Inaugural Executive Director

Inaugural Executive Director

Fund to Build Grassroots Power
Remote

ABOUT THE FUND TO BUILD GRASSROOTS POWER

The Fund to Build Grassroots Power (“FBGP” or “The Fund”) is a
national frontline-serving and accountable intermediary fund that
works to strengthen, grow, and support the members and affiliates
of four national grassroots networks and alliances:

• Climate
Justice Alliance
• Environmental
Justice Forum (coordinated by WE ACT for Environmental
Justice)
• People’s
Action Institute
• PowerSwitch
Action

The FBGP works to advance environmental and climate justice in the
United States through the awarding of general operating support
grants to organizations within these specified networks.

The Fund specifically aims to support organizations that are led by
constituencies who have been historically suppressed and who work
on a variety of issues, such as environmental and climate justice,
farmworker rights, and economic justice, to name a few. The FBGP
also prioritizes communities and regions that have historically
lacked adequate investment, like the Southeast and the Midwest.
Since its inception in 2019, the FBGP has granted $25.3 million to
136 organizations across the United States.

Intermediary Funds & Theory of Change
Intermediary funds like the FBGP play an essential role in the
environmental and climate justice movement by providing flexible
funding to frontline organizations. As an intermediary fund, the
FBGP expects the organizations it supports to articulate how they
will use the funds to build their power, whether by increasing the
financial stability of their organization, hiring more organizing
staff, or improving digital infrastructure.

The Fund’s theory of change states that if grassroots organizations
that have ties to national networks have enough capacity and
resources, they will be better equipped to effectively engage with
these networks, which in turn will strengthen the networks
themselves. A stronger set of networks means a stronger
infrastructure for the environmental justice movement, allowing all
participants in the movement to wield more power at the local,
state, and federal levels.

To read more about intermediary funds, review The JPB Foundation’s
memo on the topic, linked here.

Organizational Structure
As a participatory fund, the FBGP relies on two groups to provide
strategic guidance:

The Advisory Board is made up of staff leaders from the
national networks the FBGP supports, as well as a representative of
The JPB Foundation. This body provides strategic guidance and makes
grant recommendations to the Steering Committee to ensure the
fund’s resources respond to the member organizations’ needs.

The Steering Committee is made up of three leaders in the
environmental philanthropy field. These leaders guide the Fund’s
overall grantmaking strategy and process and recommend grant awards
to the Fund’s fiscal sponsor, the Windward Fund.

In addition to the Advisory Board and Steering Committee, the FBGP
engages additional groups to fulfill its mission.

• The Fund was founded by The JPB Foundation.
• The Windward Fund offers fiscal sponsorship to the fund –
meaning that Windward is able to accept donations into a restricted
fund and grant them to organizations. Any staff of FBGP would be
employees of the Windward Fund.
• Historically, a team at Arabella Advisors, a philanthropy
consulting firm, has provided implementation and management support
for the FBGP, and they will continue to do so at least through
2024, with an option to continue beyond that timeframe.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE FUND TO BUILD GRASSROOTS
POWER WEBSITE.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The FBGP’s governing bodies recently outlined an ambitious shared
vision for the Fund’s future: a scaling goal over the next two
years to become an organization capable of attracting and
disbursing $10-25 million annually to grassroots organizations
advancing environmental and climate justice, up from $5-7 million
in FBGP’s recent years. The success of this bold vision hinges in
large part on the skills, capabilities, competencies, and qualities
of a leader who will play a pivotal role in charting the Fund’s
course to scale.

As the FBGP aims to expand its reach and deepen its impact in the
years ahead, the addition of its first Executive Director (ED) to
advance the strategy, vision, and growth goals is significant and
marks a pivotal moment in the FBGP’s trajectory.

Over the upcoming two years, a significant focus for the FBGP’s
will be developing and launching an ambitious fundraising strategy,
aimed at strategically enhancing the Fund’s resource pool.
Concurrently, there will be an ongoing commitment to oversee
existing grants, understand the fund’s impact, and distribute new
resources as they become available, ensuring just distribution of
resources to grassroots environmental and climate justice
organizations nationwide.

Reporting to the FBGP Steering Committee, and working
collaboratively with the Advisory Board, the Executive Director
will cultivate and steward current and existing relationships with
the Fund’s stakeholders, lead fundraising efforts to amplify the
FBGP’s impact, communicate the FBGP’s and its grantees’ unique
value-add in addressing some of our country’s most pressing issues,
and serve as a dynamic, visionary leader to elevate the Fund’s
positive influence and field prominence. The Executive Director may
hire consultants and/or staff who can support and grow these areas
of work.

Specific responsibilities for the Executive Director include:

• Craft and implement a fundraising strategy: Develop an
ambitious plan to attract new funders to contribute in significant
and sustained ways to the FBGP. Showcase the fund’s unique value to
the environmental and climate justice field and its track record
and potential for impact.

• Manage current and potential donor relationships: Manage
relationships with current and prospective new donors and, as
needed, coordinate with the teams at Arabella Advisors and Windward
Fund to complete FBGP application and reporting requirements for
contributing donors.

• Lead external communications: Take the lead in external
communications efforts, representing the fund at conferences,
reviewing and approving website content, and developing impactful
collateral with consultants as needed.

• Provide strategic leadership: Support decision-making, in
collaboration with the Advisory Board and Steering Committee, to
implement and refine the fund’s strategic priorities and grant and
reporting processes, and determine hiring or contracting needs as
relevant to advance the FBGP’s goals.

• Track industry insights: Stay informed about developments
in the field, subgrantees’ progress, and collective priorities,
fostering connections that support the FBGP’s broader goals.

The Arabella team will remain in place to support the Executive
Director at least through 2024 in implementing the Fund’s
priorities and continuing to manage the grant processes,
governance, and evaluation of the FBGP, in partnership with the
Windward Fund. The Executive Director, in partnership with the
Advisory Board and Steering Committee, will have discretion to
continue, change, or remove Arabella’s support in future
years.

Specifically, Arabella Advisors will continue to manage the
following responsibilities, with input and oversight from the
Executive Director:

• Grant distribution and reporting: Oversee grant
decision-making and distribution process for the upcoming docket in
2024, guided by the leadership and decisions of the Advisory Board
and Steering Committee, and monitor ongoing grant reporting.

• Fund evaluation: Continue to refine the fund’s evaluation
framework and implement the evaluation process, informed by the
evolving learning goals the Executive Director, Steering Committee
and Advisory Board identify, to assess both the fund’s process and
impact and to help share the story of the FBGP.

• Fund governance: Provide input into goals and planning of
Steering Committee and Advisory Board meetings, fostering open
communication and collaboration across governance bodies.

• Operations: Review learning and feedback from governing
bodies and grantees and inform adjustments to operational elements
like grant processes and fund governance.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

FBGP is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages
expressions of interest from Black, Indigenous and People of Color,
persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQI+ applicants.

A Strong Relationship Builder & Collaborative
Leader

This leader will:
• Excel at developing and maintaining relationships with a diverse
range of constituents.
• Bring an understanding of collaborative decision-making and
governance practices, as well as equitable grant processes.
• Have a genuine approach, with a strong desire and natural ability
to build trust-based relationships with internal and external
constituents, including the Advisory Board & Steering
Committee, constituents of supported networks, donors, foundation
leaders, and team members of the Windward Fund & Arabella
Advisors.
• Possess an understanding of how to balance collaborative
decision-making effectively by navigating conflict, maintaining
relationships and advancing decisions in a timely way.

An Expert in Fundraising with A Knowledge of
Philanthropy

This leader will:
• Possess a proven track record of successfully securing
multi-year, multi-million-dollar funding commitments from various
sources.
• Bring an understanding of the philanthropic landscape and
equitable philanthropic principles, such as trust-based
philanthropy and participatory grantmaking.
• Bring an ability to identify new prospects and tap into different
funding streams including institutional philanthropy,
ultra-high-net-worth-individuals and families, and other
donors.
• Be adept at leveraging communications and storytelling to convey
organizational impact to diverse audiences.

A Strategic, Innovative, & Forward-Thinking
Builder

This leader will:
• Bring a demonstrated ability to conceptualize, plan, and lead
strategic initiatives in alignment with the mission and vision of
the Fund, and in coordination with its various constituents.
• Be a proven achiever with experience scaling initiatives,
programs, or organizations.
• Possess an understanding of grassroots movement building, ideally
in the environmental and climate justice movements.
• Be an innovative thinker who is comfortable shaping a new role
and a new pathway, while taking calculated risks and exploring new
avenues for growth.
• Bring experience scaling ambitious initiatives that have yielded
tangible positive outcomes.

A Commitment to & Passion for the Mission

This leader will:
• Have an authentic and deep commitment to the Fund’s theory of
change, and a deep belief in its future and impact.
• Bring a demonstrated commitment to advancing racial and social
justice through professional experience and personal values.
• Understand the value and power of grassroots community
organizing.
• Demonstrate excitement about the prospect of helping to advance
the climate and environmental justice movements.
• Lead with sincerity, empathy, honesty, and credibility, and the
highest levels of personal and professional ethics.
• Preferably have an understanding of the environmental justice
and/or related fields such as the broader environmental movement;
public health; climate justice; etc.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This position is remote and the successful candidate may be based
anywhere in the U.S. The Executive Director will be an employee of
the Windward Fund, the fiscal sponsor of the Fund to Build
Grassroots Power.

The salary range for this position is $200,000–$250,000, and
it is offered along with a comprehensive benefits package from the
Windward Fund, which includes medical, dental, vision, disability
insurance, and employer-paid life insurance, among other benefits.
In line with the Fund’s commitment to this work, and to identifying
the strongest candidate for the role, the Search Committee is open
to considering candidates outside of this compensation range. To
that end, we encourage expressions of interest from all. Retirement
benefits include a 3% automatic employer contribution, with up to a
3% match.

Beyond vacation time, staff also have 2 weeks of health leave, 2
days of casual leave, 9 standard holidays and 4 floating days, and
20 paid volunteer hours. After 90 days, staff are eligible for up
to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.

CONTACT

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in
mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this
engagement. Chartise Clark, Cheryl Stevens, Claire Hunt, and Bryn
Siberski of Koya Partners are leading the search. To express
interest in this role please submit your materials by filling out our Talent Profile.
To make recommendations or submit an inquiry, please email fundtobuildgrassrootspower_ed@koyapartners.com.
All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly
confidential.

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to
individuals living with disabilities. Photo courtesy of UPROSE If
you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need
assistance expressing interest online, please email nonprofitsearchops@divsearch.com.
If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional
information regarding how to request an accommodation for the
interview process.

ABOUT KOYA PARTNERS tendersglobal.net DIVERSIFIED SEARCH GROUP

Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation’s
premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since
its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on
mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right
leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable
impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs,
responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities
and around the world.

Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on
its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and
is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a
changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach,
with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in
cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of
diversity, and building equitable teams.

Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the
firm’s
website.

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