Chief Impact Officer

The Dallas Foundation:

The Dallas Foundation is a community foundation that brings together people, ideas, and investments in Greater Dallas so individuals and families can reach their full potential. Working closely with our donor partners, we share our expertise, leadership, and the opportunities to co-invest in solutions that match their interests and make a meaningful difference. We also support programs that benefit children ages birth to 3 as well as those that advance equity and inclusion, ensure community and economic resilience, and enhance our community’s nonprofit ecosystem, prioritizing partnerships that reduce intergenerational poverty and meet today’s pressing needs while positioning Greater Dallas for a brighter, more equitable tomorrow.

Position Summary:

As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Chief Impact Officer will be a strategic and community-connected leader who will manage a team of five (5) that is responsible for executing a measurable and sustainable grantmaking strategy that aligns philanthropic, nonprofit, and civic leaders with the Foundation’s mission and strategic priorities. This includes the development of metrics that demonstrate impact and their application in shaping how the Foundation allocates resources. This role will also manage the vision and execution of the Water Cooler at Pegasus Park alongside Lyda Hill Philanthropies. The Water Cooler at Pegasus Park is a community of social impact, nonprofit, and philanthropic tenants that fosters community animation and collaboration. To be successful in this role, the ideal candidate must have a deep knowledge of the Dallas community.

Duties and Responsibilities:

To excel in this role, the ideal candidate must demonstrate proficiency in fulfilling each essential duty and responsibility. These include the following:

Strategic and Programmatic Leadership

• In partnership with the Senior Management Team, assist in setting and operationalizing the strategic vision of the Foundation including annual planning and budget setting to drive sustainable growth and impact 
• Develop, execute, and evaluate the Foundation’s community impact strategy across our four priority areas (Birth to 3, Advancing Equity and Inclusion, Community and Economic Resilience, and Enhancing the Nonprofit Ecosystem
• Lead in developing systems and procedures to administer, measure and evaluate the Foundation’s grantmaking
• Lead in the development of community investment priorities, strategies, and implementation guidelines and provides ongoing evaluation of community impact and leadership efforts
• Collaborate with the Philanthropic Partnerships team to educate and activate the Foundation’s donor partners on how their capital – social, political, and philanthropic – can positively impact our community
• Partner with Lyda Hill Philanthropies on the strategic vision and execution of the Water Cooler at Pegasus Park as it grows its scope and impact around capacity building for the nonprofit organizations at Pegasus Park and beyond
• Prepare reports and analyses of activities to inform future outreach and engagement
• Deeply partner with board committees and colleagues throughout the organization to ensure operational excellence internally and strategic impact externally

Community Leadership

• Work to support community partners and the nonprofit sector and develop and implement skill and capacity building and technical assistance opportunities
• Represent the Foundation in community meetings, partner visits, task forces and committees
• Build an enduring coalition of institutional and individual partners to address some of the community’s largest challenges & opportunities – set big goals, monitor, and evaluate progress, adjust strategic course as necessary
• Serve as a senior representative of the Foundation, raising visibility and amplifying the Foundation's influence across the Dallas community

People Leadership

• Lead a team of professionals focused on improving community outcomes through various levers: grant making, philanthropic innovation, and funding collaboratives to name a few
• Evaluate personal, team, and institutional effectiveness against goals and outcomes
• Provide clear leadership and performance expectations for the Community Impact team to align expertise for success, ensuring day-to-day work, resources, and decision-making are tied to broader organizational goals
• Cultivate a dynamic team and organization culture, modeling a leadership style that encourages collaboration, reflection, and accountability

Supervisory Responsibilities:

The Chief Impact Officer will lead the Foundation’s five-member Community Impact team.

Qualifications:

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required. 

• Aligned with The Dallas Foundation’s Organizational Values
• Strategic thinker and self-starter with the ability to translate a concept into action that achieves measurable organizational goals
• Innovative leader with a hands-on and involved style marked by collaboration and a willingness to think creatively
• A service-oriented person who inspires colleagues, staff, and the community through her/his knowledge, experience, creativity, vision, and dedication to The Dallas Foundation mission
• A tenacious leader who measures her/his success against standards of excellence, who consistently sets challenging but attainable goals, and who brings a track record of meeting and/or exceeding those expectations and goals
• Hardworking individual who fully dedicates her/his energy to a cause and is willing to “go beyond the job description,” including extending extra effort, when necessary, to see projects to successful conclusions
• An innovator excited to bring fresh eyes to a 90-plus-year-old philanthropic institution and help define The Dallas Foundation’s impact in the community
• In-depth understanding of the nonprofit sector, with deep subject matter knowledge and expertise in the area of education and/or social services, including best-in-class programs, evolving needs, existing resources, and innovative solutions, metric tracking and data sources.
• Ability to synthesize new information readily, as well as complex issues and concepts on behalf of the greater good of the community
• Skilled at reading people and forging cooperative efforts between and among staff and other departments of the organization, thereby leading teams to success and fostering a culture of accountability, inclusiveness, teamwork, and collaboration
• Excellent communication and coalition-building skills with an ability to balance, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to move comfortably in a wide variety of social settings, including among people of substantial influence and wealth, and the ability to forge solid personal relationships

Education/Experience:

• A deep knowledge of the Dallas community required
• Bachelor's degree from four-year college or university required, advanced degree required
• At least 10 years of leadership experience in a grant-making organization with a focus on education or social services or within a nonprofit organization providing education or social services. Alternatively, at least 7 years of strategic consulting experience with extensive interactions in the education or social services sector
• Proven ability to build and lead a team to success and foster a culture of accountability, inclusiveness, teamwork, and collaboration with others; experience implementing and managing performance measurements to achieve success
• Proven ability to work with community leaders, organizations, and businesses to advocate for and promote the value and mission of The Dallas Foundation
• Proven experience in strategic planning, analysis, and vision casting, particularly when devising collaborative grant-making strategies

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements and work environment are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.  

• Moderate noise level
• Occasional standing and lifting of at least 5 pounds
• Prolonged period sitting at a desk and working on a computer

Work Environment:

The Dallas Foundation supports a hybrid work environment where all employees are expected to work in the office Tuesdays through Thursdays, with optional remote work on Mondays and Fridays. Microsoft Office applications form the primary digital workplace along with Foundant Technologies’ CommunitySuite, Grants Lifecycle Manager (GLM), and Scholarship Lifecycle Manager (SLM).

Benefits:

Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) program, with employer match, and paid time off.