Social Innovation Forum Seeks Executive Director

About Social Innovation Forum (SIF)

The Social Innovation Forum (SIF)'s mission is to create positive social change in Eastern Massachusetts by engaging leaders, strengthening organizations, and building networks. SIF connects innovative nonprofit organizations with an ever-growing community of volunteers, investors, and practitioners who contribute their time, talents, resources, and money to drive positive social impact. With 120 social impact organizations in the SIF portfolio, the organization is helping to improve lives and build stronger, healthier communities all across Eastern Massachusetts. Learn more about the Social Innovation Forum's impact here.

SIF started in 2003 as a program of Root Cause and incorporated as an independent nonprofit in 2015. SIF takes a "marketplace approach" to social change by leveraging its unique position at the intersection of philanthropy and nonprofit innovation to educate funders, support nonprofit leaders, and build partnerships. SIF's highly regarded programs include:

• The Social Innovator Accelerator offers capacity-building support to grassroots nonprofit organizations through consulting, coaching, presentation training, and access to other resources.
• The Funder Education Program provides numerous opportunities for philanthropists, funders, community leaders, and others to come together with nonprofit leaders to learn about social justice philanthropy, strategize about and implement more equitable practices, and build meaningful, long-lasting relationships with nonprofits.
• Through the Alumni & Nonprofit Network, SIF supports a growing network of nonprofits with topical workshops, cohort learning, and pro-bono services.

True to its name, innovation has been a core principle behind SIF's growth over the past 20 years. The organization has excelled at generating creative new initiatives that are responsive to the needs of its partners. As a current example of this, SIF recently launched the Social Innovator Fund, a vehicle to help donors direct resources to local, grassroots organizations efficiently and effectively with a $1m leadership gift. In addition, SIF led a two-year initiative called CORE (Community Organizations Reimaging Ecosystems), that engaged a peer learning community of eight intermediaries from across the U.S. in quarterly discussions on the significance of place-based work, local social impact, and social justice. The group is currently wrapping up its initial work and planning to share its collective learning at national conferences in 2023. To learn more about SIF's legacy of innovation, please click here.

The following five core values, developed and defined by the SIF team, underpin SIF's work:

Engaged Community: SIF's "marketplace approach" centers on a connected and collaborative community in which nonprofit leaders, donors, volunteers, and others put their skills to work most effectively towards the shared goal of addressing inequities and accelerating social impact in Eastern Massachusetts and beyond.

Deep Relationships: Building and fostering authentic and trusting relationships among members of our community is core to how we do our work. SIF makes these connections with intentionality and care, and we find joy in seeing them grow and evolve.

Continuous Learning: Our team actively seeks to gain new knowledge and understanding from others, with others, and independently. We welcome feedback, engage in honest reflection, and focus on ongoing improvement. We also share our learning with others whenever possible.

Nimbleness: SIF is willing to take risks, test new approaches, and pivot in order to respond to emerging priorities. We are adaptable and recognize the need to continuously adjust and innovate in an ever-changing world.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: We commit to continuous learning and acknowledge that making progress in these areas will be an ongoing journey. We invite all members of our community to engage in this learning with us, share their perspectives, and give us feedback along the way.

The SIF team is composed of 12 staff members and several part-time employees, consultants, and students from Northeastern University's co-op program. The organization operates with an annual budget of ~$2.5m and is supported by an engaged and committed 14-member Board of Directors. SIF's first Executive Director, Susan Musinsky, plans to transition from her role by the end of 2023 following eighteen years of service. Under Susan's leadership, SIF has grown from a small volunteer initiative at Root Cause to a respected stand-alone model for directing resources for solving social problems to the best available approaches.

Opportunity Going Forward

The Social Innovation Forum (SIF) is well-positioned for the next phase in the organization's development, having built a respected brand, high-quality programs, a talented staff, a dedicated board, and strong, stable finances over the last two decades. The next leader will be able to build upon this strong foundation, leveraging SIF's innovative nature and commitment to continuous learning to strengthen existing programs and envision new ways to foster positive social change. The ideal candidate will be a natural relationship builder with a strong existing network and an ability to facilitate intentional, mutually beneficial connections across the various communities SIF engages. She/He/They will be an experienced fundraiser and organizational developer with a proven ability to balance innovation and growth with operational excellence.

High priorities for the next Executive Director include:

• Partner with the staff and board to create and enact SIF's next strategic plan
• Envision and build the infrastructure necessary to sustain and grow development efforts
• Define and enact the next set of priorities to advance SIF's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work
• Cultivate existing and new funder relationships, partnering with Susan to facilitate successful transitions where necessary
• Participate in a detailed review of the Accelerator Program with a focus on racial equity
• Develop trusting relationships with staff and cohesion across the team
• Work with the team to explore and model effective practices that foster self and community care
• Strengthen internal operations with a focus on capacity planning and leadership development opportunities for staff

Desired Credentials/Profile of the Ideal Candidate

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate a majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below.

• Deep understanding of and passion for SIF's mission, values, and unique role as a social justice intermediary
• 8+ years of increasing leadership experience at a nonprofit, philanthropic institution, and/or an intermediary; experience in Eastern Massachusetts preferred
• Successful track record of fundraising for organization(s) with a budget of at least $2m
• Strong, consistent focus on social justice and equity throughout their career

Skills and Experience

Exceptional Relationship Builder, Connector, and Fundraiser

• Able to clearly and passionately articulate SIF's mission, values, and marketplace approach to a wide variety of audiences
• Experience building the staff and infrastructure of a development team
• Seasoned fundraiser adept at identifying and cultivating individual relationships and organizational partnerships focused on advancing SIF's work
• Natural relationship builder who delights in building bridges across diverse groups of people
• Deep understanding of how to partner with and maximize the impact of a highly engaged Board of Directors
• Able to facilitate meaningful connections between Innovators and funders

Experienced Leader of Teams, People, and DEI

• Actively fosters a positive, inclusive, trust-based team culture

• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) including experience shifting organizational policies and practices to foster a more diverse and inclusive environment

• Prioritizes and balances staff development and wellness through effective capacity planning and resource allocation
• Able to hold self and others to a consistently high level of accountability and performance, by setting an example that inspires staff to both perform at their best and engage in self-care
• An active, humble listener with the desire to learn from people with multiple perspectives before acting and equally comfortable making and communicating the ultimate decision

Visionary Leader Who Can Balance Entrepreneurial and Systems-Oriented Thinking

• Proven ability to lead collaborative efforts that examine and question traditional sources of power and ways of operating to advance social change
• Strategic thinker who can assess opportunities for program and organizational expansion and improvement, with a focus on capacity, sustainability, and impact
• Experience both facilitating the creation of and leading the implementation of strategic and operational plans
• Strong commitment to innovation, learning, and continuous improvement

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with a starting salary range of $190,000-$220,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications. SIF also offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical (75% covered by SIF), dental (75% covered by SIF), life, and disability (short-term and long-term) insurances; generous paid time off that includes December 24-January 1; a retirement plan with up to a 3% match; a professional development stipend; and a wellness benefit.

Application Process and Additional Information

Candidates must include a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of SIF. If taking the job requires a candidate to move to Eastern Massachusetts, s/he/they should mention why that is a good fit for them at this time. Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. Upload required documents to: https://eostransitions.applicantpool.com/jobs/

Eos Transition Partners consultant, Erin Cox, is managing this search. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential, and any questions can be submitted to Erin at: ecox@eostransitions.com

SIF is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, height, weight, marital status, pregnancy, or parental status in employment or the provision of services. Knowing its importance to the success of our work, SIF is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community, including groups that are traditionally underrepresented among our sector leadership.