President & CEO

The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation (RSCF) is a private foundation headquartered in New York City that supports people and organizations working to build a more just, equitable, and vibrant New York City. The foundation maintains a strong commitment to leadership development and invests in the people who lead change and the relationships that help them do their work effectively. The foundation practices trust-based philanthropy through sustained relationships with grantee partners, flexible support, and a willingness to listen and learn.

Its approach recognizes that nonprofit leaders understand their organizations and communities, and that a funder can be most useful when it responds to their priorities. Alongside grants, the foundation offers opportunities for peer learning, convening, and connection. RSCF has helped advance trust-based philanthropy nationally while maintaining a strong focus on New York City. Its small team works closely with nonprofit leaders and philanthropic peers to share learning and strengthen the sector.

Over the past decade, under the leadership of previous leadership, RSCF has deepened its commitment to supporting leadership, promoting equity, and defining and expanding trust-based philanthropy through practices including sustained collaboration with grantee partners and providing support beyond financial grants. The foundation is also exploring how its investment portfolio can more fully support its mission with an expansion to impact investing.

The President & CEO will report to the Board of Trustees and lead the foundation through its next chapter. This position represents an opportunity to build on trusted relationships and a distinctive approach to philanthropy while examining how the foundation can have the greatest impact in the years ahead. The President & CEO will oversee strategy, grantmaking, staff leadership, financial stewardship, and external engagement.

Success will require comfort moving among diverse responsibilities: speaking on the national stage about trust-based philanthropy or nonprofit leadership development, listening to grantees, coaching colleagues, reviewing budgets, and helping the board make consequential decisions. The foundation seeks a leader who combines emotional intelligence with sound judgment, clear expectations, and consistent follow-through. The role is hybrid with offices in New York City, and the ideal candidate will understand the realities of nonprofit leadership and bring the confidence to lead a foundation whose influence depends on the quality of its relationships.

The foundation values relationships, flexibility, and learning, with team members collaborating across functions and bringing their experience to a broad range of work. The President & CEO should enjoy leading in a small organization and be prepared to contribute directly alongside colleagues.

• Work with the board and staff to articulate the foundation’s next phase of strategy, drawing on its leadership development work, grantee relationships, and learning from the field
• Translate strategy into clear priorities, realistic plans, and shared goals
• Help trustees assess progress, understand tradeoffs, and make timely decisions
• Build a candid, productive relationship with the board chair and individual trustees
• Prepare clear materials, communicate emerging issues early, and follow through on decisions
• Bring together differing perspectives, address disagreement directly and respectfully, and clarify the respective responsibilities of governance and management
• Guide grantmaking with staff and the board, ensuring that funding decisions reflect the foundation’s mission, available resources, and…