Position Specification President and Chief Executive Officer 09 April 2014 Carlson Beck, LLC advises Northern California Grantmakers on the basis of an exclusive consulting engagement.
POSITION SPECIFICATION NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GRANTMAKERS THE POSITION: REPORTS TO: LOCATION: PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER BOARD OF DIRECTORS SAN FRANCISCO THE ORGANIZATION Overview ( NCG ) is an association of foundations, corporate contributions programs and other private and public grantmakers. Building on an initiative started in 1965 to exchange ideas, improve cooperation among foundations, and increase their knowledge of community issues and challenges, NCG has now grown to support the activity of approximately 170 grantmaking organizations and individuals, with combined grantmaking of more than $3 billion annually. NCG s work has resulted in an infrastructure that supports a robust professional community that continues to seek common standards, best practices, and leadership for the field. NCG's work is focused in two broad arenas: enhancing the effectiveness of philanthropy, and strengthening the ties between philanthropy and its many stakeholders in nonprofit organizations, government, business, media, academia, and the public at large. Specifically, NCG provides: A Forum for Collaborative Action NCG brings grantmakers and others together to share ideas, learn from one another and build collaborative relationships. Substantial new grantmaking programs sometimes result from these initiatives; NCG currently has seven active collaborative funds. A Resource for Grantmaker Effectiveness Through briefings, programs, and workshops, NCG helps members develop their grantmaking skills and examine current practices on issues such as accountability, relationships with grantees, and responsiveness to changing demographics. NCG also keeps members informed about changing community needs, emerging trends in the nonprofit sector, new regulations, and promising new grantmaking strategies. A Source for Information NCG increasingly serves as a gateway to those who need information on California foundations and philanthropy, and the broader nonprofit sector. 2
A Voice for Philanthropy NCG is a leading voice for philanthropy and the nonprofit community in California and beyond. Its leadership tracks and speaks out on policy issues with implications for foundations and the nonprofit sector. NCG maintains close relationships with other relevant organizations and leaders in the philanthropic and nonprofits sectors, including: o Regional Associations of Grantmakers ( RAGs ), such as Southern California Grantmakers and San Diego Grantmakers o California Association of Nonprofits o Council on Foundations o Independent Sector o Foundation Center Current Organization NCG has a $1.2 million annual operating budget. NCG is currently led by the Interim President and CEO. There are seven full-time staff in administration, programs (grantmaker professional development programs, briefings, initiatives, public policy, collaborative philanthropy, toolkits, and resources) and member services (membership and member benefits). The 13-member Board of Directors is comprised of senior leaders representing the full array of NCG s membership of private, corporate, and community foundations. More information about NCG can be found at www. ncg.org. Organizational Culture NCG s culture is in transition with this change of executive leadership. The Board of Directors is very engaged with the search and selection process, energized and excited by the prospect of new leadership. The staff is looking forward to new leadership and management. The culture of NCG focuses on accountability and metric-based performance along with an open, communicative and collaborative professional style amongst staff and Board. The culture of the organization is being refreshed and updated to better meet the needs of the members, Board, and staff; this will be a key area for the new President and Chief Executive Officer s leadership. THE POSITION The role of the President and Chief Executive Officer ( President & CEO ) is to lead and manage NCG, grow the membership of the organization by offering enriching and relevant programs and services, ensure that it is a recognized leader in philanthropy in northern California, and maintain a statewide and national reputation for excellence in collaborative leadership, service to its members, and programmatic content. 3
The Professional Opportunity/Challenge This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic and compelling leader to rise to the challenge of innovating the vision for NCG, and re-crafting its value proposition to its members as well as to the larger philanthropic community and sector. The President & CEO will be responsible for updating and re-energizing NCG s business model as a membership organization, strategically positioning it as the industry association of choice based on its competitive strengths and advantages to other affinity groups. S/he will be called upon to think strategically and execute tactically, to be creative in thinking outside-the-box in how NCG engages with its members, peer RAGs, and other philanthropic leaders. S/he will be a tremendous builder of relationships and partnerships, with and between NCG s members, collaborative partners, as well as other thought leaders in the field. The President & CEO will position NCG as the convener of choice, capable of engaging with local, statewide, regional and national influencers, decision makers, and thought leaders to the fulfillment of NCG s mission and vision. The challenge for the President & CEO will be to innovate NCG and restore its status as the go to membership organization in philanthropy, where leaders in the field go to share their ideas, both inform and learn from their peer group, and share best practices. RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic Communications and Networking Determines the messaging and branding of NCG, and oversees the external communications of NCG through designated communications staff and/or through contracted communications firms for the purpose of dissemination of the work of NCG; Represents NCG to its various constituencies including members, prospective members, other grantmaking entities, RAGs, legislative representatives, civic and nonprofit leaders; and Participates in various philanthropic events, conferences and meetings to promote the work of NCG and nurture and build relationships with colleagues. Fundraising Develops and executes 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. 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 arrays, to the Board for their consideration and decision making; 4
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; and Works closely with the Board chair to develop agendas for Board meetings that reflect the interests of the Board members and that 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 work environment that inspires and supports high performing staff, accountability, respect, excellence, and integrity; Leads organization-wide continuous improvement, collaboration, and practices of shared responsibility and communication; and Identifies the organization s staffing needs and the structure required to implement strategy, aligning human resources with the organizational strategy and goals. Organizational Effectiveness, Development and Learning Oversees all key functional and program areas, developing the organization to achieve NCG s mission and goals and creates an effective working environment; Ensures continuous learning and growth opportunities for staff; Serves as the organization s top administrative manager, ensuring all the operational components are managed day-to-day by staff; Mentors strong, capable staff; Ensures annual staff work planning to identify annual goals and individual work plans and to coordinate work plans across functional, program, and member services areas; Communicates organizational values to staff and works with staff to ensure that values are understood and operationalized at NCG; and Conducts performance reviews of staff, as appropriate; provides timely, clear and direct feedback about performance to create an environment for ongoing professional growth and development. Program 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; Stimulates critical thinking about NCG s program goals to support and encourage programmatic innovation; Ensures that programs are reviewed regularly by staff and, as appropriate, the Board; and Ensures the program work of NCG is documented and evaluated, and that key findings are disseminated to impact future work by staff. 5
Operations and Finance Oversees the Vice President of Operations who is responsible for 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; and 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. CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE Experience: Ten to 15 years of leadership and management experience in philanthropy, nonprofits or for-profit business settings with a trajectory of increasing responsibilities. Demonstrated thought leadership in philanthropy or nonprofit sectors. Broad understanding of the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors, the trends therein, and the competitive landscape to NCG s professional programs and services. Experience being the face of an organization, having an external leadership persona, and comfortable representing NCG in the sector locally, statewide, regionally, and nationally. Track record of delivering well developed presentations to both small and large groups. Experience in fundraising with diverse revenue streams and/or increasing the membership of an association. Experience working with or demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the business model of a successful membership organization. Prior experience in strategic leadership and/or management position with programs and/or member services, or an analogous service offering. Fiscal management experience of a business, nonprofit entity, or operating unit. Experience with creating budgets and managing to a budget, experience with forecasts and budget analysis. Demonstrated track record of successfully leading and managing a staff of at least five members, including mentoring, ensuring staff development, building morale, providing inspirational and effective leadership. 6
Experience working successfully in a small firm environment, or demonstrated aptitude or affinity for such environment. Education: An undergraduate degree is required; a graduate degree is preferred. COMPETENCIES / ATTRIBUTES The successful professional will have the following traits: Demonstrated leadership talents to inspire and motivate staff, Board, and external constituents 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 Proven ability to work well in an entrepreneurial environment Ability to work well as the leader of a small team Energetic, collaborative, flexible, communicative professional style Excellent oral and written communication skills The ability to be forthright Able to partner with and lead, when appropriate, the Board Demonstrates integrity and humility in work style Strong work ethic A sense of humor and a containable ego. COMPENSATION NCG offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience, and an attractive employee benefits package. For additional information on this opportunity, please contact: Sally Carlson Heidi Holzhauer Managing Partner Senior Principal 415.433.2299 direct 707.963.1250 direct 415.203.5259 mobile 415. 298.6659 mobile sally@carlsonbeck.com heidi@carlsonbeck.com 7