Boston Women's Fund
Executive Director

Boston, MA
October 2008

The Boston Women's Fund (BWF), a pioneer social justice pacesetter since 1984, invites expressions of interest and nominations for its Executive Director position. BWF is the oldest women's fund in Massachusetts and one of the few foundations that provide start-up grants to small community organizations. In its 2007 fiscal year, the Fund awarded approximately $275,000 to 20 organizations. The primary function of the Fund is to work with a wide range of donors and grantees towards shared goals of social justice. The Boston Women's Fund seeks a dynamic, experienced leader to take the organization into the next era of grant making. The Executive Director will provide clear vision and strong management to lead the Fund to achievement of its primary mission--to support women's and girls' social change organizations.

About Boston Women's Fund

Founded in 1984, BWF is the oldest women's fund in Massachusetts and one of the few foundations that provide start-up grants to small community organizations. Over the past 24 years, the Fund has grown its budget, now $1.5 million, and made grants totaling $4.3 million to 350 women's and girls' organizations. For FY2007, the Fund awarded approximately $275,000 to 20 organizations such as Boston Acorn, Boston Mobilization, Union of Minority Neighborhoods, Matahari: Eye of the Day, Chelsea Human Services Collaborative, and many others.

The Fund raises resources through annual fund giving, special events, and an endowment that has been built through major gifts, planned giving, corporation and foundation support. In addition, the 2000 Club Endowment Campaign, which built the Fund's $1 million endowment, has joined people from many ethnicities, income levels and occupations to ensure ongoing funding to support our work. Grants are determined by an intergenerational Allocations Committee composed of community activists, community residents, BWF board and staff, and others who reflect the Fund's diverse constituencies. Awards are targeted to the Fund's constituency groups of women rather than any specific issue. The organization has supported work on critical social and economic justice issues such as welfare reform, health care, violence prevention, reproductive freedom, homelessness, workplace equity and economic development.

The Fund historically has provided innovative programs to support the empowerment of women and girls in philanthropy. The Young Sisters for Justice in Philanthropy (YSFJP) is an innovative youth-led, community based leadership program integrating a diverse group of teens into the process of progressive grant-making. Participants learn about power dynamics, movement building, and shaping progressive philanthropy to promote a broader vision of social, racial and economic justice. YSFJP members are voting members of the Fund's Allocations Committee and have access to the Fund's staff development resources and training.

BWF supports community-based organizations run by women and girls in the Greater Boston area. The Fund raises money from a broad base of donors across economic backgrounds to provide grants and develop programs that strengthen the grassroots initiatives and leadership of women and girls. It works with women of color, low-income women, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered women, immigrant and refugee women, women with disabilities, older women, and girls who are working to create a society based on racial, social and economic justice.

The Organizing Institute (OI) is a technical assistance program for grantees, offering support for budgets, planning and organizational development. The OI aims to develop a stronger coalition of women and girls as activists for resource development, movement building and networking.

The Opportunity

In close partnership with the Board, the Executive Director will lead the Fund to a high level of organizational excellence. The Executive Director will help continue to build an organization that embraces diversity, collaboration and partnership – both within the organization and in the funded communities. The Fund has increasingly served as a public voice for social justice concerns involving women and girls. The Executive Director will help build a more visible public policy presence, and new organizational alliances, partnerships and relationships.

The Executive Director will continue to help recruit new Board members who embrace the Fund's core values, can provide strategic insights and are committed to our philanthropic growth. The Executive Director will grow and expand our donor base, both in terms of size and diversity. The Executive Director will grow and expand the range of both grantees and gifts.

Responsibilities

Leadership

• Show commitment to the core mission and values of the Fund.
• Exhibit a work style that is participatory, democratic and accountable.
• Maintain and develop the vision of the Fund consistent with its mission and values and in collaboration with the Board, staff and committees of the Board.
• Effectively present the Fund to donors, funders, grassroots organizations and others, and elicit their ideas and input.
• Increase the visibility of the Fund through public speaking, written materials, and increasing collaborative partnerships with local and regional organizations and individuals, including the Fund's constituents.
• Educate national and regional leaders and organizations about the role and benefits of the Fund as well as of gender-specific and social change philanthropy.
• Bring the voices of the Fund's constituencies to larger local and national philanthropic circles.
• Build partnerships with other women's funds, social justice funds, and funding networks of people of color in order to promote philanthropy in those areas.
• Increase grant making according to strategic priorities.

Management

• Effectively work with all staff, providing supervision and direction through the design and implementation of work plans and performance linked to the Fund's mission. Develop, encourage and support staff professional development.
• Promote and model collaborative decision making with Board, staff and committees.
• Under the direction of the Board, prepare and oversee budgets and manage finances for operations, grant making, programs and investments. Ensure compliance with approved budgets; propose revisions as necessary.
• Identify areas requiring planning in relation to development, programs and grant making; develop and recommend goals, objectives and action plans for the approval of the Board.
• Work with the Board to carry out a strategic plan with goals and concrete steps to fulfillment.
• Design and implement programs for volunteers' participation.

Development

• Work with and support the BWF Director of Philanthropy, the Development Department and the staff in building and sustaining an organization-wide “culture of philanthropy,” leading staff, Board, and other stakeholders in implementing programs and other areas consistent with community needs and the Fund's values.
• In collaboration with the Director of Philanthropy and with the Board's oversight, develop and implement an ambitious, successful plan to increase the Fund's endowment as well as generate increased revenue for operations and grantmaking through grassroots fundraising, annual giving, major gifts, and corporate and foundation grants.
• Establish and maintain long-term relationships with donors.
• Partner with the Director of Philanthropy to broaden the donor base.
• Work with staff, including the Director of Philanthropy, to share responsibility for external communications and representation of the Fund at community events, speaking engagements and other activities that expand and maintain the visibility of the Fund.
• Work with the Director of Philanthropy in developing and maintaining the Fund's development capacities, including donor communication and other fund-raising activities, both internal and external.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to social justice and to the mission and vision of the Fund.
• Commitment to work within a board/committee structure that includes board, staff and community members.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, including major gifts, endowments and planned giving as well as donor services.
• Demonstrated appreciation for grassroots fundraising that creates wide involvement and stakes in the organization.
• Capacity to involve and mobilize people in shared initiatives. Community organizing experience preferred.
• Experience in nonprofit management including Board, staff and volunteer management, program development, evaluation, strategic planning and community building.
• Effective communicator and excellent listener.
• Demonstrated ability and commitment to work with a full range of constituents and to interact with people of diverse racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, ages and income backgrounds.
• Active involvement with the progressive social justice issues and constituencies that the Fund's grantees and programs address.

Please email cover letter and resume in confidence to:

bwf@developmentguild.com
Shamali Kuru
Consultant
Development Guild/DDI
233 Harvard Street, Suite 107
Brookline, MA 02446-5017

For more information about Boston Women's Fund, please visit bostonwomensfund.org