Job Description

To Apply:

MacArthur has engaged Chaloner Associates to handle search efforts and candidate review. Please visit submit your application via their website HERE.

All inquiries and/or application materials sent directly to the Foundation will be redirected to Chaloner Associates for review, which may cause significant delay in evaluation and response.

About The John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the nation's largest independent foundations. The Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. MacArthur is placing a few big bets that truly significant progress is possible on some of the world’s most pressing social challenges, including advancing global climate solutions, decreasing nuclear risk, promoting local justice reform in the U.S., and reducing corruption in Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria. In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program, and the global 100&Change competition, the Foundation continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsible and responsive democracy, as well as the vitality of our headquarters city, Chicago. Organizations supported by the Foundation work in about 50 countries. In addition to Chicago, MacArthur has offices in India and Nigeria. For more information, please visit our website at www.macfound.org.

About Partnerships

MacArthur has engaged in a series of coalitions, partnerships, and collaborative grantmaking efforts with other funders to pool our resources and expand our impact. Some of our most recent examples include:

The Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities, a coalition of more than 50 foundations and funders, working together to identify and support community-led, evidence-based solutions that the public sector can scale as part of a comprehensive approach to addressing gun violence;
The NetGain Partnership, a collaboration, guided by a set of Technology Principles that seek to influence policy, markets, norms, and the design and use of the internet and information technologies to make the world a better place; and
Coming together with more than 23 climate funders to commit more than $300 million to reduce methane emissions globally.

To-date, the Partnerships role has largely focused on launching Press Forward, a national movement to strengthen our democracy by revitalizing local news and information. MacArthur is leading Press Forward, a collaborative Big Bet on Local News, that we launched in September of 2023 with a coalition of 22 funders who are investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close long-standing gaps in journalism coverage, advance public policy that expands access to local news, and to scale the infrastructure the sector needs to thrive. Press Forward partners are moving from individual grantmaking strategies to a shared vision and coordinated action and the national coalition has grown to include 50+ funders, including 17 Local Chapters. We anticipate the role expanding to include partnerships, collaborations, and convenings under our other programmatic areas.

Position Overview

The Director of Partnerships will be responsible for developing and executing the strategic plan to engage key networks and partners that advance the Foundation’s mission. This person will identify and assess opportunities to collaborate with various stakeholders within the philanthropic, public, and private sectors to explore large scale collaborative opportunities, prospective leveraging of resources, and approaches to influence our grantmaking strategies. Initially, the Director of Partnerships will be focused on partnership work focused on the Press Forward initiative and over time, will be responsible for driving strategic partnership plans to support other MacArthur programs. The Director of Partnerships will oversee the design and implementation of a partnerships database tool to maintain our partnerships pipeline, track progress, and to aid in shared, data-driven decision making. This will be an ideal opportunity for an individual who gets equally excited about cultivating and strengthening relationships with key partners as they will be responsible for designing systems and executing a multi-year strategic plan.

This individual will serve as a key thought partner and senior counselor to the Vice President of Communications, Fellows, and Partnerships and the President of the Foundation. The successful candidate will have demonstrated achievements in managing donor activation, stewardship, and relationship-building activities for a multi-issue organization. They will have expertise in developing tailored proposals and designing multi-channel cultivation approaches that include digital and personal outreach, events, and more. They will be excited about building a high-impact coalition, designing a professional infrastructure that supports leaders across MacArthur and other collaborations by experimenting with different giving vehicles, including pooled funds and collaborative grantmaking. The Director will be an exceptional collaborator, communicator, and project director.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Philanthropic, Public and Private Partnership Work

Drive the implementation and refinement of MacArthur’s Partnerships strategy and goals, through which the organization seeks to activate significant new investments that will support partnerships like Press Forward and, in time, other collaborative efforts.
Develop a robust, professional cultivation and stewardship strategy that seamlessly engages donors through events, networks, newsletters, collateral, reports, and other communications.
Cultivate and manage relationships with philanthropy-serving organizations and other intermediaries that support donors in developing their giving programs.
Serve as a resource, advisor, and partner to Program Directors when they are developing partnerships, especially at the inception of a donor collaborative or fund.
Build infrastructure for the Partnerships strategy; includes overseeing the adoption of a donor management system for tracking, regularly reporting on donor engagement progress and metrics, and creating processes to seamlessly engage program, legal, and grants teams.
Thoroughly understand MacArthur and how it operates; develop a comprehensive knowledge of its history, culture, and programs to create compelling prospect and partner messages and micro-strategies.
Identify and manage opportunities and events for the President and other senior staff to connect with new donors and donor advisor networks; lead speaker recruitment and events team management to ensure seamless and highly professional engagements.
Produce and attend high-level, polished events with senior staff and build relationships directly with donors and their advisors, as needed.
Coach, train, partner and work cross-collaboratively throughout the Foundation to amplify strategies, approaches, best practices, and relationship management across programs.
Work with leadership to support pooled funds and collaborative funding vehicles where MacArthur and peer funders can work together to connect donors with tailored giving opportunities. Includes development and implementation of governance structures and other strategies to keep donors engaged in the work of the funds.

Networks

Work closely with MacArthur and, initially, Press Forward leadership on the refinement and expansion of the Press Forward brand across partner interactions.
Develop strategies to creatively incorporate coalitions, networks and allies in building and leveraging philanthropic partnerships.
With team support, produce a major convening of new funders as part of our programming in addition to creating online educational opportunities and a newsletter for our co-funder community.

Team and Organizational Leader

Promote a team culture of positivity, high performance, and continuous improvement that values learning and quality.
Experience building strong relationships with internal stakeholders and ability to work cross-functionally in a timely, humble and collaborative manner.
Continuously collaborate with other Press Forward colleagues and Miami Foundation staff.
Actively work to support the success of the entire MacArthur team by developing shared goals and setting priorities.
Work with the MacArthur Vice President of Communications, Fellows and Partnerships and Press Forward Director to manage the work plan and develop annual priorities.
Work with the MacArthur Vice President of Communications, Fellows and Partnerships to manage the Partnerships Department work plan and develop annual priorities and budget.

Experience And Skills Requirements

Deep passion and integrity for strengthening American democracy and for working across differences.
12+ years of experience working in philanthropic advising, fundraising, partnership or grantmaking including a successful track record in managing donor activation, stewardship, and relationship activities.
Familiarity with the c3/c4 landscape.
Experience cultivating and managing relationships with senior-level stakeholders including donors, leaders, champions, and implementing partners. This includes an understanding of the priorities, concerns, and needs of different types of stakeholders and how to manage and navigate them.
Strong national networks within the ultra- and high-net worth donor and wealth advisor communities are a plus.
Familiarity with pooled funds, fiscal sponsorships, and other collaborative grantmaking vehicles a plus.
Exceptional writing and editing skills required.
Proven collaborator, learner, and mentor with a positive approach and high emotional intelligence.
Confidence and capability to adapt and lead in a changing external environment while also navigating the ambiguity and change inherent in a new organizational role.
Experience overseeing the development, implementation, and refinement of operational infrastructure to support donor engagement.
Knowledge of how to build processes and adopt best practices in stakeholder management, including knowledge of or ability to activate and implement a CRM tool to aid with stakeholder relationship management.
Willingness to travel at least monthly, perform occasional evening and weekend work, and staff events, as needed.

The position is hybrid and based in Chicago, Illinois and reports to the Vice President of Communications, Fellows, and Partnerships.

Annual salary for this for role will start at $174,800.

Physical Requirements And Work Environment

The work environment is a hybrid office setting. Intermittent physical activities will include bending, reaching, sitting, and moving around the office during working hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a person with physical disabilities to perform the job.

To Apply

MacArthur has engaged Chaloner Associates to handle search efforts and candidate review. Please visit submit your application via their website HERE.

All inquiries and/or application materials sent directly to the Foundation will be redirected to Chaloner Associates for review, which may cause significant delay in evaluation and response.

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Director of Partnerships