The Marin Community Foundation (MCF) is implementing a new Strategic Plan that signals a shift in Foundation strategy.
Under this plan, the Foundation will undertake four programmatic Strategic Initiatives addressing issues it considers of highest priority in meeting community needs.
In addition it will address a broader range of needs through Community Grants.
The Trustees of MCF expect to devote $120 million or more grant dollars to these priorities over the next five years, with about 50% supporting the four Strategic Initiatives and about 50% funding Community Grants.
In addition, the Trustees have identified two Strategic Initiatives in the area of Philanthropic Services focusing on increasing the number and size of funds entrusted to MCF and enriching the range of services offered to current and prospective donors.
Both the programmatic and Philanthropic Services activities of the Strategic Plan are described in a report released earlier this year.
The Foundation’s Strategic Plan has prompted the Trustees to raise to a new level the importance of program and grant evaluation, evaluation of increases in volume and quality of donor services, and indeed evaluation of every important activity of the Foundation. MCF has always closely monitored its grants and their outcomes, has relied on grantees and consultants for evaluation, and has, in a variety of ways, monitored metrics that reveal trends in organizational effectiveness and performance.
However, MCF in 2008 is committed to raising all of these activities to a new level of importance. Thus, the decision to create the new position of Director (or Vice President) of Evaluation, reporting directly to the COO. This position offers the right person the opportunity to work closely with some of the most respected professionals in the field of community foundations and with a dedicated grantee community.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:
The Director of Evaluation will report to the Chief Operating Officer of MCF—as do the Vice Presidents for Programs, Philanthropic Services, and Marketing and Communications—and will participate on the Steering Committee, the President’s executive team.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Director (or Vice President) of Evaluation will develop, facilitate, and monitor all evaluation-related functions within MCF and will be responsible for oversight and coordination of all staff and external technical assistance providers implementing evaluation-related functions.
Duties include:
Take the lead in the Steering Committee and with the Trustees to articulate the principles underlying evaluation of program and organizational development in order to enhance the effectiveness of MCF, inform its work, and enhance MCF as both an accountable and responsible charitable change agent.
Identify in every programmatic or organizational Strategic Initiative and major Community Grant program indicators and metrics of success and develop with colleagues the processes for collection of data, interpretation of information, and evaluation of progress; define performance goals and benchmarks, evaluate outcomes, interpret measures of change, and support an informed decision-making process that promotes the use of ongoing evaluation to shape ongoing programming.
Assess the needs of staff and grantees for successful partnership in the evaluation process and design support services or training programs as necessary to enable staff and grantees as evaluation partners.
Where external consultants are engaged to assist MCF and its grantees in evaluation, develop scopes of work, requests for proposals, screenings of proposals, and contracts for work—all in collaboration with MCF colleagues and external participants—and then coordinate the work of external consultants, ensuring that all contracted work meets the standards appropriate to MCF and its goals.
Respond to requests from MCF staff and from grantees to assist in the design and implementation of evaluation mechanisms for their work and provide support for their ongoing evaluations where feasible.
Take responsibility for the quality of all written, oral, and graphic presentations of evaluation results to staff, Trustees, and external partners, and, where broad publication is appropriate, have the capacity to be a primary author of Foundation publications of highest quality.
Remain informed by and involved with other evaluators in philanthropy, academia, and applied research; remain current with the professional literature; participate actively in evaluation networks in the field of philanthropy and nonprofit management; and remain in constant pursuit of best practices and new learning that can enhance the work of MCF.
Attend meetings of the Board of Trustees and other governance committees whenever evaluation outcomes are to be discussed or whenever the discussion of programs, administrative actions, or new initiatives is likely to embrace the desirability and feasibility of evaluation.
Work effectively as a valuable and trusted team member within the department, as an integral member of the President’s executive team, and throughout MCF at every level
Undertake other duties as requested, to meet the changing needs of MCF
PROFESSIONAL and PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS:
The Director (or Vice President) of Evaluation will be responsible for his/her department’s continuing success in meeting the evaluation needs of MCF. The successful candidate will possess the following personal and professional qualifications:
A passion for community service, extensive experience with diverse nonprofit and government organizations responsible for meeting basic community needs and enhancing quality of life; and an appreciation for and understanding of nonprofit management, fundraising, philanthropy, and the world of foundations – all enabling this leader to work shoulder to shoulder with program and other staff and grantees, fully knowledgeable about and credible as to their challenges.
Significant experience in action research, in the discussion during the design phase of a social program of how evaluation capacity and the use of appropriate metrics can be integrated into the implementation of the program initially, on an ongoing basis once a program is under way, and retrospectively, showing the application of outcomes measurement to ongoing programs to enhance future performance based on past experience.
Highly refined people skills, enabling him/her quickly to understand the logic of a program or proposal, to appreciate the interests of its stakeholders, to assess realistically the cost-benefits and burdens of evaluation components, and to collaborate and engage evaluation partners with ease, always working toward support and consensus inside MCF with staff colleagues at all levels and outside MCF with community partners.
Excellent data management skills, ease with technology, and the ability to simplify data collection and performance tracking processes to minimize the requirement of operating expertise while being able to delegate data recording, collection, analysis, and reporting.
Extensive supervisory experience, setting an example by work ethic, productivity, commitment, inspiring loyalty and trust; the ability to set goals and expectations, monitor outcomes, hold staff accountable, to evaluate performance, coach, mentor, and, if ever necessary, to hiring outside counsel.
Ability to manage a multitude of assignments concurrently, to manage budgets and deadlines, to establish and comply with priorities, and to engage others in effective support of a smooth running MCF function.
Exceptional communication skills.
BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION:
MCF takes great pride in how its work is enhanced by the quality and diversity of its volunteers and staff. All highly qualified individuals—who will enjoy and enhance MCF’s rich mix of ethnicities and backgrounds—are encouraged to express their interest in this position.
Education and experience should be appropriate to a position of this complexity. Extensive nonprofit management experience is important; the equivalent of a research Ph.D. in the social sciences is preferred.
COMPENSATION:
Negotiable, based on salary history and experience, plus excellent benefits and the opportunity to be the first professional to occupy this high-impact position.
CONTACT:
This process will be conducted with complete confidentiality, protecting the interests of participants.Screening of candidates will commence immediately, with the goal of completing the selection process in June, 2008 and having the appointment and transition take effect as soon thereafter as practicable.We urge you to consider this opportunity seriously and also to bring this announcement to the attention of anyone you believe qualified for this position.
Inquiries, expressions of interest, nominations, and applications (with résumé) should be submitted in confidence to Robert M. Fisher/Michael Loscavio (Rusher, Loscavio & LoPresto Executive Search) at: bfisher@rll.com.
Listings of jobs in the Bay Area in the nonprofit sector can be found at:
