President & CEO, Brooklyn Community Foundation

MISSION

To spark lasting social change, mobilizing people, capital, and expertise for a fair and just Brooklyn.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Do you believe in the power of community philanthropy as a catalyst to transform lives?

Are you committed to building a better future for Brooklyn? Will you operate with an infectious optimism for Brooklyn’s future - for creating a fairer and more just Brooklyn for everyone?

Are you fired up, and do you lead with a sense of urgency to create pathways for Brooklynites to overcome the pervasive poverty and racial injustice that strip too many of the ability to live with dignity and thrive in the economic mainstream? 

Are you driven to grow with unbound enthusiasm and energy a comprehensive and diversified fund development strategy of identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and securing major assets for the Foundation?

Do you share the fundamental belief that effective community solutions emerge from within the community? Are you committed to unleashing the power, natural talents, and creative energy of residents to drive community transformation and sustainability?

Do you feel a charge to connect people, resources, and ideas for impactful change and for something bigger and better? As a builder of community, ideas, movements?

Do you have the determination, tenacity, finesse, ambition, and entrepreneurial spirit to grow a “place-based” social enterprise and its brand?

If so, we invite you to keep reading and think about an opportunity for you to make a lasting difference for a stronger and more equitable Brooklyn.

ABOUT BROOKLYN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Founded in 2009, Brooklyn Community Foundation is the first and only public foundation dedicated solely to New York City’s largest borough and its charitable community. The Foundation works in partnership with generous donors and community leaders to invest in organizations driving racial justice and community-led change.

With a commitment to create a fair and just Brooklyn built on dignity and respect, the Foundation strives to ensure that all residents have the opportunity to participate and prosper. Through its grants and support, the Foundation seeks to mobilize people, capital, and expertise by collaborating with local leaders and leveraging expertise. By employing a community-centered approach that starts with listening and relying on resident insights, the Foundation helps equip neighborhoods to adopt unique solutions to address their challenges.

With revenue earned from an increasingly successful annual fundraising program as well as funds from its discretionary endowment, the Foundation manages a robust strategic grantmaking program promoting racial justice. Brooklyn Community Foundation also oversees more than 100 component funds including Donor Advised Funds and Field of Interest Funds designed to improve the quality of life throughout the borough. With assets of approximately $100 million, the Foundation dispersed $12 million in grants in 2020 including $5 million from Donor-Advised Funds and $7 million from the strategic Community Fund and designated COVID response grants. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided over $60 million in grants to more than 300 nonprofits throughout the borough.

Poised for growth, Brooklyn Community Foundation has a staff of 14 employees with an annual budget of $8 million, most of which is grantmaking. The Foundation is located in the Central Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights.

https://www.brooklyncommunityfoundation.org/

RESPONSIBILITIES & PRIORITIES

Reporting to and working in close collaboration with the Board of Directors, the President & CEO will persuasively convey the mission of the Foundation and engage multiple constituencies in the Foundation’s work. The President will provide the overall leadership, direction, and vision for the Foundation, keeping a finger on the pulse and ensuring superior management of the internal day-to-day operations, grantmaking programs, services, and activities.

The President & CEO will be firmly committed to leading, representing, and strengthening the Foundation’s racial justice initiatives and efforts. The President & CEO will also continue to grow the assets of the Foundation by supporting and bolstering relationships with existing and prospective donors and charitable partners.

The President & CEO will work with staff and the Board to articulate and enact future strategic initiatives for the Foundation while developing innovative programs, tools, and services, and evaluating their effectiveness. It will be imperative that the President & CEO continue to build upon the Foundation’s inclusive culture built on respect and transparency. The President & CEO will play an active role in identifying opportunities to grow philanthropy across every neighborhood of Brooklyn. The President & CEO will be a thought leader in assessing the Foundation’s impact in the neighborhoods of the borough and beyond.

The President & CEO has three direct reports: Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Programs and Partnerships, and Vice President of Communications and Strategy.

LEADERSHIP/VISION 

• Serve as a guiding force and passionate ambassador for Brooklyn Community Foundation’s vision of promoting racial justice for a more inclusive community.
• Lead with a mission-driven sense of urgency, commitment, and strategic vision for an equitable Brooklyn while attending to day-to-day operations, donor engagement and services, and all other program activities.
• Lead and support a dedicated staff with a shared vision and sense of purpose, creating ongoing opportunities for learning, growth, innovation, and creativity.
• Foster an inclusive culture where all staff and members can thrive.
• Facilitate an effective and collaborative environment with the senior leadership team, assuring and strengthening alignment with organizational values, strategy, and the business plan.
• Guide strategic planning initiatives and decision making to build on the Foundation’s strengths and opportunities, for long-term growth.
• Serve as a respected thought leader in the field of community foundations staying abreast of new developments and ahead of the curve.
• Ensure that the Foundation serves as a highly effective partner and resource throughout the borough.
• Maintain a clear and compelling identity for the Foundation in its role as a changemaker for a stronger, more equitable Brooklyn.
• Help strategize the development of an impact investment plan in alignment with the Foundation’s values.

EFFECTIVE PHILANTHROPY: PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT & EVALUATION 

• Oversee the design and implementation of programs that carry out the mission of Brooklyn Community Foundation, including grantmaking, strategic initiatives, and advocacy.
• Work with staff to develop programs, tools, and services that address Brooklyn’s needs.
• Nurture models for lasting change.
• Seek new innovative ideas for responsive grantmaking and capacity building.
• Ensure that the Foundation’s programs undergo regular evaluation, growth, and development.
• Measure efficacy of service delivery with clear metrics for racial equity and other initiatives.
• Implement strategies for promoting continuous programmatic improvement as Brooklyn’s landscape evolves.
• Conduct and oversee environment scans of community philanthropy to determine new opportunities for business development and greater impact.

FUNDRAISING: ASSET GROWTH & EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

• Develop annual fundraising plan that supports the Board-approved budget, creating a long- term strategic vision for fundraising that acknowledges the changing landscape for philanthropy.
• Oversee all resource development for programs, including efforts to increase number of donors, number of funds, and level of contributions to the Community Fund.
• Ensure successful fundraising events and campaigns, bringing a racial justice lens to fundraising to ensure the Foundation has a diverse donor base.
• Identify, cultivate, and seize major individual and institutional gifts from donors.
• Persuade potential donors of the value of utilizing the Foundation for part of their charitable strategy and activities.
• Offer a rich variety of financial products to donors for charitable giving.
• Measure and evaluate progress on fundraising goals.
• Use the talents and ideas of the Board to diversify and expand the Foundation’s community of donors and funders.
• Refine and update services to meet evolving needs of donors and funders.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

• Run an effective business - a social enterprise with focus on customer service.
• Maximize donor identity, engagement, and investment.
• Provide high level of services for donors to inspire loyalty and recruitment of new donors.
• Operate with sense of how best to earn the business of each donor each and every day, making the value proposition clear.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT & SUPERVISION

• Conduct ongoing assessments of staffing patterns, allocation of work time, and overall efficiency of personnel systems.
• Develop, motivate, and maintain a cohesive staff, delegating authority appropriately and ensuring that there is strong internal communication and coordination.
• Supervise senior staff of philanthropy, communications, operations, and community leadership; provide support for their success and professional growth.
• Build and develop as needed staff composition and size for Brooklyn Community Foundation goals and mission.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT, FINANCE, ADMINISTRATION, & INVESTMENTS 

• Oversee the financial administration and management of the Foundation, including preparation, review, and oversight of the operating budget and forecasting and compliance with all local, state, and federal requirements.
• Ensure effectiveness of the internal structure, including financial systems, procedures, budgets, and technology so that financial information, websites, databases, information flow, and other administrative processes are of the highest level.
• Develop and review annually multiyear program budget, goals, and work plan.
• Work with the Finance and Investment Committee to guide the Foundation’s investment activities, including prospective mission-related investments.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

• Develop relationships and serve as liaison for community partnerships, coalitions, collaborative funding opportunities, and borough-wide and citywide work.
• Build upon existing partnerships, and seek new strategic alliances to advance the Foundation’s mission and work.

BOARD RELATIONS

• Establish a strong working relationship with the Board of Directors.
• Partner with the Board on vision, strategy, and fundraising, bringing forth their best ideas and securing their generous financial support.
• Coordinate efforts of various Board committees and task forces.
• Continue to strengthen the Board through the recruitment of new members, as needed.
• Keep Board informed, individually and collectively, on the progress and challenges of the Foundation.

COMMUNICATIONS

• Oversee communication of the Foundation’s vision for a fair and just Brooklyn.
• Serve as a passionate and persuasive advocate, spreading the message, philosophy, and methodology of the Foundation’s transformative philanthropy.
• Enhance the Foundation’s social media profile and use the newest forms of technology to promote Brooklyn Community Foundation.
• Increase the Foundation’s visibility and important influence in the borough and beyond in the media, to partners, and at public events.
• Oversee all communications and marketing efforts for increased visibility and growth.
• Oversee development of annual communications plan.
• Maximize use of technology and social media to facilitate information exchange and collaboration.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• An unwavering passion for community building to advance equity – in particular racial equity – and racial justice.
• A belief in the power and potential of community philanthropy.
• A connection to Brooklyn with a sense of Brooklyn Pride is helpful.
• Proven leadership experience with 10 or more years managing a complex organization.
• Proven managerial, problem-solving, and strategic-planning skills as a results-oriented executive in a growth-oriented environment.
• Enthusiasm for and a track record in fundraising.
• Experience with community-led initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience with policy and program initiatives.
• Multicultural competence as an effective listener with interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence to bring diverse constituencies together.
• Experience as a persuasive communicator, both verbally and in writing.
• Strong proficiency and comfort level with technology.
• Experience working with a governing board.
• Experience leading diverse teams and recruiting and retaining diverse employees.
• Entrepreneurial drive and talent.
• Intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and creativity to break free from established structures and try new approaches to solve problems.
• A sense of adventure and prudent risk taking.
• Sound judgment and a deep sense of humility and integrity.

Please send nominations or applications, including all contact information to Paul Spivey at
BrooklynCommunityFoundation@PhillipsOppenheim.com.

Brooklyn Community Foundation provides equal opportunities to all individuals without regard to race, religion, national origin, disability, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. The Foundation does not discriminate based on any status protected by law. This policy applies to all employment or in any other aspect of the Foundation’s operation. Highly encouraged to apply: people of color; trans, non-binary, and intersex people; those from poor and working-class backgrounds, immigrants, and people with disabilities; as well as people at the intersections of these experiences.