The Organization
GCIR envisions a society in which everyone thrives no matter where they were born. To make that vision a reality, we galvanize philanthropy to advance immigrant justice and belonging.
As the nation’s only immigrant-focused philanthropy-supporting organization (PSO), we work with our more than 130 member institutions, the 1,200 individual grantmakers in our network, our partners in the field, and other PSOs to mobilize funder resources on the most pressing issues facing immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Our staff of 10 and our 17-member board of directors come from all walks of life, many of us with immigrant and refugee backgrounds, some of us with non-traditional career paths, and all of us committed to social justice. While the GCIR staff is based primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area, our members are local, state, regional, and national foundations who transcend issue area, geographic region, and ideological categorization.
In 2017, Inside Philanthropy named us Funders’ Affinity Group of the Year for leading funder pushback to anti-immigrant policies. In 2020, we celebrate our 30th anniversary as we embark on a search for a new leader, one with the courage, vision, and experience to take us to new heights.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, GCIR led the creation of the California Immigrant Resilience Fund (CIRF), which to date has raised $40 million from individual and institutional donors to help undocumented Californians weather economic hardship. For more information on GCIR please visit our website: https://www.gcir.org/
Position Overview
THE OPPORTUNITY
At a pivotal moment in history for the immigrant justice movement, GCIR offers a powerful platform for galvanizing philanthropy to advance a long-term affirmative vision for a just, equitable, and inclusive society—and a vibrant and pluralistic democracy.
The new GCIR president will lead a highly influential organization with a stellar track record of accomplishments, an outstanding reputation as a thought leader, and well-established relationships with a wide range of stakeholders in philanthropy and the field. Building upon a solid foundation established by the founding president, the new president will have the opportunity to shape GCIR’s future direction and focus in alignment with the organization’s mission and values.
The president will work closely with a dedicated board of directors, leveraging their expertise, connections, and resources to advance organizational goals. The president will lead a team of talented and high-performing staff, who have a wide range of lived and professional experiences. The senior management team—comprising the vice president of programs, vice president of operations, and director of communications and development—is ready to share leadership responsibility and partner with the new president in defining, prioritizing, and executing the work. With a focus on professional development and internal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work over the past year and a half, the entire team is well positioned to help GCIR accomplish its objectives and increase its impact in the coming years.
GCIR is in a strong financial position, with an annual operating budget of $2.6 million. The new president will prioritize fundraising and institutional advancement to maintain GCIR’s strong fiscal health and to strengthen its long-term sustainability. Continued resource development, including membership cultivation and retention, will be another key responsibility.
The immediate focus of the role will be on navigating GCIR through a major leadership transition; forging relationships with staff and board; maintaining the impressive range of external relationships held by the organization; planning and leading a fundraising strategy; and leading the staff and Board through the process of building a new strategic plan to support GCIR’s mission of advancing more affirmative immigrant-related grantmaking.
The role provides an excellent opportunity for the right candidate to expand GCIR’s sphere of influence within philanthropy, utilizing strategic thinking, advocacy, and influencing skills.
KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
These include:
- Leadership of GCIR and vision for the organization’s future
- Relationships and thought leadership
- Fundraising and institutional advancement
- Partnership with the Board of Directors
- Oversight of programs and communications
- Oversight of finance and administration
- Management and organizational culture.
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
Organizational Leadership: The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker with passion, vision, a can-do spirit, and a deep commitment to GCIR’s values. They will have a bold vision for elevating GCIR’s leadership in its field: broadening the organization’s reach and influence and engaging a community of stakeholders working individually and collectively to advance GCIR’s mission. They will be able to demonstrate a record of innovation.
Knowledge of the Field: The candidate will bring a deep knowledge of immigration issues and trends, and a track record of advocating for positive change with diverse audiences. They will also bring a sophisticated understanding of the complex intersection and interplay of immigration with other issues and movements.
Relationships and Influence: The new president will be highly skilled in cultivating and maintaining relationships with philanthropic and movement leaders. They will understand the unique dynamics in philanthropy, and how GCIR’s intermediary role can create opportunities to advance a progressive agenda in the sector. They will have a genuine appreciation of different perspectives, and the skill to influence diverse stakeholders to find common ground and work on shared goals. With wisdom and maturity, they will know when to lead, when to partner, and when to step back to allow others to lead.
Fundraising Skills and Record: The candidate will bring a recent track record of significant fundraising from a diverse range of grantmakers and donors. They will have proven experience assessing funders’ priorities, determining how/if those align with GCIR’s priorities, and making the case for financial support aligned with those interests in a clear and persuasive manner. A positive reputation among funders in the community and/or philanthropic sector experience would be particularly welcome.
Finance and Operational Skills: The candidate will have the business acumen and operational expertise to ensure a fiscally and operationally healthy organization. They will have experience with overseeing budgets and financial reporting, and the ability to read financial accounts. They will know how to set and manage priorities and deadlines effectively for the team yet be able to pivot quickly in response to new challenges in the volatile policy environment and dynamic philanthropic ecosystem in which GCIR operates.
Leadership Qualities: GCIR seeks a leader who will bring emotional intelligence, and an approachable, humble, and compassionate leadership style, with a deep commitment to equity. They will be able to inspire, motivate, and empower staff, and support an inclusive organizational culture. Their self-confident, direct, and honest style will instill trust, promote collaboration, and support leadership development and professional growth. Given the gravity of the work, having an optimistic outlook, good sense of humor, and a high level of resilience will be essential to success. The new president likely has a personal connection to the immigrant or refugee experience.
REQUIREMENTS
GCIR’s key requirements for this role include:
- Experience with leading an organization of comparable size and complexity to GCIR, or taking a senior leadership role within a larger organization. Ideally, that experience will be with a community-based or state/national advocacy organization, a charitable grantmaking institution, or a philanthropy-serving organization.
- At least 10 years of thought leadership experience, ideally in the immigrant and/or social justice movement.
- Proven recent track record of fundraising (preference for a minimum of $3M per annum), including developing the case statement and making the “ask.”
- An established network of relationships and connections with institutional funders and individual donors who support immigrant justice and related fields.
- Ability and willingness to travel an average of twice a month to meet with stakeholders, represent the organization, or speak at conferences. [We recognize that Covid-19 may continue to limit travel in the short term].
LOCATION
GCIR currently has two physical offices in the San Francisco Bay Area, where most of the staff work. We also have two staff members who work remotely. Ideally, this position would continue to be based at one of the Bay Area offices or in another part of California.
Preference will be given to candidates living in, or willing to relocate to, the Bay Area (modest relocation assistance is available). Candidates based in other locations are invited to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
COMPENSATION
Salary range between $190,000 – $220,000 (depending on experience) plus benefits
GCIR offers a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package, including health insurance, retirement contribution, vacation and sick leave, support for professional development, and an employee matching-gifts program.
How To Apply
TO BE CONSIDERED
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, GCIR is committed to building and retaining a talented, diverse, and inclusive team. Our team members represent diverse backgrounds; bring a wide range of educational, professional, and lived experience; and contribute expertise from varied disciplines within the philanthropic, nonprofit, public, and corporate sectors. We welcome candidates of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities and expressions. We strongly encourage women, people of color, those from immigrant and refugee backgrounds, and others who fit our candidate profile and requirements to apply for this president role.
If you wish to apply please first read the full Position Announcement with more detail on the role’s key responsibilities and GCIR’s key requirements of candidates. It can be found at: GCIR President Position Announcement
Please submit a cover letter and résumé or curriculum vitae to virtual-assistant@gcir.org by close of business on Monday, August 10, 2020. In your cover letter, please explain why you are interested in this role and how your experience and skills are relevant to the requirements of GCIR. All inquiries and submissions will be kept strictly confidential.
Candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted by Sarah Burton, the search consultant retained by GCIR to lead this search.
Please note on timing: we recommend that you apply early, as we will review applications throughout July and may choose to close the search earlier than the deadline noted above.