The Organization
The Rights, Faith & Democracy Funder Collaborative (RFDC) is seeking a multifaceted leader to oversee the day-to-day functions of this exciting and timely new philanthropic Collaborative. The Program Director of the RFDC (“Program Director”) will serve in a full-time capacity, reporting to the Proteus Fund President, Paul Di Donato. Ideally, the Program Director will be based in New York, New York.
About Proteus Fund and the RFDC
Proteus Fund is a public foundation that partners with other foundations, advocates, and individual donors to advance democracy, human rights, and peace. Our model is built on flexible, responsive high-quality grant making capacity, an efficient and customized framework of financial, compliance, human resources and other services, as well as our deep experience in facilitating collaborative social justice philanthropy.
Founded in 1994, Proteus and its aligned organizations have been responsible for over $175 million in grants to date towards the realization of a just, equitable, and democratic world. To fulfill our mission, Proteus Fund:
• Convenes and facilitates donor collaboratives that strategically focus and maximize philanthropic resources and impact;
• Partners with other social justice initiatives through fiscal sponsorship;
• Offers Donor Advised Funds and manages family foundations aligned with Proteus Fund’s vision and mission; and
• Provides further philanthropic support for social justice organizations and movements through Proteus Action League lobbying grants.
The Rights, Faith & Democracy Funder Collaborative (RFDC) is a recently created grant making collaborative that supports a diverse field of state-based organizations seeking to address the distorting and damaging use of religious exemptions to discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community, curtail reproductive rights and justice, and otherwise undermine basic rights and liberties of democracy. The RFDC is one of several collaboratives housed within Proteus.
The RFDC’s grant making includes an emphasis on engaging faith leaders and communities as a means to ground its efforts in religious values that embrace the rights and dignity of women and members of the LGBTQ community. The RFDC also has a strong focus on racial justice in light of the disproportionate impact of bias, discrimination, and bias-driven violence against communities of color. In addition to helping build and support this particular field of work via grant making, this initiative is also intended to serve as a broader vehicle for donor education and mobilization in the hope of achieving deeper funder alignment and collaboration on this and closely related issues.
To learn more, please visit http://www.proteusfund.org/rfdc.
Position Overview
The Opportunity
The RFDC is seeking a multifaceted leader to oversee the day-to-day functions of this exciting and timely new philanthropic Collaborative. The Program Director of the RFDC (“Program Director”) will serve in a full-time capacity, reporting to the Proteus Fund President, Paul Di Donato. Ideally, the Program Director will be based in New York, NY, although remote locations may be explored.
The Program Director will work closely with RFDC’s foundation and individual funding partners to design and execute strategic philanthropic support for organizations serving those most threatened by harmful religious exemptions policies and practices. The Program Director will bring critical insight and leadership to this important initiative.
The Program Director will work closely with RFDC grantees and potential grantees, as well as other key actors in relevant fields in order to create a grant making program to foster innovative and effective public.
The Program Director will work closely with RFDC grantees and potential grantees, as well as other key actors in relevant fields in order to create a grant making program to foster innovative and effective public education and related efforts to achieve the goals and objectives of the RFDC. With the support of the President of Proteus Fund as well as other Proteus colleagues, the Program Director will be responsible for providing strategic vision, direction, and management for the RFDC.
Key responsibilities of the Program Director include:
• Program Strategy, Implementation, and Learning
• Grants Management
• Partnership & Communications
• Administration
To be successful in this role, the Program Director will bring:
• Significant knowledge of substantial issues relevant to the RFDC’s work, including experience with state-based, cross-movement advocacy.
• At least eight to ten years of experience in a relevant nonprofit/philanthropic setting with over five years of senior management experience.
• A Bachelor’s degree in public policy, public administration, social science, or related field; advanced degree in public policy, public administration, social science, or related field is preferred.
• Ability to travel as needed (up to 30%).
Contact
Melissa Madzel and Abe Taleb of Koya Leadership Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express your interest in this role, please submit your resume and a compelling cover letter via the Koya Leadership Partners website www.koyapartners.com.
All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
Proteus Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Proteus Fund believes that one of the great strengths of the community is the rich diversity of its residents and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, physical or mental disability, whistleblower status, or any other category protected by state or federal law. Proteus Fund’s policies and practices are to reflect Proteus Fund’s commitment to nondiscrimination in all areas of employment.