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The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee seeks an accomplished and respected visionary to serve as its next Chief Executive Officer. This is an outstanding opportunity for a socially conscious and proven leader with experience, imagination and passion for sustainable and high-impact philanthropy.

Established in 1991, The Community Foundation is based in Nashville and serves 40 counties in Middle Tennessee and three in Southern Kentucky. After more than three decades of growth, the Foundation is home to nearly 1,500 charitable funds – more than half represented by donor-advised funds – and more than $550 million in assets.

The new CEO will strive to strike a balance between maintaining deep respect for CFMT’s remarkable history while holding forth a strategic vision for our future, aligned with staff, board and our community.

The opportunity to apply for this position will close October 7, 2022

CEO Candidate Profile
Top Level Responsibilities
Experience
Apply for Position


CEO CANDIDATE PROFILE


Leadership

The ideal candidate will be a leader with relevant knowledge in philanthropy who can promptly tap into Middle Tennessee’s rich and diverse community. This candidate will be fully comfortable heading an organization for which collaboration and commitment to community are fundamental to success. This requires:

  • deep knowledge of effective nonprofit governance practices
  • an inclusive, consensus-building leadership style that nurtures a culture of belonging both in and out of the public spotlight
  • the credibility to inspire donors and collaborators to take action
  • an energetic, entrepreneurial nature that combines intellectual curiosity with analytical skills and political savvy
  • a strong interest in – and excitement about – the challenges and opportunities facing the communities in and around Middle Tennessee

Communication

The best candidate will be a warm, engaging and authentic communicator who brings a passion for sharing the values of the Foundation with the community. This requires:

  • excellent listening skills and the ability to truly hear people
  • a strong internal communicator to provide a clear sense of direction to the team
  • the skill to communicate the Foundation’s mission and vision at both a wide and deep level
  • an understanding of how to cultivate trust with donors and constituents in a professional, honest and caring manner

Collaboration and Community Engagement

The CEO must possess strong collaboration skills, internally and externally, meeting and working with a wide array of stakeholders to reach mutual community goals. This requires:

  • an authentic interest in building genuine and lasting relationships within a 43-county region with philanthropic donors, partners and our community at large
  • the dexterity to successfully navigate complex political and cultural systems and to balance the varied needs of CFMT’s multiple constituents
  • the adeptness to effectively represent CFMT in all the communities it serves in a variety of formats
  • experience fundraising with a track record of building visible, innovative and sustainable partnerships in diverse stakeholder environments

Financial Stewardship

We are seeking a financially savvy executive with strong business and financial management acumen, attendant to the Foundation’s business affairs. This requires:

  • an understanding of the financial complexities and opportunities inherent in a community foundation
  • a well-developed ability to distill legal, financial, and business information to guide priorities
  • a firm grasp of sound internal fiscal practices, such as balanced budgets and the value of responsive, solutions-oriented strategies
  • a data-driven orientation in the deployment of financial resources and in making critical business decisions

Cultural Competence

The next CEO will demonstrate cultural and social dexterity with a professional commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. This requires:

  • a solid comfort level working with a wide array of diverse individuals
  • an advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), including board-level efforts as well as supporting internal leadership and staff-focused efforts and initiatives
  • the vision to translate an organization’s DEI values and commitments into specific strategies and actions, including advancing and sustaining an organizational culture of acceptance and celebration
  • the expertise to attract resources from traditional sources while expanding the Foundation’s reach to new audiences and new relationships
  • proficiency in public policy matters and familiarity leveraging financial resources to advance equity will be essential as the Foundation continues in its commitment to social justice and economic mobility across the region

Management and Work Style

We seek a leader with an accessible management style, emphasizing team over self and collaboration over hierarchy, while ensuring the disciplines and accountability required to reinforce operational excellence. This requires:

  • the agility to foster a trusting work environment that results in a healthy and positive culture where all feel heard and valued
  • a healthy and intentional reliance on staff and volunteers
  • a commitment to ongoing professional development of the team
  • strong people management skills including the ability to influence and engage direct and indirect reports while building trust-based relationships
  • capacity to be self-reflective and aware of own limitations, driving performance with an attitude of continuous improvement and by accepting constructive feedback
  • the aptitude to make decisions that produce positive results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems and calculating risks

Personal Traits and Skills

  • authenticity, persistence and durability
  • unquestioned personal and professional integrity, humility and honesty
  • strong commitment to organizational mission, vision and shared values
  • at ease with the public demands of a high-profile leadership role
  • natural ability to connect and build strong relationships with people
  • strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively
  • ability to collaborate and develop consensus, both internally and externally
  • expertise dealing with crises, change and conflict
  • work from lived values that center on equity, inclusion and respect

TOP LEVEL RESPONSIBILITIES


Public and Community Engagement

  • serve as the key spokesperson and public face of CFMT to its grantees, donors, civic and community leaders
  • amplify the effectiveness and visibility of CFMT and its stature in the region by connecting across the philanthropic, nonprofit, business and government spheres
  • interact with a broad range of community, nonprofit sector and political leaders, identifying and shaping opportunities for the Foundation to serve as a convener on complex or emerging issues
  • function as an influential coalition builder, working in partnership throughout the region to achieve maximum collective impact

Board Relations and Strategy

  • partner with the Foundation’s Board of Directors to ensure a robust set of board development activities, including orientation, continuing education and leadership succession
  • keep Board members fully informed about all aspects of the status and development of CFMT
  • support the Board Chair, officers and committee chairs in making recommendations and implementing policies
  • ensure that the Board and its committees function effectively
  • cultivate relationships with board members, facilitating the board’s work as a governing body and as a strategic, engaged and cohesive group of leaders

Fiduciary

  • in strong partnership with the Chief Financial Officer, manage the financial health and integrity of the Foundation, ensuring the Foundation’s continued operation and financial sustainability
  • work as agent of the Board of Directors, providing fiduciary responsibility over the assets and goodwill of the Foundation while maintaining staff capacity, systems and controls
  • oversee the development and management of budgets, of revenues and expenditures, of internal controls and financial discipline and of the overall financial well-being of the organization
  • oversee and approve all contracts to ensure that the Foundation complies with all contracts and applicable while meeting any reporting requirements

Development

  • increase the Foundation’s assets and endowment to support the implementation of our strategic plan for community benefit and CFMT sustainability
  • continue to grow the Foundation’s community of donors and audience while actively stewarding current donors and fund holders
  • generate and grow revenue, as well as seek out new and innovative revenue streams
  • identify opportunities that connect donors to the causes they care about and those that are of strategic importance in our community
  • strengthen existing and cultivate new relationships with CFMT’s key community stakeholders, including other private funders, public-sector leaders, nonprofit leaders, private sector partners, and other opinion and thought leaders
  • interpret and use data to inform development strategies
  • nurture high levels of engagement with financial and legal advisors across the region in advancing the Foundation as a key partner with donors in the generational transfer of wealth
  • guide CFMT in building on its impact by attracting a broader high-net-worth and next-generation funding base

Organizational Leadership

  • lead the organization, in collaboration with the Board of Directors, management and staff, on strategies, techniques and execution of actions to advance CFMT’s mission
  • guide the executive team responsible for organizational infrastructure and programmatic operations
  • expand and strengthen existing organizational infrastructure in a careful and intentional way
  • implement the policies and directives of the Board and for the overall administration and management of the Foundation
  • ensure internal culture and dynamics with staff include respect, flexibility, effective cross-functional communication, trust and transparency
  • create a culture that attracts high-quality staff and makes investment in professional development a priority
  • foster respect and attention to the importance of legal compliance in all aspects of the Foundation’s work
  • ensure that donor intent is protected and honored and that donors’ stories are preserved

EXPERIENCE


  • experience leading a complex, multifaceted organization with transparency and accountability in the corporate, educational, philanthropic, governmental or nonprofit sector
  • minimum 10 years of senior management, executive and strategic leadership roles in the business world, a grantmaking foundation, or other high-performing nonprofit
  • demonstrated ability to attract, develop and retain an exceptional executive-level team consisting of excellent leaders and manager
  • significant or comparable financial management responsibilities and scale and complexity of financial operations
  • technical knowledge of philanthropy, including a strong record of financial management and understanding of the operational aspects of philanthropy
  • exceptional written and conversational communications skills, with a highly evolved capacity for synthesizing information
  • wide-ranging people management experience in the private, public, independent or foundation sector with a relevant understanding of how current workforce and cultural conditions are evolving and challenging conventions
  • experience working in a highly visible environment and serving as spokesperson
  • appetite for fundraising, with skill or the ability to quickly come up to speed and acquire knowledge of philanthropic tools
  • advanced degrees in management, law, finance and the social sciences are particularly relevant, but not required

APPLY FOR POSITION

The opportunity to apply for this position will close October 7, 2022



About The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

The Community Foundation exists to promote and facilitate giving in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee and beyond. It does this by accepting gifts of any size from anyone at any time and by empowering individuals, families, companies, nonprofits, and communities to respond to needs and opportunities that matter. The Community Foundation works with people who have great hearts, whether or not they have great wealth, to craft solutions that reflect the intentions and goals of their charitable endeavors.