President & CEO

About The Independence Foundation

Envisioning an equitable, healthy, and vibrant Philadelphia region

The Independence Foundation is a private, not-for-profit philanthropic organization serving Philadelphia and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties. The Foundation’s funding initiatives focus on 

• Arts and Culture
• Healthcare
• Human Services
• Public Interest Law and Legal Aid
• Reentry, Recidivism, and Restorative Justice

Mission

The mission of Independence Foundation is to build leadership, provide services, and encourage systems and cultural change through the support of organizations in the fields of healthcare, human services, public interest law and legal aid, and the arts. The Foundation invests in people and programs that protect, improve, and enrich the life experiences of residents of Philadelphia and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties, with a focus on the vulnerable and excluded. Its work is based on the belief that a region that promotes physical well-being, provides equal access to justice and services, and appreciates the value of the arts will thrive for generations to come.

Values

• Diversity, Equity, and Humanity
• Trust and Mutual Respect
• Intellectual Humility
• Leadership Beyond Grantmaking

Independence Foundation has a long and rich history of making multi-year, unrestricted grants, and enhancing its grantmaking with creative initiatives to support grantees that go well beyond the distribution of funds. Designed with grantees’ expressed interests in mind, the foundation provides learning opportunities for staff and Boards of grantee organizations that are intentionally confidential and separate from grantmaking.

Learn more about The Independence Foundation at https://independencefoundation.org/ 

The Opportunity

In this exciting moment of evolution for the Independence Foundation, the Board seeks a new leader who will build on the organization’s powerful legacy to chart a course for its next era of philanthropic impact.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President & CEO will work with a small, highly skilled and long-tenured team as well as a diverse network of grantees, community partners, and civic leaders who share the Foundation’s vision.

The President and CEO’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Vision and Strategy

• In close collaboration with the Board and staff, design and articulate a clear vision and strategy for the Foundation’s ongoing impact and fulfillment of its mission.
• Track the changing philanthropy landscape nationally, striving for innovation and evolution in how the Independence Foundation does its work.
• Ensure that the Foundation works toward a clearly articulated methodology for measuring the impact of its investments, while understanding that not all the Foundation’s work can be easily measured.

Internal leadership

• Review staff structure, evaluate roles, and build a highly professional team. Due to retirements there may be the opportunity to make key hires early in the new leader’s tenure.
• Provide supervision and management to team of 4-6 staff across program and administrative functions, ensuring a positive, inclusive work culture and environment where team members are set up for success, feel supported, and are deeply engaged.
• Lead with a highly attuned lens for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access, ensuring this value is reflected in all activities and interactions.
• Strengthen a culture of transparency, metrics for success, and accountability that empowers the team and cultivates an ethos of respect and collaboration.

Community Presence and Leadership

• Represent the Foundation with highly engaged grantees, partners, and local leaders in a wide range of spaces and settings.
• Continue to build strong, trust-based relationships with grantees and community leaders, striving to learn, provide value, innovate, and support.
• Support the Foundation’s commitment to convening key constituents with a strategic vision for connection, amplification, and community growth and change.

Board Relations

• Create and maintain a close, productive partnership with the Board.
• Provide ongoing updates and key information, help to plan and participate in productive Board meetings, identify helpful training and learning opportunities, and help to recruit new Board members.
• Support and ensure effective governance structures and processes. 

Financial and Operational Management

• Aligning with the strategic vision, oversee effective and efficient management of the Foundation’s budget and operations, in order to direct IF’s resources toward greatest impact and organizational health.
• Oversee program and grantmaking work, including ensuring a data-informed approach to driving solutions.

Candidate Profile 

This is a unique and exciting opportunity for a proven leader with strategic vision, and an exceptional ability to connect people and ideas, excellent communications and relationship building skills, a commitment to transparency and inclusion, and a genuine desire to play a key role in helping to build an equitable, healthy, and vibrant Philadelphia region.

The ideal candidate will offer demonstrated expertise in the following competencies:

Passion for the Independence Foundation’s Mission and Work

• The President/CEO will bring a true passion for the work of the Independence Foundation and a deep understanding of the elements that create a just and vibrant quality of life in the communities of Philadelphia, as well as the struggles of those who are currently vulnerable and excluded. They will have a deep desire to serve and connect with the network of nonprofit organizations that serve the region across the Foundation’s funding areas and experience with the pressures on and procedures of nonprofit grantees. Working in close collaboration with the staff and Board, the President/CEO will be motivated to achieve the greatest possible impact through the use of the Foundation’s resources. They will exhibit a capacity to listen, a willingness to advocate and motivate, and a dedication to changing the region for the better. They must demonstrate empathy, treat others with respect, and stay true to the values of the Foundation. The ideal candidate will be an individual of unquestioned integrity, ethics, and values, who can be trusted without reservation.

Strategic and Collaborative Leader

• The President/CEO will be an influential and inspirational leader who, in partnership with the Board and staff, sets and clearly articulates a vision for the Foundation and how it can effectively deploy its human and financial assets to positively impact the Greater Philadelphia region and drive change. The President/CEO will bring experience leading organizations through times of growth and transition. With a keen understanding of the Foundation’s potential to use its leadership status and grantmaking in combination, the President/CEO will harness that influence for community improvement. The President/CEO will be skilled at building partnerships with other leaders in the region and using the Foundation’s influence to advance its mission and strategic priorities. The President/CEO will be forward-thinking and driven to discover new approaches and ideas for the Foundation to consider.

Exceptional Communicator and Ambassador

• The President/CEO will be an ambassador for the Foundation, always looking for ways to promote the organization’s work and impact. A warm, engaging communicator who brings a passion for articulating the value of the Foundation to the community, the President/CEO will have a genuine interest in connecting with all the constituents of the Foundation. They will have exceptional listening and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and sustain strong support and engagement across a wide range of governmental, civic, and community leaders. They will be able to develop a powerful sense of shared purpose in others and motivate them to engage with the work of the Foundation.

Organization and Team Builder

• The President/CEO will be a proven leader with staff, operational, and financial management experience. The President/CEO will possess the ability to clearly articulate the Foundation’s strategy and inspire and empower an exceptional, mission-driven staff to execute on that vision. They will foster and encourage a culture of accountability through a relationships-first mindset, leading through deep listening, empathy, and respect. With clear priorities and strong communication, the President/CEO will encourage collaboration and help all staff understand their role in achieving the Foundation’s strategic goals, leading to strong team cohesion. The ideal candidate will be experienced at working with an engaged Board of Directors. They will guide the Board in meeting governance responsibilities in a productive, efficient, and collaborative manner. The President/CEO will ensure the financial sustainability of the Independence Foundation through budgeting and effective financial management, including participating in investment policy and strategy decisions.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $225,000 - $260,000 with a generous benefits package, including PTO and holidays; robust medical and dental coverage; life, ADD, and disability insurance; and 401K participation with annual contributions from the Independence Foundation.