Chief Program Officer

Search for Chief Program Officer

The Yawkey Foundations

Dedham, MA

THE SEARCH

The Yawkey Foundations seek an exceptional and experienced individual to serve as the next Chief Program Officer. The Chief Program Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Foundations’ grant making programs and will report directly to Chief Executive Officer and Board of Trustees to ensure that the mission of the Foundations is faithfully executed. Overseeing 2.0 FTEs, this individual will be a hands-on Officer, working with Foundation leadership to execute the Foundations’ mission and strategy, including reviewing and preparing evaluations of grant requests and preparing grant-related materials for Board meetings. This individual will also manage relationships with grantee organizations as well as coordinate the external communications materials for the Foundations.

The Yawkey Foundations trace their origins back over eight decades to the philanthropic commitments of Tom and Jean Yawkey. With great concern for the forgotten and underserved, Tom and Jean Yawkey took careful steps to ensure that their legacy would live on through the work of the Yawkey Foundations. The Yawkeys are perhaps best known for their longtime ownership of the Boston Red Sox and for providing unwavering and transformational support to the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber Cancer Institute throughout their lives. More quietly, but with just as much passion and commitment, Tom and Jean Yawkey were also engaged in an unwavering dedication to those most in need, particularly children and families.

Following the legacy of Tom and Jean Yawkey, the Trustees of the Yawkey Foundations have taken great care in their grant making to preserve and perpetuate the original philanthropic vision and interests of the Yawkeys. The Trustees seek to emulate Tom and Jean Yawkey’s commitments to Health Care, Education, Human Services, Youth and Amateur Athletics, Arts and Culture, and Conservation and Wildlife. Since 1977, the Trustees have made over $550 million in grants to organizations large and small that continue the Yawkeys' efforts to improve the quality of life in the communities that they called home, Massachusetts, New England and Georgetown County, South Carolina.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished professional with a deep appreciation and passion for the mission, achievements, and aspirations of the Yawkey Foundation and desire to play a meaningful role in the Foundations’ long-range future. While experience in grantmaking is preferred, the Foundation will consider candidates who are less experienced in direct grantmaking but possess transferable skills and experience obtained through legal practice, non-profit leadership, professional services, or the corporate world. Candidates will preferably have demonstrated and meaningful experience contributing to the mission and impact of community organizations dedicated to creating equitable access to opportunity and making positive change in communities, especially those communities that have been historically subject to underinvestment. There is also a strong preference for candidates with have an interest in or experience working with nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts and a commitment to program areas supported by Tom and Jean Yawkey and their Foundations.

The Yawkey Foundations have retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist with this important search. Inquiries, nominations, and applications should be directed in confidence to the firm as indicated below.

Dan Rodas, Partner

Katy Ryan, Senior Associate

Seema Khan, Senior Search Coordinator

Isaacson, Miller

https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/yawkey-foundation/chief-programs-officer

The Yawkey Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.