Jobs Board

Maryland Partnerships and Strategy Director (Meyer Foundation)

Company Name

Meyer Foundation

Company City

Washington, DC

Company State

DC

Job Location

1120 G Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005 (and partially remote)

Company Information

The Meyer Foundation pursues and invests in solutions that build an equitable Greater Washington community in which economically disadvantaged people thrive. We envision a just, connected, and inclusive Greater Washington community in which systemic racism and its consequences no longer exist.

Meyer Foundation Values:

Racial Justice & Shared Humanity
We believe racial equity is a moral and justice imperative that benefits all humanity. We are committed to advancing racial equity in all our spheres of influence in the interest of building a just, connected, inclusive future in which everyone thrives.

Solidarity
We recognize solutions to racial injustice are built through the collective efforts of diverse people, perspectives, and sectors; and by shifting power and voice to our community members who have been most directly affected by racial injustice.

Regional Responsibility
We use our resources and relationships to create opportunities, build capacity, and contribute to the strength, resiliency, and equity of the Greater Washington region.

Stewardship
We manage the long-term financial well-being of the Foundation consistent with our beliefs, mission, and vision while acting boldly to achieve racial equity.

Job Description

The Meyer Foundation is working toward a vision of a just, connected, and inclusive Greater Washington community in which systemic racism and its consequences no longer exist. We support organizations that are building power to achieve a racially and economically just Greater Washington region.

We focus the Foundation’s resources toward three core bodies of work: A Just and Equitable COVID-19 Recovery, focused on supporting efforts to rebuild and recover from the pandemic in Greater Washington; Reimagining the Social Contract, aimed at redefining the relationship between systems and people; and the Fund for Black-led Change, a five-year, $20 million initiative to strengthen the infrastructure of Black-led movements building power to change communities and the region.

We seek to hire a Director of Maryland Partnerships and Strategy to lead the Foundation’s work in Maryland. The person in this position will be a partner in driving social change and racial justice by proactively developing knowledge of community needs and of those working toward solutions and cultivating and stewarding relationships with stakeholders. The Maryland Partnerships and Strategy Director provides input on programmatic strategy within assigned issue and geographic areas through a racial justice lens to achieve the goals in the Foundation’s strategic plan, convenes grantees and other partners with shared goals, strengthens existing networks and builds partnerships with external colleagues; communicates the Foundation’s goals and strategy to potential applicants, current grantees, and other partners; and reviews and recommends action on grant applications. This position reports directly to the Vice President for Community Partnerships and Learning.

While the Maryland Partnerships and Strategy Director will lead the Foundation’s work in both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, we are especially interested in candidates who bring deep knowledge of and relationships and experience in Prince George’s County.

Cultivating a team that embodies the diverse experiences of the Greater Washington region is essential to our mission and values. We strongly and sincerely encourage applications from people of color/of the global majority, immigrant, bilingual, and bicultural individuals; people with disabilities; members of LGBTQIA+ and gender non-conforming communities; and people with other diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Leadership and Strategy:

• Collaborate with the Vice President for Community Partnerships & Learning on the development and execution of strategies to build power and movements in Maryland, particularly in Prince George’s County, and the Greater Washington region to achieve a racially and economically just community.
• Oversee the grantmaking and program portfolios for Maryland to advance strategies of movement building, systems change, narrative change, coalition building, and capacity building.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of technical assistance, leadership development, convening, and advocacy efforts in partnership with grantees and allied funders to support strengthening individual immigrant-focused organizations and the ecosystem of immigrant focused organizations as a whole.
• Effectively communicate and coordinate with all of Meyer’s Community Partnerships & Strategy staff and colleagues in strategic communications, finance, operations, and grants management.

Grantmaking:

• Review and assess funding requests (including budgets and financial statements) from current and prospective grantee partners.
• Meet with current and prospective grantee partners to build relationships based on mutuality, respect, and common vision and goals for the future of the Greater Washington region.
• Be responsive and accessible to current and prospective grantees and other partners, effectively communicating the Foundation’s goals, strategies, and funding priorities.
• Provide guidance to applicants and grantees to help them strengthen their organizations and programs.
• Receive, process, and apply feedback from grantee partners to improve the Foundation’s processes and relationships in the community.
• Use the Foundation’s grants management system to process, document, track, and make projections about grantmaking activities and relationships.
• Coordinate with the Vice President for Community Partnerships and Learning and the Executive Office on the preparation of Board materials.

External Relationships:

• Build relationships with potential partners across all sectors—including philanthropy, government, and business—that share the Foundation’s goals.
• Represent the Foundation to a broad range of decision-makers and partners including grantees, community leaders, business leaders, government officials, affinity groups, and other collaborators in the region and across the country.
• Expand the Foundation’s network and presence in Prince George’s County.
• Educate the Greater Washington community about the Foundation’s mission, values, programs, and goals, and build support for the Foundation’s advocacy and policy priorities.
• Prepare strategy memos, briefs, reports, and presentations in a variety of formats to engage a broad range of constituents (e.g., board members, community leaders, grantees, allied funders).
• Participate in and work to strengthen and expand networks, collaborative approaches, and collective impact efforts that advance shared community goals.
• Seek opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and build partnerships with colleagues in other grantmaking organizations.
• Ambassador for the Foundation’s work on racial equity and racial justice; engages with partners across all sectors on racial equity issues and maintains an understanding of the history of inequality in the DC region and its impact on communities of color, with a particular focus on Prince George’s County.

Build and Share Knowledge:

• Actively participate in the Foundation’s planning, strategy development, and learning processes.
• Develop knowledge and expertise within assigned areas including racial equity and share knowledge with the Community Partnerships and Strategy team and with external colleagues.
• Actively participate in the Foundation’s processes to learn from and understand the progress of grantee partners and communicate that progress to the Board and the external world.
• Identify knowledge resources that should be shared with internal and external audiences.
• Contribute to the growth of the Foundation’s thought leadership strategy through its various communications channels .
• Learn from the experience of other grantmakers, both in the Greater Washington region and nationally, in developing successful strategies for social change.

Salary: $100,000.

Job Qualifications

Preferred Experiences & Qualifications:

• At least five years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, community-based organizations, philanthropic sector and/or other similar sectors.
• Strong, established network in Maryland, especially in Prince George’s County, and deep knowledge of the needs of Montgomery and Prince George’s communities that are most impacted by structural inequities.
• Demonstrated commitment to and relationship with community organizing and/or advocacy efforts in the Greater Washington region.
• Deep and demonstrated commitment to equity and social justice, and strong alignment with Meyer Foundation’s organizational values.
• Familiarity with the geographic, cultural, and racial diversity across the Greater Washington region
• Ability to authentically connect one’s own personal lived and professional experiences with the Foundation’s mission and vision.
• Reputation among peers as a sought advisor on topics of direct relevance to this role and the Foundation’s various strategies.
• Experience with various equity, justice, and power-building strategies, including a demonstrated ability to connect with these issues on a personal and organizational level.

Personal Characteristics and Values:

• Committed to the Foundation’s mission, vision, values, and community agreements;
• Active and supportive participant in building and maintaining a collaborative and inclusive workplace culture;
• Proven ability to listen, discern challenges, and identify solutions;
• Partnership approach and ability to effectively work with different workstyles;
• An analytical thinker who can apply strategy using a thoughtful and inclusive approach;
• Open-minded and committed to honest and candid conversations and self-reflection about race, racial justice, and equity;
• Able to act with discretion and respect information shared by our partners in confidence;
• Drives their own personal development, committing to new challenges which build capacity for the organization; and
• Enthusiasm for organizational change and patience during any change processes as part of the Foundation’s commitment to ongoing learning and adaptation.

Maintains Commitment to Values and Meyer Foundation’s Community Agreements:

• Apply a racial justice lens: Raise issues of racial equity. Constantly seek to understand disparities and learn why they exist. Examine issues and create solutions through a systems framework.
• Assume positive intent: Proceed with trust and seek to understand one another. Challenge perspectives, not each other.
• Call people in: Avoid calling out – instead, call in. When we call in, we respect where people are and invite them to continue learning.
• Create space for multiple truths and perspectives: Be diligent and patient with self and others. Be willing to step up and step back. Recognize and explore triggers.
• Disagreement can be generative: Understand we will not always agree and that it’s okay. Healthy discussion can generate new ideas when we’re willing to engage and hear differing perspectives.
• Honor different styles of communicating, learning, and processing: Understand that these happen in different ways for different people. Seek understanding if someone’s style differs from yours.
• Name and check assumptions: Use “I” statements and allow “we” to speak. Respectfully call in your peers when an assumption has been shared.
• Recognize power dynamics: Be aware of the existence of power dynamics and how they can be used both positively and negatively, formally and informally. Acknowledge your own privilege and how you use it.
• Seek to expand your growth edge: Look for new opportunities to learn. Be open to perspectives that challenge your own.
• Surface elephants and patterns: Support each other in raising uncomfortable conversations. Hold each other in kindness and rigor, while seeking ways to move forward.
• Thoughtful risk-taking: Call on deep courage and be willing to take calculated risks without fear of failure or being wrong.

How to Apply

To apply for the Maryland Partnerships and Strategy Director position, submit your application via Survey Monkey after reading the information below:

To complete the application, you will need to upload your resume and provide brief responses to the following questions. Please do not include a cover letter.

1) What drew your interest to this position?
2) How would you describe your knowledge of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties?
3) How would you describe the landscape of racial and economic justice work in Montgomery and Prince George’s County?
4) How do you think philanthropy can better support organizations doing racial and economic justice work in Montgomery and Prince George’s County?

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