for and identify opportunities for NCFP to bring value to its constituencies and the sector.
- Bring a balance of creativity and practicality in supporting ongoing strategy and process development within an organization of similar size and scope.
QUALIFICATIONS
While one person may not embody all the qualities below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:
Foundational Requirements
- Dedication to supporting families gain greater clarity of purpose and achieve more meaning and impact in their giving.
- Committed to a workplace that values different backgrounds and life experiences. Desire to learn about and incorporate equity and racial equity lenses into programs, structures, and processes for NCFP employees and the constituencies NCFP serves.
- Demonstrated ability to multitask, discern, prioritize, allocate resources, and meet deadlines.
- An optimistic outlook and the integrity, kindness, and patience necessary to work in a transformative, dynamic environment.
- Comfort with organizational change and the ability to make decisions with imperfect information.
- Can leverage data-based observation and interpretation to engage stakeholders in shaping and implementing solutions, and for learning and continuous improvement.
- Ability to take initiative and contribute ideas for enhancing performance.
Desired Technical Competencies, Experience, Certifications, & Education
- BA/BS preferred. Minimum of five years relevant and progressive professional experience with specific experience related to the family philanthropy field.
- Experience with facilitation, Family Systems Theory, private and public foundation rules and regulations, adult learning methods.
- Familiarity with trends in philanthropy and the ability to add to the knowledgebase in the field of family philanthropy.
- Experience developing and delivering seminars, workshops, and cohort-based learning opportunities, including standalone events and longer-term, multi-session learning arcs.
- Strong virtual and in-person facilitation and engagement skills.
- Experience conducting programmatic needs assessments and assessing program outcomes.
- Ability to network and build relationships with organizations and individuals to increase NCFP’s visibility and further its mission and goals.
- Commitment to motivating and supporting internal and external stakeholders to work together to create a culture that centers the intersectional aspects of equity and racial equity.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively; willingness to be helpful; experience managing up, down, and across.
- Skilled in helping team members, including staff and consultants, set goals that can achieve measurable results; helps promote accountability at the team and individual level.
- Provides and asks for supportive coaching and direct feedback.
- Excellent writing, editing, analytical, and oral communication skills including the ability to collect, review, synthesize and present information and findings.
- Ability to integrate program development and revenue planning to support NCFP’s impact and sustainability goals.
- Can facilitate ownership and decision-making by establishing clear parameters, including developing and managing budgets.
· Skilled in using various IT tools and applications for program delivery, communication, data management and performance management.
For more about the National Center for Family Philanthropy, please visit: https://www.ncfp.org
How To Apply
To apply, send a cover letter and resume to hr@ncfp.org, subject line: Program Director Search. NCFP will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis the week of October 15, 2021. Thank you for your interest!