Chief Executive Officer; TRFF

The Russell Family Foundation (TRFF) was founded in 1999 by Jane and George Russell to make quiet and lasting change in communities while bringing family together in the joy of philanthropy. TRFF has been stewarded for the last two decades by a multigenerational family and community board and led by current CEO Richard Woo since 2000. TRFF’s reputation for innovation and positive impact in the Puget Sound region has grown to national recognition for groundbreaking collective impact models and breakthrough impact investing practices.

As the Foundation builds on this strong and vibrant legacy, it now seeks a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who will embody its values and continue to expand on TRFF’s commitment to innovation in the philanthropic sector, making quiet and lasting investments and partnerships in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

The new CEO will work in close partnership with a family and community board of 14, lead a passionate and committed staff of seven, and further facilitate the refinement and development of the Foundation’s unique portfolio focused on environmental sustainability, grassroots leadership, and global peace. The Foundation’s programs and grantmaking are supported and enhanced by an investment approach and total resource activation strategy that reflects the unique business legacy, expertise, and values of the family.

The new CEO will integrate best practices in the craft of philanthropy and the art of multigenerational engagement in connecting the Foundation in meaningful and authentic ways to the communities where it invests. The new CEO will be a seasoned facilitator and entrepreneurial leader who ideally brings vision to and experience with innovative philanthropy. The CEO will be a humble and thoughtful leader with a commitment to lifelong learning and innovation.

They will ideally bring some familiarity with the content areas of interest to the Foundation and be a seasoned leader who integrates a values-centered approach. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a family foundation with regional and national reputation in its next phase of mission-focused, community-driven work.

The new CEO will join The Russell Family Foundation at a critical transition moment as the family engages the next generation of leadership, recommits to the values and spirit of its founding vision, and celebrates Richard Woo’s long and successful tenure as the first CEO from outside the family. The new CEO should expect to engage in the following opportunities and challenges in the first two to three years of their tenure:

Leadership

Working collaboratively with the Board of Directors and staff, the new CEO will facilitate a process that draws together the family’s philanthropic vision and will bring leadership to the Foundation’s key programmatic and community building initiatives. The CEO will partner individually and collectively with the board and other members of the family in the philanthropic expression of the family’s legacy and values, as well as in the next stage of refining its focus areas.

They will lead strategic planning sessions and activities that engage all board members in the Foundation’s initiatives in action and will identify authentic ways to bring board members and community members together to experience the power of social impact through community focused philanthropy. The CEO will lead and promote innovation in the Foundation’s approach by sharing trends, best practices, and sector innovations with the board to ensure TRFF continues to be a humble, yet pioneering field leader.

Programmatic and Community Representation

The CEO will work closely with the board, staff, and community partners to develop an innovative and diverse array of philanthropic initiatives that support the vision and mission of TRFF. They will oversee the development and implementation of an evaluation framework that disciplines progress and inspires a culture of learning and accountability in the Foundation’s goals and strategies. They will identify partners and stakeholders to work with the Foundation to advance an innovation agenda.

They…