Director of Grants Administration and Compliance

The Climate + Clean Energy Equity Fund (The Equity Fund) is building the multi-state infrastructure and community power needed to end climate change and to create an equitable clean energy future. The Equity Fund is strategically building power by:

• Investing in the leadership and organizing of diverse communities (Black, Latinx, AAPI, Indigenous people, and communities bearing the brunt of climate change);
• Engaging voters in these communities through nonpartisan civic engagement campaigns; and
• Winning climate and clean energy policy solutions that reflect the priorities of communities and advance racial, economic, and environmental justice.

Founded in 2016, The Equity Fund is already partnering with organizations in 13 states (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia), and will expand its reach to additional states in the coming years.

Grassroots groups advocating for and organizing people hard hit by climate change – communities of color, Indigenous, working class and rural communities – often lack resources, staffing, and access to develop relationships with foundation funders and major donors. Yet, they are accomplishing critical work to build the collective power of communities most hurt by climate change and the use of dirty fossil fuels resulting in health problems, job losses, and displacement. The Equity Fund serves as a conduit for foundations and donors to partner and support these grassroots organizations across the country. Because of Equity Fund’s expertise and deep relationships with community-led groups working at the intersection of climate change, racial justice, and economic equity, the Equity Fund can identify and nurture local grantee partners that have large-scale bases of members and track records of winning policy victories in their cities and states. The team then works to synthesize and share lessons learned from their grantee partners so that foundations and donors can better understand how grassroots groups can more effectively build power to advance climate solutions and then develop and coordinate funding strategies that will have the greatest results.

This year, the Equity Fund made the strategic decision to start the process of spinning out of its fiscal sponsorship at New Venture Fund to establish a new, independent institution that can meet the needs of its growing and dynamic ecosystem of grassroots organizations and their collective impact. Now poised for significant growth, the operations team is evolving to build and nurture the grantmaking support systems that help ensure success. Reporting to the COO, the Director of Grants Administration and Compliance will help to instill and maintain effective grants management systems and practices across the team in order to support grantmaking effectiveness, continuous learning, and synthesis of data to inform advocacy and policy work held by the Equity Fund and the Climate Equity Action Fund, it’s C4 partner organization.

The ideal candidate will bring 8-10+ years of progressive leadership experience in grants management and compliance including deep understanding of the systems, strategies, and processes that support an effective and large-scale grantmaking operation for 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong equity fluency as well as values and mission alignment with the work of the Equity Fund and Action Fund.

OPPORTUNITIES & EXPECTATIONS FOR THE DIRECTOR OF GRANTS ADMINISTRATION AND COMPLIANCE

The Equity Fund is seeking an experienced and organized grants management and compliance leader to build a new grants administration and compliance infrastructure alongside our COO and CCEEF’s broader leadership team. The Director of Grants Administration and Compliance is a full-time, exempt position reporting to the COO and will have ownership of all aspects of the grants management process. They will also provide support and training to grants management staff and the Equity Fund program team after CCEEF spins from fiscal sponsorship to independent 501(c)(3), and the Climate Equity Action Fund spins to independent 501(c)(4), on April 1, 2023. The Director leads the execution of short- and long-term strategy for grants management and builds strong working relationships across programs to effectively execute grantmaking strategies and advance the Fund’s mission. The Director serves as a trusted advisor and key partner to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and directs a centralized approach to grantmaking systems, policies, and processes that are optimized for the Fund’s innovative grantmaking initiative. The ideal candidate will:

Support the Organizational Culture and Equity Journey

In collaboration with the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Grants Administration and Compliance will support the COO and leadership team to build a culture of compliance and uphold an ongoing focus on culture and advancement of equity and liberatory consciousness throughout the organization. This will help to ensure a safe, inclusive, and emotionally supportive environment where all are united in learning and in the advancement of work with, and on behalf of, communities most impacted by the climate crisis in our world.

Lead Grants Management, Administration, and Compliance (60%-70%)

The Director will provide leadership on the design and day-to-day operations of grants management, with a keen eye for efficiency and service quality for a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) grantmaking operation. They will also build and maintain feedback mechanisms to ensure early detection of end-user problems and apply foresight and judgment in adjusting grant management service, training, and communications to support program goals. Responsibilities include:

• Design and manage overall grants workflow to support the full grant lifecycle, including pipeline management, grant recommendation, board approval, grant agreement execution, payments, amendments, compliance, and reporting. Evaluate opportunities to streamline and improve workflow, as well as enhance user training on systems and processes.
• Advise and guide program teams on legal compliance, complex grantmaking, and appropriate charitable giving mechanisms to achieve grant objectives and impact, including lobbying, political and primary purpose compliance, and expenditures.
• Lead short- and long-term grants budget planning, including partnering with the Leadership Team and Finance on developing the annual grant allocation and payout. Advise teams on grant payout throughout the year to ensure meeting target payout for current fiscal year as well as flexibility in future years.
• Develop institutional grant compliance policies and procedures. Provide guidance on legal due diligence and compliance review procedures to ensure grants and program related investments adhere to IRS requirements for both a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) grantmaking operation.
• Determine optimal team structure for the grants management function and oversee hiring, training, and managing staff performance and professional development.

Collaboratively Lead Cross-Organizational Operations (30% – 40%)

In collaboration with the Executive Director and COO, the Director will lead cross-organizational administration, execution, and associated operational processes. The Director will also work with Finance and Operations to support linkages across the teams as well as provide targeted support to drive the organization’s operating model and annual planning cycle. The role calls for a process-oriented generalist with emphasis on operations and cross-functional leadership to maximize and strengthen the internal capacity of the Equity Fund. Responsibilities include:

• Manage cross-team alignment and integration through coordination and execution across several internal and external stakeholders including Finance, Information Technology, Systems, and Legal.
• Identify and build buy-in on opportunities to operate with greater efficiency and track and report on internal operating metrics through transformation initiatives and process improvement projects to achieve organizational goals. Specific responsibilities may include facilitation of cross team working groups, information synthesis, strategy implementation, and internal and external partnership building.
• Continually stay abreast of new developments in management systems and technologies that support evolving needs of the organization. Partner with an IT vendor to lead planning, evaluation, and implementation efforts for technology systems to support operations and grantmaking.

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will be deeply committed to the Equity Fund’s mission and development needs. They will understand the critical role that philanthropy plays in fighting climate change and advancing social, racial, and economic justice. While no one person will embody all the qualities enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

• 8-10+ years of experience in grants management/administration and operations, with a deep understanding of grantmaking processes, approaches, and compliance. Experience at an intermediary funder organization is strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of legal requirements and complexities of intermediary fundraising and grantmaking for domestic grantmaking and for both a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organization required.
• Strong systems orientation with a track record of implementing and enhancing tools and processes, developing new solutions and staying well-informed of new and emerging options; experience with Salesforce a plus.
• Must be able to anticipate needs, challenges, and short- and long-term implications; analyze issues and problems systematically; and effectively communicate and implement solutions.
• Comfortable working in and thriving in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment and able to adapt and lead teams through change.
• Highly organized and flexible; able to multi-task and manage a high-volume workload; excellent time management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, conflict resolution, and coaching skills with a demonstrated ability to develop trusting relationships and influence at all levels of the organization and handle sensitive and confidential information. Demonstrated leadership skills with a collegial style, including organization planning, goal setting, and people management. Fosters openness, trust, respect, teamwork, innovative approaches, and collaboration at all levels.
• Excellent writing, analytical, and oral communication skills.
• Fluency in oral and written English required; additional languages are a plus.

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS & LOCATION/SCHEDULE

Compensation and Benefits:  The Equity Fund offers a competitive and holistic total rewards package that includes salary and benefits. The target salary range for this role is $155,000 to $190,000/year. Comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance; 3% automatic contribution and a 3% employer match on 401(k) contributions; pre-tax transportation benefits; and paid holiday, vacation, sick, and volunteer time off.

Location and Schedule:  The Equity Fund is currently a fully remote team with plans to have hybrid setup in early 2023, so we have a preference for candidates in the Washington, DC metro area, where the COO is based. Due to the fast pace of change and the deadline of April 1, 2023 to establish a new entity and the grants administration/compliance function, this role will require flexible scheduling and availability for occasional in-person meetings.

More information about The Climate + Clean Energy Equity Fund may be found at: www.theequityfund.org

This search is being conducted with assistance from Katherine Jacobs and Sharon Gerstman of NPAG. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Candidates may submit their cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG’s website.

The Climate + Clean Energy Equity Fund is a project of New Venture Fund (NVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. NVF is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding, and enables each of us to realize our potential. NVF’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

To center the safety and well-being of its employees, New Venture Fund requires that any employee who is required to conduct in-person activities for their job must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within four weeks of their start date. This position may require candidates to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Accommodations may be sought and approved in accordance with the law by contacting human resources at HR@newventurefund.org.