Job Announcement – Foundation Director
The Threshold Foundation, a funders collective that for over 30 years has been a catalyst for social and environmental change, is seeking a full-time Foundation Director to work with the organization’s leadership and membership to strengthen its operations, expand its footprint, and increase its impact.
Threshold creates meaningful change in the world by seeding hundreds of nascent organizations, and by supporting the inception of multiple donor networks and socially responsible businesses throughout the world. With a multi-generational membership, the foundation aligns its resources with its values while fostering a fertile training ground for members’ individual and collective expression of their passions and purpose.
The organization is both a gathering place for deeply committed people to explore their highest philanthropic purpose and a grant-making body that amplifies impact.
The Foundation Director position offers an individual who shares the group’s values, beliefs and commitment a rare and exciting opportunity to be a part of transformational growth – at the institutional and societal levels.
Reporting directly to the President of the Board, and coordinating with members of the Executive Committee, the Foundation Director’s key responsibilities will include:
- Overseeing the organization’s legal, financial and grant-management functions carried out by staff of the Tides Foundation.
- Working with the President of the Board, and the Executive Committee, to ensure that all programmatic initiatives and operational needs are smoothly.
- Overseeing external consultants working on organizing, planning and facilitating our two retreats every year.
- Overseeing external consultants working on Community Engagement.
- Supporting the work of standing Board Committees and Funding Circles to ensure active engagement (the administrative component will be retained by Tides).
- Providing thoughtful input into grant-making opportunities (the technical aspects of due diligence will continue to be handled by Tides), making recommendations based on experience, personal insights and knowledge of the ecosystem.
- Helping to design, and leading the execution of, a membership expansion initiatives.
- Designing and managing a communications plan for the entire membership, ensuring that information is flowing and engagement is enhanced.
- Developing ideas for new, smaller gatherings that enhance the participation, and growth, of individual members.
- Representing the foundation, alone or with key members, at gatherings of peer organizations and those at which leaders of current and prospective grantees are present.
- Identifying, creating and designing strategic partnerships with other individuals or funding collectives to augment the reach and impact of the foundation. This is a new priority area of growth, and represents the next stage of Threshold’s evolution and will be done in close collaboration with board leadership.
The ideal candidate will possess the following personal and professional attributes.
- Familiarity with one or more of the issues the foundation currently funds: Climate Strategies; Food and Farming; High Impact Documentary Films; Middle East Peace; and Thriving Resilient Communities
- 5+ years of professional experience in philanthropy, non-profits or community organizing
- Terrific communication skills, in writing and orally, with an ability to present publically
- Sharp administrative acumen; stellar management skills
- Deep personal commitment to social justice
- Ease and fluidity working with individuals possessing significant wealth
- Diplomatic and honest communication style
- Ability to build consensus
- Independent spirit coupled with a willingness to take direction as well as give and receive feedback
- Sense of humor
- Flexible and trustworthy, with excellent judgment
- High level of energy, curiosity and openness to new possibilities and worldviews
- A sense of urgency about the need to actively address some of the most pressing issues facing society.
The Foundation Director will be offered an opportunity to work from wherever s/he is located. Thus, a high level of self-direction, integrity and discipline is necessary. Frequent travel is anticipated. Candidates may work from a home office or co-working space.
