SVP for Community Impact

To view the complete leadership brief, including how to learn more or to apply, please visit https://tinyurl.com/DHTSeniorVP

Reporting to the CEO, the Senior Vice President for Community Investment is responsible for helping to shape and implement strong internal systems among the community investment team as well as learning from and leading community members and organizations to bring about systemic change. Dogwood’s SVP serves as a strategic advisor to the CEO and helps to focus Dogwood’s work to bring inter-generational transformation across Western North Carolina.

Dogwood Health Trust is a $1.8 billion private healthcare conversion foundation based in Asheville, North Carolina. Dogwood became operational in 2019 upon the sale of the assets of Mission Health System to HCA Healthcare. Dogwood focuses on achieving radical and equitable impact for all who reside in WNC by engaging the public, private, and nonprofit sectors together on four initiatives: Housing, Education, Economic Opportunity and Health & Wellness. These four areas align to serve the entire person and entire community. Dogwood is committed to strategies that, while emphasizing one of the four areas of impact, positively affect the other three.

THE MANDATE

The SVP will be energized by the opportunity to lead a passionate team forward. The ideal SVP will be both impatient and patient for change and comfortable in the tension that WNC’s challenges are both urgent and deeply rooted.  The Senior Vice President will be adept at listening to, learning about and translating community needs into thought and strategy.

Focus Dogwood’s work within Western North Carolina

• Centers equitable practice toward equitable outcomes in all aspects of the work. 

• Helps staff to judiciously and strategically apply the significant resources of Dogwood Health Trust to build and sustain trust within Dogwood’s 18 Western North Carolina counties and the Qualla Boundary. 

• Ensures the alignment of and collaboration among the strategic priority areas: Housing, Education, Economic Opportunity, and Health & Wellness. 

• Guides the efficient and effective deployment of Dogwood’s assets through grantmaking and impact investing. 

• Exhibits a dedication to life-long learning and commitment to learning from the community. 

• Guides the Community Investment Team in investment assessment to develop effective collaborations with community partners. 

• Leads the Community Investment Team to convert analysis into strategy and assists in transforming their strategic thinking into action. 

• Has a working knowledge of and/or experience with impact investing. 

• Assesses and maintains capital structures that enable Dogwood to access new funding possibilities and partnerships, positioning the organization to create innovative programming and subsidiary entities to respond effectively to sector opportunities and community needs.

Contribute to an internal culture of purposeful growth and authenticity

• Has a demonstrated ability to build and lead a cohesive and collaborative team. 

• Communicates to the staff and board a clear implementation path forward using Dogwood’s philanthropic capital to advance change. 

• Has a working knowledge of all aspects of foundation operations and understands how community investment functions intertwine with all other roles. 

• Develops and leads the Resourcing Impact team in capacity building and leveraging resources for WNC organizations. 

• Cultivates a work culture that values and uplifts equity, authenticity, learning, listening, and systems of accountability.

THE INDIVIDUAL

The ideal Senior Vice President for Community Investment candidate will have at least 10 years of leadership experience in a community-focused grantmaking organization. The SVP will be a strategic partner to the CEO and to the Board of Directors. The SVP will understand the four areas of impact of Dogwood investments and will work to be a leader and mentor to the Community Investment team, helping to strengthen the team’s knowledge of strategic investment opportunities.  

Ideally, the Senior Vice President will have a lived experience in rural change while serving in philanthropy. The SVP will be a creative thinker, working to engage and support the numerous and diverse communities across Western North Carolina to bring about positive, lasting change.

The Senior Vice President will have an undergraduate degree in a relevant area of study and will ideally have a graduate degree and/or professional certifications.

The Senior Vice President

• Demonstrates a passion for, and success in, community-focused grantmaking and community investing;

• Has the ability to develop a clear and strategic operational vision based on feedback from the community and Dogwood’s staff and board;

• Views the social determinants of health through a systems lens and guides the community investment team to conduct their work consistent with Dogwood’s Philosophy of Community Investment;

• Demonstrates strong knowledge related to impact investing and the various types of investment (Program Related Investments and Mission Related Investments) and regulations within philanthropy;

• Excels in training, mentoring, and guiding program staff and functions; leads strategically and through professional engagement, developing and retaining a high-functioning community investment team;

• Consistently motivates staff to achieve goals through individual and team supervision, performance management, coaching, and professional development;

• Communicates effectively to a variety of audiences, such as facilitating meetings or panels, conducting educational sessions, and delivering formal presentations to leadership, community, and peers.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The Senior Vice President for Community Investment reports to the Chief Executive Officer and is a member of the senior leadership team. The SVP leads the community investment team which is comprised of approximately 25 staff members, including five Vice Presidents who are direct reports. The SVP will cross-collaborate with other senior leadership to develop impact investment strategies. The SVP also serves as the liaison to the Program and Grants Committee and other committees of the Board of Directors as assigned.