San Francisco, CA

President and Chief Executive Officer, Northern California Grantmakers

The Organization

About the Northern California Grantmakers (NCG)

NCG is a dynamic membership organization that brings philanthropic leaders and organizations together to build healthy, thriving, and just communities. With an annual budget of $5.7 million; a 14-member Board of Directors comprised of senior leaders representing the full array of NCG’s membership; and an experienced staff of 18; NCG has quintupled our membership to more than 200 institutions and 3000 individuals and strengthened our programming over the past five years under the leadership of our outgoing President and Chief Executive Officer.

We are a catalyst for our region’s philanthropic community. We bring funders and other key stakeholders together to tackle big issues and achieve shared goals. Together we are able to achieve results far greater than if we go it alone. To maximize the collective power of our community, we partner with our members in three areas of focus:

• Equity and Social Justice: Activating philanthropy to shape a world where all people can flourish.

• Leadership, Culture and Community: Connecting habits of the heart, mind, and hands for people and institutions in philanthropy to guide principled and equitable action.

• Regional Vibrancy and Sustainability: Making this a place we can all call home.

This approach allows us to advocate for smart strategic philanthropy and community practice while maintaining the flexibility to respond to emerging issues that impact our members and the region.

Northern California is confronting complex issues in a diverse and dramatically changing environment. The choices we all make now will shape our community and cultural legacy for generations. Our work at NCG affords us the extraordinary opportunity to have a lasting and meaningful impact in the place we call home.

Vision: By 2025, NCG will fully live into our role as a leadership hub, practice equity inside and out, and connect ideas, resources and support where they’re most needed across the region.

More information about NCG can be found at www.ncg.org.

Position Overview

About the Position 

NCG seeks a courageous, relationship-oriented and strategic President and Chief Executive Officer (President & CEO) to build on the considerable momentum we currently enjoy, and to further refine and transform the organization so that it can realize and expand its full potential as a key partner in efforts to advance the common good in Northern California, statewide, and beyond.

Major Areas of Responsibility

Engagement with the Board of Directors
• Supports the Board’s leadership and effectiveness

• Brings recommendations on issues or changes to programs, services, or operations, along with options, to the Board for their consideration and decision making

• Ensures the Board is kept informed of the status of NCG’s programs, membership services, and finances

• Ensures the Board has complete and timely information to support its decision making

• Works closely with the Board Chair to develop agendas for Board meetings that reflect the interests of the Board and provide learning about the program areas and external environment that impact NCG’s program work

Organizational Leadership 
• Leads the development, implementation and regular refinement of NCG’s overarching strategy toward achieving its mission and goals  • Leads an effective and efficient organization according to best practices and ethical guidelines • Understands and optimizes the business model of membership organizations/associations • Creates a positive, collaborative, and productive organizational culture and working conditions that inspire and support high performing staff, accountability, respect, excellence, equity, and integrity • Leads organization-wide continuous improvement, collaboration, and practices of shared responsibility and communication  • Identifies capacity needs and the structure required to implement strategy, aligning human resources with the organizational strategy and goals  • Represents and models organizational values to ensure they are understood and operationalized  • Ensures robust processes are in place to support authentic performance feedback and ongoing professional development

Organizational Effectiveness, Development and Learning
Manages a talented senior team of five direct reports that help:

• Oversee all key functional areas, developing the organization to achieve NCG’s mission and goals and creates an effective working environment

• Ensure continuous learning and growth opportunities for staff

• Serve as the organization’s top administrative manager, ensuring all the operational components are managed day-to-day by staff

• Attend to developments in the field and in our community that impact the field and the work of NCG; anticipate implications and set a path to take advantage of emerging opportunities and mitigate potential setbacks

• Represent NCG and our member community on issues impacting our field, our communities, and our world • Work in partnership with Philanthropy CA to advance shared goals

• Cultivate a culture of engagement and collaboration on the NCG team and in the NCG member community

• Mentor strong, capable staff

• Ensure annual work planning to identify annual goals and individual work plans and to coordinate work plans across functional, program, and other key areas

Strategy Development, Management, and Evaluation 
• Ensures NCG’s programs are ambitious, responsive to member needs, have concrete and measurable objectives, and support NCG’s values and mission

• Encourages programmatic innovation in line with NCG’s vision, mission and annual goals

• Ensures the programs, events, and initiative work of NCG is documented and evaluated, and that key findings are disseminated to impact future work by staff

Strategic Communications and Public Affairs
• Oversees the messaging and branding of NCG, as well as the external communications of NCG

• Represents NCG to its various constituencies including members, prospective members, other grantmaking entities, regional associations, legislative representatives, civic and nonprofit leaders

• Participates in various philanthropic events, conferences and meetings to promote the work of NCG and nurture and build relationships with colleagues

• Shepherds policy relationships with government officials and provides oversight on policy issues affecting our sector and communities

Resource Development, Operations and Finance 
• Develops and executes a fundraising plan, leveraging relationships and network of Board members and staff

• Identifies new and expanded channels of revenue for NCG and creates and executes development plans for each channel

• Secures financial and other resources to support a robust organizational capacity required to deliver on our mission

• Oversees the smooth and efficient operation of NCG to support the organization’s mission and goals, including information technology and office systems, human resources, information retention policies, knowledge management, and facilities

• Oversees NCG’s financial management, including analyzing the current revenue model, diversifying revenue streams, overseeing the annual audit, grants and operation budgets, accounting, internal controls, IRS compliance, and salary and benefits administration

• Ensures that operational and financial performance indicators are in place and accurate, are reviewed regularly by senior staff and Board members, and are used for continuous improvement

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Seven to ten years of demonstrated leadership and management experience in philanthropy, nonprofits, government or for-profit business settings with a trajectory of increasing responsibilities

• Demonstrated thought leadership in a mission-driven setting

• Broad understanding of the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors, the trends therein, and the competitive landscape for NCG’s professional programs and services

• Experience being the “face” of an organization, having an external leadership persona, and comfort representing NCG in the sector locally, statewide, regionally, and nationally with a track record of delivering well developed presentations to both small and large groups and a diverse array of audiences and stakeholders

• Experience in fundraising with diverse revenue streams and/or increasing the membership of an association

• Experience working with or demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the business model of a successful membership or a mission-driven, entrepreneurial organization

• Prior experience in strategic leadership and/or management positions with programs and/or member services, or an analogous service offering

• Fiscal management experience in a business, nonprofit or government agency, or operating unit including creating and managing budgets and developing budget forecasts and analyses

• Demonstrated track record of successfully leading and managing a diverse and experienced staff of at least 18, with five direct reports, including mentoring, ensuring staff development, cultivating culture, and providing inspirational and effective leadership

• All levels of education will be considered, including lived experience

Desired Competencies and Attributes

The successful professional will have the following traits:
• Ability to build community through the cultivation and effective management of both new and wellestablished relationships with diverse individuals and institutions

• Demonstrated leadership talents to inspire and motivate staff, Board, and external constituents

• Deep commitment to equity and experience driving equity-based policies and programs

• Inclusive style capable of bringing people together to align around a shared vision

• Capacity to cultivate a working environment centered on an abundance mindset

• Proactive, strategic thinker with an orientation to action

• Self-starter with the ability to develop and win business

• Creative thinker, able to envision and actualize innovative programs and services

• Ability to be flexible, responsive, and resourceful to lead through times of change and crisis

• Energetic, collaborative, and communicative professional style

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Ability to be forthright

• Ability to partner effectively with the Board

• Demonstrates integrity and humility in work style

• Effective with a strong work ethic

• A sense of humor and a containable ego

Compensation and Benefits

The Salary Range for this position is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. There is an excellent benefits package including generous medical, dental, and vision plans; paid time off; a bonus plan, and a retirement plan.

How To Apply

NCG is partnering with Walker and Associates Consulting – a Bay Area-based, national strategic management consulting and search firm – to facilitate this search. To apply, email a cover letter, resume and list of three references (candidates will be notified in advance of any outreach to your references) to NCG@walkeraac.com  on or before 5:00 p.m. PST on Friday, May 15, 2020.

Use the subject line: President & CEO Search. Please submit PDF or Microsoft Word files only, preferably with all materials in one combined file. Resume review begins immediately. Questions or Nominations? Contact Constance Walker at cwalker@walkeraac.com.

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