Job Description

Social Venture Partners Seattle is seeking an experienced and versatile Executive Director who can inspire and support people as they work together to co-create thriving, sustainable, and just communities.

SVP Seattle is interested in your talents and skills if you are . .

• A natural connector with a strong commitment to racial equity, who has experience convening diverse groups.
• A team builder, mentor, and coach who is at your best when supporting others in their learning and growth.
• A compelling storyteller and a confident “asker” who is unafraid to invite others to join you in this transformative work.
• An experienced executive leader, who knows what it takes to run a healthy and sustainable nonprofit organization.

Social Venture Partners Seattle's vision is a Puget Sound region where everyone can thrive, regardless of race or income. SVP connects people who want to amplify their impact with organizations that make social change possible. By connecting and engaging individuals who want to give time and money, funding and strengthening social impact organizations, and investing in collaborative solutions, we believe we can deliver greater impact, together.

SVP Seattle’s next Executive Director will step into a resilient organization with a legacy of building strong relationships among its Partners and Investees. We focus on providing grants to organizations that work in the critical areas of early learning, high school graduation, and environmental sustainability and justice. As our new ED, you will lead a dynamic community of philanthropists, volunteers, nonprofit staff, and community members, all with a shared passion for our mission of investing in people and organizations to co-create thriving, sustainable, and just communities.

Consider applying today!

About Social Venture Partners Seattle

Our Vision : Our region flourishing, with everyone thriving regardless of race or income.

Our Mission : Connecting and investing in people and organizations to co-create thriving, sustainable, and just communities.

Our Values: At SVP, we strive to live up to the following values and behaviors:

• Impact – We pursue sustained and transformative change.
• Connect – We cultivate relationships and recognize we can accomplish more together.
• Trusted Ally – We model humility, openness, and mutual respect.
• Equity – We center our efforts on those historically marginalized to balance power and access to resources.
• Stretch – We embrace challenging conversations and risk taking and seek opportunities to learn.

SVP connects people who want to engage meaningfully with their communities and the social impact organizations that make change possible. Our focus is on cultivating informed, effective volunteers and philanthropists and supporting capacity-building efforts of promising organizations. The connection of SVP volunteers and philanthropists with investee organizations allows us to deliver greater impact, together. SVP aims to foster a philanthropic and nonprofit sector that has the strength and resources to address systemic issues related to racial equity by:

• Building a community of engaged and educated philanthropists who understand their role in creating an equitable community.
• Building the capacity of the nonprofit leaders and organizations doing the hard work of addressing systemic issues.
• Increasing collaboration and collective action - doing more together than we can do alone while leveraging best practices and sharing power.

At its core, SVP is about building strong relationships among its Partners and the social impact organizations it invests in to drive impact in the community. Most of SVP’s funding comes from annual contributions from our 300+ Partners. SVP pools these funds to provide our investees with unrestricted, multiyear funding along with capacity building support, delivered mainly by SVP Partners as volunteers who are in turn developing their own skills and potential. Our current core issue areas for funding include early childhood development, support for K-12 students and high school graduation, and environmental justice. We also offer educational programs, events, and opportunities to come together and connect as part of the SVP community.

Over the last twenty-three years, SVP has supported more than 100 nonprofits, providing $16 million in funding and more than 35,000 skilled volunteer hours to strengthen these organizations and accelerate collective action. SVP has engaged with more than 1,000 volunteers and philanthropists (the organization’s Partners) – transforming how they give and creating ripple effects throughout the community. Moreover, SVP Seattle is part of the larger SVP International network, which includes SVP affiliates in more than 40 cities and 8 countries all over the globe, so that Partners can learn from each other and amplify their impact.

Organizational Leadership and Business Model

SVP Seattle is governed by a Board of Directors, currently comprising ten SVP Partners and members of the community. We have an annual budget of $1.7 million, which we use to make grants as well as to offer investee and partner programs, equity education and community events. There are eight full-time staff including the Executive Director. Involving SVP Partners in the work of the organization is a priority; staff engage several volunteer committees and working groups to implement much of the organization’s work.

In the most recent budget over half (52%) of the organization’s funding comes from annual contributions from its Partners. The rest comes from major gifts from Partners or others (26%), private foundations (6%), special events and programs (11%), corporate support (2%), and earned income (4%).

The organization has undergone executive and staff transition over the past few years after the planned exit of the founding Executive Director. An Interim Executive Director was engaged by the Board in April 2019 to continue organizational change, systems and processes work while also reflecting on past transitions and needs for the future. To prepare for the new Executive Director, the Interim Executive Director and the Board refreshed the staff team and engaged with Partners and staff to bolster the organization’s near-term programmatic, strategic, resource development and financial priorities. SVP Seattle is ready for a new leader and is excited to move forward with our goals!

The Position

The Executive Director will:

• Guide and support the Board of Directors in setting SVP’s strategic direction and ensuring financial sustainability, while having primary oversight over all operational aspects of the organization.
• Recruit, engage and retain Partners who want to amplify their impact in our community as philanthropists and volunteers.
• Lead, develop and support the teams (staff, board, and key volunteers) that are focused on building and managing our programs.

The ED reports to the Board of Directors and has 3 direct reports: the Director of Partner Engagement, the Director of Community Investment, and the Senior Manager of Finance & Operations. Specific responsibilities include:

Partner engagement and retention

• Lead and inspire a network of more than 300 diverse Partners who invest their time, funds and social capital to support the organization’s mission.
• Play a key role in identifying and recruiting new Partners and engaging them in SVP’s mission, as well as retaining current Partners.
• Build relationships and spark connections among SVP Partners and Investees, supporting their growth and development.

Championing SVP’s racial equity work

• Lead efforts to weave equity into the fabric of SVP. Nurture existing practices and support new ways to address racial equity throughout the organization and its programs.
• Share the story of why racial equity is essential to our mission, and support the board, staff, and Partners in their ongoing learning and ability to integrate racial equity into policies and practice.

Fundraising strategy and practice

• Refresh and strengthen SVP’s revenue model, including strategy for how the membership model, fee structure and revenue streams can best support programmatic goals; implement adjustments as needed.
• Together with the Director of Partner Engagement, lead major gift fundraising efforts with Partners and the community at large, including personally asking for contributions from current and prospective Partners.
• Promote SVP’s value proposition and effectively tell the story of SVP’s mission and impact in the community, in one-on-one, small group, and large group settings.
• Provide support and coaching to increase Partner and board participation in recruiting, fundraising, and corporate sponsorship asks in order to engage more individuals and organizations in our work.

Staff and Board Team Building

• Provide organizational leadership and management support to a team of talented staff members and engaged board members to ensure high-functioning and effective teams.
• Nurture strong and mutually respectful working relationships across the SVP community – among board, staff, investees and Partners – in keeping with SVP’s mission and values and core belief that we are stronger together.
• Foster authentic relationships built on reciprocity and trust across a diversity of professional, ethnic, and geographic communit]]>

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