Chief Philanthropy Officer

Position:          Chief Philanthropy Officer  

Reports to:      President

Location:        San Francisco, CA

THE ORGANIZATION

Horizons Foundation has been dedicated to serving, funding, and helping to lead the LGBTQ community for 40 years. Established in 1980 as a San Francisco–based community foundation, Horizons’ mission statement reads:

As the world’s first community foundation of, by and for LGBTQ people, Horizons invests in LGBTQ nonprofits, strengthens a culture of LGBTQ giving, and builds a permanent endowment to secure our community’s future for generations to come.

Horizons is a national leader in promoting LGBTQ philanthropy, recently recognized as one of the LGBTQ movement’s “Top 10” funders by the national advocacy group Funders for LGBTQ Issues. Last year, Horizons distributed more than $6 million in grants to hundreds of nonprofits throughout the country, with more than half supporting organizations in the Bay Area. Grants were awarded to LGBTQ nonprofits and to LGBTQ-focused programs at non-LGBTQ-specific organizations. Through its donor-advised fund (DAF) program, Horizons also makes grants to non-LGBTQ nonprofits regionally and nationally.

Last year, Horizons provided critical funding to both LGBTQ and non- LGBTQ organizations, including  support for projects that addressed violence and bullying; provided low/no-cost mental health care for LGBTQ people; supported LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness; served Latinx families with LGBTQ children; brought cutting-edge performing arts to screens and stages; helped LGBTQ immigrants fleeing persecution and violence in their native countries; and scores more. Horizons responded aggressively to the COVID-19 pandemic and brought more than $1.2 million to over 65 Bay Area nonprofits through its LGBTQ COVID-19 Response Emergency Fund, including San Francisco LGBTQ Center, Transgender Law Center, Lavender Seniors of the East Bay, Homeless Youth Alliance, Openhouse, Oakland LGBTQ Center, Positive Resource Center (PRC), the South Bay’s Billy deFrank Center, GLBT Historical Society and LGBTQ Connection Napa and Sonoma.

In addition to helping meet today’s needs, Horizons is working to ensure that future generations of LGBTQ people have the resources they will need to serve, protect, advocate for, and celebrate our community far into the future. To that end, the foundation is building the first LGBTQ community endowment fund dedicated to future generations and to helping donors today find ways to create personally meaningful – and impactful – legacies. To date, Horizons has identified more than $120 million in future legacy gifts that donors are leaving to the foundation and our community.

THE POSITION

The Chief Philanthropy Officer (CPO) position offers a rare opportunity to make a profound and lasting impact on the LGBTQ community in the Bay Area and beyond and to promote and support LGBTQ philanthropy broadly. As a member of the senior management team, the CPO will play an integral leadership role within the organization and work closely with the president, board, and colleagues to develop and implement the foundation’s strategies and initiatives.

Horizons seeks an exceptional and strategic fundraiser who thrives in an entrepreneurial environment and can continue to build a comprehensive development program for an organization with a remarkable track record, widespread impact, and a powerful long-term vision for the LGBTQ community. The CPO is responsible for managing and strengthening key functional components of the foundation’s fundraising program, including annual, major, and planned giving, institutional giving, events, and development operations, including donor recognition and stewardship. The CPO will supervise and lead a team of three FTEs and a grantwriting consultant. There are current plans to expand this team in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023.

The CPO’s work and impact extend well beyond fundraising alone. This position – along with the president – will shape and drive Horizons’ efforts to enhance giving and philanthropy throughout the LGBTQ community. This scope includes oversight of Horizons’ DAF program, as well as the critical legacy (planned) giving program. The DAF program currently includes 160 funds, with significant future growth anticipated. The CPO and their team will work closely with and provide counsel to donors who have established DAFs to help them realize their philanthropic goals. Horizons’ planned/legacy giving program is among the largest in the LGBTQ movement and lies at the core of Horizons’ long-term vision and strategic plan for the LGBTQ community. As with the DAF program, the CPO will work regularly with individual donors on developing and structuring what Horizons calls their “Legacies of Pride.”

The CPO will oversee the foundation’s educational and community-building programs among both donors and professional financial-planning and estate-planning advisors and serve as one of the foundation’s most important external voices. They will also work closely with Horizons’ communications team to design and implement effective development communications materials and strategies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Annual Fundraising

• Develop and implement diverse strategies to grow and sustain Horizons’ revenue base and meet its private fundraising goals by securing support from individuals, corporations, foundations, events, and other sources
• Work in close partnership with the president, board, and volunteer committees to build the organization’s philanthropic capabilities. Staff Horizons’ development committee, providing fundraising counsel and direction and identifying and recruiting new members
• Build Horizons’ fundraising infrastructure to increase support, steward donors, and ensure adequate operational support for fundraisers, volunteers, and foundation leadership

• Strengthen Horizons’ major gifts program by ensuring best practices and systems to develop a robust prospect pipeline and increase the number of engaged donors capable of making gifts of $10K+
  • Together with the president, strengthen and build relationships with institutional funders, particularly diversifying and increasing support from corporations and increasing outreach to foundations
  • Conduct a strategic review of Horizons’ program of annual events. Plan and manage internal and external fundraising, as well as stewardship and cultivation events
• Manage the development budget. Ensure best-practice use of analytics, data, and metrics to track progress and success of fundraising strategies and tactics
• Design and implement an effective donor relations and stewardship program; create new opportunities for donor and volunteer engagement

Legacy Giving and Donor-Advised Fund Programs  

• Develop and implement strategies to increase the pipeline of legacy/planned gifts to ensure long-term support for Horizons’ LGBTQ Community Endowment Fund. Oversee efforts to promote planned giving opportunities in the LGBTQ and allied communities
• Support legacy prospects and donors by developing giving plans and providing philanthropic advice to them and their professional advisors. Work with estate-planning attorneys and other advisors as needed. Oversee creation and implementation of a limited number of high-quality educational activities for donors and professional advisors.
• Support and provide counsel to the board’s planned giving committee
• With support from the Director of Philanthropic Services, oversee and strategically grow Horizons’ Donor-Advised Fund program

Management

• Serve as an active and contributing member of the senior management team. Actively participate in foundation strategic, operational, and financial planning and help ensure effective inter-departmental communication and the smooth running of the foundation.
• Recruit and provide leadership to the development team; motivate, inspire, manage, and develop staff, enabling them to exceed goals; advise and direct process improvement of fundraising activities

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

 Experience

• Demonstrated ability to be innovative and to identify, create, and develop new opportunities for raising revenues and deepening relationships with donors and other key stakeholders
• Minimum of seven to ten years of progressively responsible fundraising experience with proven success in a leadership role
• Experience working closely with donors, building key donor relationships, and creating opportunities for their philanthropy
• Experience building and/or strengthening a development program and successfully raising major and/or planned gifts
• Experience leading a development program, including managing and mentoring a staff
• Experience implementing a multi-level donor identification, engagement, solicitation, and stewardship plan as well as developing strategies and tactics to sustain and increase giving and attract new individual and institutional donors
• Proven experience serving in the role of resource/coach/mentor to board members and colleagues and leveraging board/volunteer relationships to maximize development opportunities and strengthen capabilities in fundraising, consultation, and advocacy

Education

• Bachelor’s degree preferred. Relevant experience and a successful track record are equally important.

COMPETENCIES/ATTRIBUTES

The successful candidate will be:

• A supporter or friend/ally of the LGBTQ community with a commitment to the foundation’s mission and vision and a desire to encourage and increase LGBTQ philanthropy
• Able to see and work on “big picture” issues and simultaneously committed to the highest quality standards in all aspects of development and philanthropy
• Passionate about helping individuals, couples, and families realize their philanthropic goals and maximize their philanthropic impact
• Able to work collaboratively with the president, management team, staff, and key members of the board and volunteer committees
• Able to take initiative, think strategically, and develop effective work plans
• An effective communicator with excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A leader with an open, supportive, and encouraging leadership style with the ability to create and maintain a collegial, positive, and productive work environment and to motivate and mentor staff
• Able to develop and implement budgets and to develop management reports that present a clear picture of fundraising activities
• Experienced in interacting with individuals from diverse backgrounds and deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace
• Understanding of current trends in philanthropy and the ability to recommend new or different approaches to increase donors, contributions and identify new opportunities
• A person of unquestionable integrity and commitment to professional ethics, and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion
• Significant computer proficiency, including MS Office. Salesforce experience a plus
• Knowledge of Bay Area and LGBTQ philanthropic communities and organizations a plus

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This is a full-time, exempt position. Compensation will be based on experience, with compensation range from $145,000 - $180,000. A generous employee benefits package will be offered, including significant employer contribution to a 403(b) retirement plan. Horizons’ staff currently works together from a downtown San Francisco location (one block from BART/MUNI) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and may choose to work remotely on Fridays and Mondays.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Horizons Foundation is an equal opportunity employer that supports and lives diversity in our staffing and values. We actively seek and welcome applications from people who identify as people of color; women; transgender, gender-conforming, and non-binary; LGBTQ; and people living with disabilities. We comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment, and encourage and seek qualified candidates of all backgrounds.

To be considered for this position or for additional information on the opportunity, please contact or send cover letter and resume – preferably in a single document – to: [email protected]

Please put “Chief Philanthropy Officer position” in the subject line of your message.

Horizons Foundation is deeply committed to diversity and invites all qualified people to apply, particularly people who identify as transgender, people of color, women, and/or people with disabilities.

Thank you for your interest in Horizons Foundation and your support for the LGBTQ community.