Vice President of Programs

Houston Endowment
Houston, TX

About Houston Endowment

Houston Endowment is a private foundation that has served the
people of Greater Houston for over 80 years. Inspired by the legacy
of its founders, Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones, Houston Endowment
works with others to achieve the Joneses’ vision: a vibrant
community where all have the opportunity to thrive.

Today, Houston is the fourth-largest and most diverse city in the
country. Houston Endowment’s work centers on the belief that every
resident of Greater Houston should have an opportunity to thrive
and to participate in the decisions that impact the region’s
future. With anticipated funding of more than $1 billion over the
next 10 years, Houston Endowment promises to stay in step with the
needs of its ever-evolving, ever-rising city.

In 2022, Houston Endowment moved into a new building designed to
reflect the Foundation’s values and enhance its ability to convene
and collaborate with its partners across the public, private, and
nonprofit sectors.

Mission tendersglobal.net Houston Endowment advances equity of opportunity
for the people of Greater Houston and enhances the vibrancy of the
region.

Strategic Priorities

The Foundation brings together the right expertise with the right
funding and the right leadership to address some of the region’s
most pressing needs.

In 2019, Houston Endowment’s Board approved a strategic framework
that prioritizes Civic Engagement, Public Education, and Arts and
Parks, as well as provides flexibility to address emerging
opportunities and challenges in our region where the Foundation can
have significant impact. Our work is supported by our Learning and
Evaluation function, which deepens our understanding of these
areas, helps grantees in evaluating their own work, and identifies
what works.

The Foundation takes a portfolio view of its work to drive positive
change in each area:

Civic Engagement tendersglobal.net The Foundation seeks to increase informed
civic engagement in our region, specifically in immigrant
naturalization, voter participation, and independent local
journalism. Program goals include guiding new Houstonians toward
citizenship, enabling Greater Houston to achieve the highest voter
turnout per capita among major metropolitan areas in the United
States, and ensuring access to high-quality, nonpartisan, and
community-focused journalism. For example, to realize its goal of
making Houston the citizenship capital of the U.S., the Foundation
supported a public-private partnership with city, county, and
grantee partners and nonprofit organizations to expand
naturalization resources and services that will help the more than
300,000 legal permanent residents in Greater Houston attain
citizenship as well as the right and opportunities that go with
it.

PreK-12 Public Education tendersglobal.net Recognizing the critical role of
teachers, the Foundation aims to strengthen a pipeline of
well-prepared and supported teachers. To combat the ongoing teacher
shortage, Houston Endowment invests in innovative collaborations
among public schools and universities to create effective pathways
for new teacher preparation. For example, the Foundation sought
innovative partners such as Brazosport ISD, which partners with
Brazosport College and INSPIRE TEXAS tendersglobal.net Educator Preparation by
Region 4 to offer a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). The
program supports teacher candidates with sufficient preparation to
become a full-time teacher and increases the likelihood that
candidates stay in the classroom long-term. In addition, the
Foundation supports initiatives that develop and sustain high
quality schools that are accessible to all families, so that every
student graduates with strong prospects for their future.

Arts & Parks tendersglobal.net Houston Endowment supports the robustness
of Houston’s local arts and cultural organizations – from world
recognized institutions to emerging organizations. We believe arts
and greenspaces are essential for strong, engaged communities. For
example, to strengthen collaboration among Houston’s seven cultural
districts, the Foundation supported a pilot grant to allow cultural
districts to “dream big” and initiate a strategic co-planning
process to determine how to systemically preserve, strengthen, and
sustain arts and culture access in Houston that in turn will
attract investment, economic growth, and creative and cultural
engagement.

Emerging Opportunities and Challenges tendersglobal.net Houston Endowment
maintains the flexibility to respond to emerging opportunities and
challenges that impact Greater Houston. For example, the
Foundation’s work in supporting the unhoused was recently
featured in the New York Times, and Houston Endowment recently
invested $15 million in four key local partners to reduce
homelessness, bringing its total investment in this work to $45
million.

Learn more about Houston Endowment by visiting the Foundation’s
website: https://www.houstonendowment.org

The Opportunity

Houston Endowment seeks a strategic and collaborative leader to
join a well-established and respected philanthropic organization
that has been making a positive difference in Houston for over 80
years. With substantial financial assets, a talented professional
staff, and an engaged and supportive board, the Foundation is
well-positioned to have significant influence on some of the
region’s most pressing issues.
‍
Reporting to and working closely with the President & CEO, the
VP of Programs will be part of an executive team that works closely
with the Board to develop and execute Houston Endowment’s
organizational goals. In addition, they will lead a highly talented
team of seven direct reports: Program Directors (Civic Engagement;
Education; Arts & Parks); Director, Grants Management;
Director, Learning & Evaluation; Operations Manager; and
Executive Assistant.

With an annual program budget of $80-100 million and a staff of 20,
the Vice President plays a central role in overseeing the
development, implementation, and assessment of the Foundation’s
program priorities, ensuring they align with the Foundation’s
mission and values.

Key responsibilities include:

Strategic Leadership
• Deliver strategic insight and expertise that maintain alignment
toward the Foundation’s shared goals and guide informative, ongoing
reporting of program progress and trends to the President and
Board.
• Provide senior leadership aligned with the organization’s vision,
mission, priorities, and values, promoting cohesiveness throughout
the organization.

Programmatic Leadership
• Ensure effective execution of program strategies and priorities,
fostering accountability, learning, and adaptability.
• Play a central role in developing the Foundation’s program areas,
identifying opportunities that align with the Foundation’s program
strategic framework, building partnerships with key stakeholders,
and promoting synergy across the Foundation’s program work.
• Stay at the forefront of community impact by exploring practices,
lessons, and emerging trends from the philanthropic sector and
beyond, identifying issues of importance to the Foundation’s
work.

People Leadership
• Provide clear leadership and performance expectations for the
program team to align expertise for success, ensuring day-to-day
work, resources, and decision-making are tied to broader
organizational goals.
• Cultivate a dynamic team and organization culture, modeling a
leadership style that encourages collaboration, reflection, and
accountability.

Community Leadership
• Serve as a senior representative of the Foundation, raising
visibility and amplifying the Foundation’s influence across the
region.
• Maintain a meaningful presence in the community, forging
connections with key leaders and representing the Foundation at
pivotal meetings and events.

Candidate Profile

Houston Endowment embraces diverse experiences and perspectives as
a cornerstone of our values. The next Vice President of Programs
should be an individual who embodies a tapestry of professional and
personal qualities, bringing energy and focus into catalyzing
positive impact in Greater Houston.

A Passionate Advocate for the Mission
You have a proven passion for improving the quality of communities.
Your strategic leadership style is not just inspirational but
visionary, as you are energized to elevate the work and increase
its impact for the Greater Houston community. You embrace different
perspectives internally and throughout our community. Your
unwavering integrity, humility, and ethical fortitude make you a
trusted pillar within the organization.

A Visionary & Experienced Grantmaker
Your philanthropic and grantmaking experience enables you to
translate bold concepts and big ideas into actionable and
measurable plans. You are comfortable with challenging norms,
offering innovative solutions that redefine success and drive
impact. Your analytical expertise and critical thinking are your
compass, guiding you toward impactful and thoughtful decisions.
With a track record of utilizing successful learning and evaluation
approaches, you ensure the effectiveness of programming,
measurement, and results.

A Seasoned Leader of Teams
As a seasoned executive, you thrive on empowering and nurturing a
team of talented individuals. Your emotional intelligence and
executive presence form the cornerstone of your grounded leadership
style, encouraging openness to feedback and a culture that values
every voice. Your transparent communication style ensures that
ideas flourish within an environment that embraces both
collaboration and accountability to tangible goals.

A Master Builder of Relationships
You communicate in a way that resonates across diverse audiences,
highlighting your ability to synthesize and distill complex
information in a clear and persuasive manner. You effectively
cultivate trust-based relationships with community partners,
funders, the internal team, and the board of directors. Your
enthusiasm for collaboration fuels initiatives that drive lasting
impact. You have a proven ability to leverage individual strengths
and teamwork to meet organizational goals.

A Culture & Results Champion
You foster an inclusive culture that sparks innovation and embraces
learning. Your track record showcases your ability to succeed in
cultivating a culture that thrives on open dialogue, healthy
questioning, calculated risk-taking, and sound judgment. You are
driven by results, turning data and opportunities into actionable
strategies that maximize community impact.

This isn’t just a role; it’s an opportunity to shape the future of
Greater Houston by amplifying our unwavering commitment to
advancing inclusive and impactful change.

At Houston Endowment, we celebrate and champion diversity, equity,
and inclusion. We strongly encourage applicants from all
backgrounds to apply.

Are you ready to join a dynamic team and contribute to positive
change in the Houston community?

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary
range for this role is $330,000 – $375,000.

In addition to salary, the candidate will be eligible for the
Foundation’s comprehensive employee benefits programs, including
health, dental, and vision plans, time off, life insurance, short-
and long-term disability as well as matching 401(k) and pension
retirement plans.

Please https://www.houstonendowment.org/about/#values
“/>click here to read more about Houston Endowment’s Values and
Commitment to DEI.

Contact

Koya Partners has been exclusively retained for this engagement,
which is being led by Molly Brennan, Corina Benitz, & Gina
Wrolstad. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or
emailing the search team directly at [email protected].
All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.

Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group is committed to providing
reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities.
If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need
assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected].
If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional
information regarding how to request an accommodation for the
interview process.

Houston Endowment is an equal opportunity employer and strongly
encourages applications from people of color, persons with
disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.

About Koya Partners l 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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