Disney Family Foundation Executive Director

Position Description EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ROY AND PATRICIA DISNEY FAMILY FOUNDATION (Los Angeles, California)

THE FOUNDATION:
Mission: We invest in innovative solutions and community leaders to build a more just, equitable, and sustainable world in which all people thrive.

The Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation (RPDFF), formerly the Roy Disney Family Foundation, was established in 1969 by Roy and Edna Disney. It operated as a small family foundation without formal structure or professional staff until the Foundation received a large bequest following the passing of Patricia Disney in 2012. With a current endowment approaching $125 million, the Foundation grants up to $6 million each year through an invitation process to numerous nonprofit agencies in the areas within the RPDFF mission and program priorities. The Roy & Patricia Disney Family Foundation is governed by two bodies, Qualified Members (Member Board), most of whom are direct descendants of Roy and Patricia Disney, and Directors who are elected by the Member Board to serve on the Board of Directors. In general, the Member Board is responsible for approving grants and setting the mission and strategic direction of the Foundation, while the Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of daily operations, finances, and policies of the Foundation. Currently, there are 19 Qualified Members and 7 Board Members. The number of active Members changes from year to year based on each individual’s availability. The Foundation office is located in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles.

Program Priorities:

Equity, justice, and sustainability serve as an overall framework for the Foundation’s grantmaking. Taken together, they help integrate program areas so the Foundation can provide more holistic investments to support vulnerable populations who face a myriad of social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental inequities in their lives and communities. The Foundation aims to invest in solutions that can address the underlying conditions that perpetuate inequality, as well as solutions that support new paradigms to old problems. The Foundation believes that complex social challenges must be addressed as part of an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort; partnerships, peer networks, and leveraging of resources are essential to achieving the Foundation’s mission. The Foundation’s impact as a grantmaker correlates with the strength of the organizations and leaders it invests in. Therefore, if needed or requested, the Foundation will provide flexible funding, general operating support grants, as well as other capacity building investments for organization to amplify their impact and reach. Vulnerable, marginalized or disenfranchised populations are an important focus of the Foundation’s work. The three program areas include Empowerment & Equal Opportunity, Bluer/Greener World, and Vibrant Communities.

For information about past grantees, please visit the website at https://www.rpdff.org.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Guided by the Foundation’s mission and values, the Executive Director will work in concert with the Board of Directors and Member Board and will be responsible for the overall leadership and management of the Foundation. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will supervise a small staff (the Grants Manager and the Operations and Program Associate) while also working closely with the Family Office, Shamrock Holdings, Inc., which manages the Foundation’s finances, investments, operations, and human resources. The Executive Director will be directly accountable for the soundness of the operating finances including budgets. He/She will help the Member Board coalesce around the mission to realize its aspirations and will create the conditions for strategic, effective decision making and ongoing discovery of opportunities for collaboration and partnership to leverage impact.

Specific responsibilities include the following:

Board Relations/Governance: Develop strong, positive working relationships with the Members and the Board. Work in collaboration with both in defining and developing the Foundation’s guiding frameworks. Navigate family dynamics with care; develop relationships with each individual Member. Including every member and keeping the family working together is a deeply held value and goal of the Foundation.

Programs and Grantmaking: Create and administer grant making programs, policies and procedures that fulfill the mission of the Foundation. Engage in ongoing research and information gathering to ensure the Foundation is making plans about the present and future, understanding and anticipating changes in the landscape, particularly in key focus areas.

Partner/Grantee Relations: Develop and maintain strong, positive working relationships with partner/grantee organizations. Develop ways to evaluate the effectiveness of the Foundation’s grantmaking.

Budgeting and Fiscal Oversight: Work in partnership with the family office in all matters related to finance and administration. Develop and recommend an annual operating plan and budget to the Board.

Philanthropic Education: Provide education, guidance, training and information on best practices in family philanthropy, governance and Board roles and responsibilities. Educate and mentor the newer generation of philanthropists on the Board.

Internal Communications: Frame issues for Board discussion and decision-making effectively. Keep the Board regularly informed of progress, developments and significant events.

External Relations: Develop and maintain constructive relationships and strategic partnerships with key stakeholders.

Results and Impact: Develop ways to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the Foundation’s grantmaking to inform decision-making and also as a tool for Board reporting.

TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS:

Leading candidates will embrace the mission and philanthropic interests of the RPDFF and its Board and demonstrate a sincere commitment to its core values. The Executive Director will provide interactive leadership and should help the Board, collectively and individually, to realize the full potential of the Foundation’s work through focused and disciplined grant making. As such, the Executive Director will be an enabler and facilitator who will have the strength of character and conviction to work with the dynamic mission of the RPDFF while also not being ego driven; the successful candidate will be a confident individual for whom the ownership of ideas is less important than the results of the collaborative effort and the wishes of the family. She/He should be seen as a convener, animator and facilitator who engages with the Board and who can then distill ideas and clarify issues and translate them into impactful and forward thinking grantmaking. She/He will provide leadership in the development of a framework that supports the vetting of issues, the delineation of options and the assessment of programmatic outcomes.

The Executive Director should be an inspirational leader whose transparent, communicative and engaging style encourages creativity and engenders trust. The successful candidate should have a good sense of humor and be empathetic, open-minded, confident, and professional, yet unpretentious. Flexibility, adaptability and the ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion are critical attributes. He/She will be an astute listener who is responsive, accessible and open to the ideas and opinions of others. The ideal candidate will demonstrate an inspiring, collaborative leadership style and embody a caring leader mindset. As such, he/she should be diplomatic but decisive, politically astute, culturally sensitive, and able to accomplish goals through inspiration, motivation and delegation. The Board is seeking a leader who is focused on advancing the work of the Foundation through the rare combination of personal humility, emotional maturity and a strong desire to effect positive change in the world.

CAREER PATH LEADING TO THIS POSITION:

Although the successful candidate will most likely have solid experience in the philanthropic community as a grantor or grantee, it is also possible that the individual could come from another background. Candidates with previous experience and demonstrated interest in the family’s core giving areas will be at an advantage. The ability to build and manage effective board relationships collaboratively, forging pragmatic solutions in environments characterized by fluidity and complexity is essential. Experience working with diverse communities and across generations is important; the Executive Director should have the ability to work on multiple levels with a wide variety of constituencies. The successful candidate should have the capacity to facilitate the effective and efficient administration and management of the Foundation’s grantmaking programs, and handle administrative and logistical details associated with organizational operations and personnel management.

EDUCATION:

An undergraduate degree is required and an advanced degree is preferred.

COMPENSATION:

Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be provided.

TO APPLY:

Please direct inquiries, nominations, and applications, including resume and a compelling letter of interest in confidence to:

Karin Stellar
Morris & Berger
500 North Brand Boulevard, Suite 2150 Glendale, CA 91203
Telephone 818-507-1234 – Fax 818-507-4770 kstellar@morrisberger.com

Electronic submission is encouraged.

e-Pd.2056