Position Announcement: Executive Director

The Discount Foundation, a small private foundation concerned with large social problems, seeks a talented and politically astute Executive Director committed to community organizing and building power for poor and working people.

Since 1996, The Discount Foundation has focused entirely upon alleviating poverty by supporting exemplary programs to make work pay. In 2009, the Foundation modified its focus further by establishing its Organizing for Worker Justice program, which aims to improve job opportunities, wages and benefits for poor and working people through supporting their right to join unions or other forms of collective action. The Foundation seeks to empower working people by strengthening their institutions -- specifically organizing groups, churches and congregations, immigrant and labor organizations – and encouraging relationships and collaboration among these institutions. In addition, the Foundation supports innovative public policies to secure jobs with livable wages, benefits, and career opportunities for poor and working people.

The Foundation, governed by a seven member Board of Directors, has a $5 million endowment, and makes approximately 30 grants per year totaling $1,000,000. The Foundation is engaged in a four year spend out. The Executive Director position is part-time, requiring an average of 20 hours per week, although not necessarily spread evenly throughout the year. There is one grant making cycle per year and the office is currently located in Boston, Massachusetts. It is possible that the incoming Executive Director could relocate the office to a new location agreeable to the Board. Overnight travel is required at least once per month. For additional information about the Foundation and its programs, please go to: www.discountfoundation.org.

Opportunities and Challenges

The next Executive Director should be prepared to work with the Board and consultants to lead Discount Foundation through the shift that is already underway from a thirty-five year old leader among small foundations to a healthy and impactful close within four years. This transition will require a thoughtful and strategic approach to leverage outstanding assets with the goal of nearing mission completion with the remaining resources. The graceful and thoughtful ending of any nonprofit is a challenge; to conclude the work of an organization dedicated to alleviating poverty and empowering the working poor is an opportunity for someone who seeks the chance to use all of their strategic, political and organizing skills along with the assets of the Foundation to make a significant impact on the field.

Working in partnership with other philanthropies and strategic nonprofits is an important part of leading a proactive small foundation. The next Executive Director will enter the organization with working relationships with nonprofit, philanthropic, labor and community leaders already in place and will be challenged to provide collaborative leadership in the field.

Responsibilities

The Executive Director is responsible for managing The Discount Foundation and its grant making activities in accordance with its mission. He/she reports to the Board of Directors and supervises a part-time administrative staff person and several contractors (financial manager, web and graphic designers, and occasional program consultants).

The Executive Director provides institutional leadership by developing and implementing the grant making strategy of the Foundation with the Board of Directors, and maintains strong and active relations with grantees, foundation colleagues, and allied institutions like labor unions, community organizing networks, academics and policymakers nationally.

The Executive Director provides support, counsel and information to the Board of Directors and promotes learning opportunities related to the Foundation’s program. The Executive Director oversees all communications to build the profile of the Foundation in support of its strategies and programs. He/she participates actively in foundation convenings and networks, including affinity groups, and develops all communications, including website, electronic brochures and/or annual reports.

In program development, the Executive Director assists the Board in clarifying the endgame strategy to meet Discount’s mission and further the Foundation’s impact. The Executive Director will be held accountable to implement clear organizational goals and meet objectives. Programmatic duties include: responding to requests for information, issuing requests for proposals, conducting site visits and proposal reviews, commissioning studies, and preparing grant recommendations and all materials necessary for the annual grant making meeting.

The Executive Director is chief of operations and responsible for developing and refining appropriate systems to coordinate communication, documentation, accounting and grant evaluation. Further the Executive Director develops and monitors the annual operating budget and maintains proper fiscal management, maintains the Foundation’s office space, furniture, files and equipment, hires and supervises support staff and consultants, and ensures that the Foundation complies with federal, state and local laws and regulations.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is someone with the energy and talent to work cooperatively with other funders, labor and community leaders to advance a common agenda for social and economic justice. Therefore, the Foundation seeks an executive familiar with community organizing and organizations with an understanding of the political landscape and the various approaches to building power for poor and working people (including community, labor and faith-based organizing). This person needs to be a “self-starter,” able to work independently with limited supervision to assess current programs, policies, and grant making opportunities. The Executive Director must be a clear thinker and writer, with solid management skills, and an excellent relationship builder. Specific qualifications include:

  1. Minimum of five years experience in community or labor organizing or philanthropy, including planning and executing strategies, plans and programs. Experience with policy or foundation programming is desired, though not required.
  2. Demonstrated commitment to social and economic justice, and a dedication to the mission and current program focus of the Foundation.
  3. Excellent relationship building skills with a demonstrated ability to build partnerships; proven ability to represent the foundation in the philanthropic and nonprofit communities.
  4. Minimum of three years management and administrative experience evidencing attention to detail and skill at maintaining administrative systems. Experience starting and running an organization or program is a plus.
  5. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  6. A keen analytical ability that can be applied to operations and finances as well as to the review and assessment of potential and existing grantees.
  7. Computer literate with expertise in Microsoft Office and online communication tools.
  8. Capable of overnight travel that includes, generally, at least one trip per month.
  9. Possess a minimum of a BS/BA degree, in a relevant field, or equivalent experience.

Compensation

The compensation package is based on meeting job qualifications and is competitive with small foundations in the Northeast. The Discount Foundation offers a flexible benefit package.

To Apply

Interested individuals should send via email their resume with cover letter in confidence by February 13, 2012 to:

Suzanne Maas
Leadership Transitions
search@leadertransitions.com

The Discount Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting a broadly diverse pool of candidates for this position.