COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS POSITION OVERVIEW PRESIDENT The Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts seeks a hands-on executive with leadership experience in non-profit organizations, or preferably Community Foundations, to lead the Community Foundation by promoting and stimulating philanthropy for community related goals, fostering public awareness of the Community Foundation and facilitating partnerships with other local agencies. The President serves as the public leader in fulfilling the mission of the Community Foundation, which is to mobilize philanthropy by matching donors and resources with community needs for the benefit of our region. The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts (Foundation) The Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity founded in 1995 to improve the quality of life in Southeastern Massachusetts by facilitating, advising, convening and/or responding to critical community issues. The Community Foundation offers donors, both individuals and organizations, flexibility in fulfilling their philanthropic goals. Individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create permanent charitable funds that help their region meet the challenges of changing times. The Foundation invests and administers these funds, with assets pooled for investment purposes. Individual funds in turn make grants benefiting charitable organizations in Southeastern Massachusetts. While the Foundation s primary grant-making focus is the SouthCoast communities of Greater New Bedford, Greater Fall River and Southern Plymouth County, the Foundation serves 41 cities and towns throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. Since 2005, the Foundation has distributed more than $20 million in grants and scholarships, with $3.5 million awarded in the most recent year. These distributions come from 225 funds with total assets of $33.5 million that support youth programs, expand economic opportunities, increase educational attainment, promote sustainability, invest in the creative economy and, through the Women s Fund, improve the economic status of women and girls. The Foundation also facilitates community initiatives by partnering with and convening other agencies and groups. Recent initiatives include the Early Literacy Initiative, the SouthCoast Youth Alliance, and the Education Roundtable. With 2015 marking the 20 th anniversary of the Foundation, the Board believes the Foundation is well positioned to continue to vigorously pursue our vision of a better quality of life for our region. For example, as a leader in education, the Foundation manages 75 education funds, including 5 local educational foundations, 62 scholarship funds, and 15 educational funds for individual schools and programs. The Foundation sponsors AHA! (Art History Architecture), which organizes the monthly arts and culture nights in New Bedford and now in Fall River as well. One of the flagship funds at the Foundation is SEEAL (the Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance), whose mission is to support its partners capacity to provide quality environmental education and stewardship in our region. The Foundation also focuses on building the capacity of other non-profits in the region by providing training and technical assistance.
Finally, the Foundation provides professional advisors and their clients a range of giving options and professional oversight to help donors meet their philanthropic and financial goals. The Foundation staff, the Investment Committee of the Board and the contracted Investment Managers all work together to help donors maximize their funds and leave a lasting legacy. More information is available at the Foundation s website, www.cfsema.org, and an overview of the Foundation is attached. The Position of President The President provides executive leadership and oversight in the direction and administration of the Foundation. The President operates under the general direction of the Board of Directors within the policies and procedures established by the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The President also serves as an ex-officio Board member and the principal advisor to the Board of Directors. The President is responsible for promoting and stimulating development of philanthropy in the region by developing relationships with present donors, seeking potential donors, fostering public awareness and understanding of the Foundation, and participating in and supporting the work of other community groups and agencies. The President is also responsible for working with the Board of Directors to update the Strategic Plan and oversee the execution of the Plan. The most recent plan had a three-year timeframe and was developed in 2012 so that the next President will have an opportunity to update the Plan with the Board. The themes of the current Plan include increasing the asset base and the number of invested funds, improving brand recognition and awareness, and improving education opportunities in the region. Roles and Responsibilities 1. Leadership and Vision Provide leadership by demonstrating good judgment, being an effective communicator, working well with staff, donors and community leaders, building consensus among staff and representatives of community agencies, providing appropriate guidance and oversight, and being able to motivate individuals. - Provide executive leadership to Foundation staff and representatives of community organizations. - Provide oversight and direction for written communication, including website, social media, brochures and newsletters. - Facilitate the development of and updates to the Strategic Plan. - Evaluate operations, services and programs in view of regulatory requirements, donor and community needs and the goals set forth in the Strategic Plan. - Responsible for all aspects of the Foundation s overall operating performance. - Establish effective and collaborative relationships with the Foundation s Board of Directors, Committee members, donors and community leaders.
- Prepare Board meeting materials, minutes and agendas in a timely and thorough manner to ensure full participation at meetings. Provide on-boarding assistance and education to new Board members. 2. Community Relations Establish strong working relationships with other community leaders to promote the image and goals of the Foundation and to facilitate other community efforts to benefit the region. - Provide leadership in convening other agencies towards common community goals. - Actively participate in community activities to raise awareness of the Foundation as an option for donors to meet their philanthropic goals. - Partner with other organizations to strengthen their expertise as viable non-profit agencies. 3. Philanthropy, Fund Development and Oversight Provide oversight and direction in raising funds to support the operations of the Foundation and to attract new donors and funds and to service existing donors and funds. Serve as the liaison to the Investment Committee of the Board and the professional Investment Advisors. - Organize annual fundraising appeals in conjunction with the Development Committee of the Board to ensure sufficient funds to run the operations of the Foundation. - Work with the Investment Committee of the Board and the professional Investment Advisors to develop and update investment and spending policies and maintain an administrative fee structure that is competitive and sufficient to fund operations. - Lead fundraising efforts to ensure sufficient operating funds and to secure more endowed funds to grow the total assets under management. - Provide oversight and direction to staff and the Investment Advisors to ensure regular and timely reporting of investment results and fund balances. 4. Operations and Management Develop, implement and maintain the infrastructure of the Foundation to ensure efficient operations, effective reporting of fund activity, break-even financial results, and achievement of the goals set forth in the Strategic Plan. - Oversee and direct the day-to-day operations of the Foundation, including oversight for the Foundation s office and building. - Manage the Foundation staff, including the evaluation of staff to enhance their skills and opportunities for professional development, while promoting a team approach to problem solving and a positive work environment. - Provide oversight to develop the annual operating budget and ensure financial controls are in place to ensure integrity and accuracy of reported results. - Evaluate opportunities for both expense control and revenue enhancement. - Ensure policies and procedures are in compliance with federal and state guidelines for Community Foundations and non-profit organizations. Ensure the Foundation maintains its accreditation.
- Collaborate with staff and others to ensure policies and procedures reflect best practice, take advantage of available technology and promote the growth of the Foundation. - Ensure all staff is competent in the software and technology needed to support the operations of the Foundation. Qualifications and Relevant Past Experience - Progressive leadership and executive experience in a Community Foundation or similar non-profit organization with a minimum of 7 years in leadership positions. - Bachelor s degree required. - Demonstrated willingness to lead by example, coach and mentor others. - Experience and a proven track record in successful fundraising efforts including grant writing, planned giving and major gifts. - Knowledge of and experience in the regulations and guidelines for non-profit charitable organizations, with experience in Community Foundations a plus. - Knowledge and experience in finance, the development of budgets, management of donor funds and an understanding of investment strategies and gift vehicles. - Experience in running a small staff with a hands-on approach as needed to ensure priorities and deadlines are met within limited resources. - Experience in community activities and relations including strong communication skills, relationship and partnership building skills, and negotiation and listening skills. - Ability to bring together diverse groups with competing needs and agendas. - Proficient with digital technology, computers and software to ensure activities take advantage of current technologies. The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $130,000. Application Instructions: Please email your cover letter and resume to presidentjob@cfsema.org. We are only considering applications that are submitted via email. Please name your documents as follows: LAST NAME- RESUME and LAST NAME-COVER LETTER. Applications are due by April 15. The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and to compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. To this end, the Foundation ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, lawful alien status, physical, mental, and medical disability, veteran status or liability for service in the United States Armed Forces. The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts Overview as of January 1, 2016 o Established in 1995 o Serves 41 communities in Southeastern Massachusetts o Board Chair: Seth Garfield o President: Craig Dutra o Standing Committees and Chairs: Development - Peter C. Bullard Finance - Mary Louise Nunes Investment Eric Strand Scholarship Seth Garfield o 225 Funds and $34 million in assets o More than $23 million in grants and program support distributed since 2005 o Over $3 million in grants, scholarships and program support awarded in 2015 o Major Funds: Acushnet Foundation Fund Polaroid Fund Hawthorn Medical Associates Fund Henry Crapo Foundation Fund Jacobs Family New Bedford High Schools Scholarship Fund James Arnold Fund MacLean Children s Fund Rainy Day Fund Gosnold Fund o Types of Funds Donor and Committee Advised Field of Interest Named Discretionary Designated Organizational Endowment Scholarship o Flagship Funds AHA! (Arts History and Architecture) SEEAL (Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance) Women s Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts o Capacity Building Programs and Resources Grants Library Individual technical assistance to non-profits New Bedford Education Roundtable