Vice President of Programs; RCF

As Rose Community Foundation prepares to implement a new strategic plan and celebrate its 25 th anniversary in 2020, we are seeking a dynamic, innovative and collaborative individual to lead our grantmaking team at a pivotal and exciting moment of organizational evolution.

Since its founding in 1995, Rose Community Foundation and its funds have granted more than $300 million to nonprofit organizations and initiatives, primarily through programmatic grants in the seven-county Greater Denver area. The Vice President of Programs directs the staff of the programs department in granting approximately $10 million annually.

Historically, the Foundation has focused its grantmaking in the areas of aging, child and family development, education, health and Jewish life. While we remain committed to funding across a broad and holistic range of issues facing the Greater Denver region, and will continue a specific commitment to funding in our local Jewish community, the Vice President of Programs will work closely with the programs staff, President and CEO, and other members of the leadership team, to develop and implement new, integrated grantmaking strategies that advance equity and justice, inclusion and community engagement, and the growth of resources for regional good.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for mission-oriented community work, a growth mindset and a love of learning. Open-minded, innovative, collaborative, entrepreneurial and willing to take risks, the Vice President of Programs must be an advocate, strategist and an executor – able to translate vision into implementation, solve problems, delegate, balance competing priorities, and be flexible and comfortable with the uncertainty that is inherent in organizational evolution.

Self-awareness, empathy, humility, humor and strong interpersonal skills are key. A relationship builder at heart, the Vice President of Programs will value consensus while still being a decisive leader – capable of giving, receiving and utilizing feedback from internal and external sources. Both a leader and active hands-on team member, a successful candidate will find personal alignment with the Foundation’s values and culture, ensuring that they and the Programs team contribute to a positive work environment.

The Vice President of Programs reports to the President and CEO, serves on the Foundation’s leadership team, and leads a team that currently consists of five direct reports. In addition to staff, the position will interact with committee members, board members, donors and external partners.

The ideal candidate will be a thinker, planner and a doer. The primary responsibilities of this role focus in the following three areas:
Team Management and Leadership, Community Relationships and Learning and Evaluation.

Team Management and Leadership

Lead inclusive, collaborative and efficient internal processes around operationalization and implementation of our new strategic plan, including new approaches to grantmaking, process/systems improvement, and usage of data, metrics and evaluation.

Manage, coach, mentor and inspire a high-performing team with range of experience levels through a period of change as we develop and transition to new grantmaking frameworks, approaches and organizational constructs, ensuring access to appropriate professional development, learning and growth opportunities.

Ensure smooth transition from long-standing grantmaking committee structures to new ones that align with the forthcoming strategic plan, maintaining continued focus on optimizing committee composition, roles, engagement and experience.

Oversee diverse array of grantmaking, including capacity-building, program support and policy/advocacy, ensuring there is cohesion and alignment within the portfolio as well as with organizational values and impact goals.

Provide leadership in cross-department communication, coordination and cohesiveness, identifying synergies and collaborative opportunities between departments and organizational functions, including the engagement of donor-advised funds in aligned giving opportunities. (To…