Race Forward’s mission is to catalyze movement building for racial justice. In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, they build strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture. Race Forward imagines a just, multiracial democratic society free from oppression and exploitation, in which people of color thrive with power and purpose.

Since 1981, Race Forward has brought a systemic analysis and an innovative approach to complex race issues to help people take effective action toward racial equity.  In 2017, Race Forward united with the Center for Social Inclusion to become the new Race Forward.

For more information on Race Forward, please visit its website https://www.raceforward.org/.

The Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships (SVP) is responsible for raising all the contributed revenue for Race Forward to meet annual budget, and to build financial resilience for the future. It builds and executes a development plan, including institutional, individual, and corporate giving. This position also provides leadership with strategic partnerships—with a focus on those that provide additional revenue. The SVP hires and manages the Development and Partnerships team, serves as a key leader on the SVP and Senior teams, and is responsible for shared direction and leadership of Race Forward.

The SVP’s responsibilities include:

• Serve as an integral member of the Senior Management team, ensuring organizational clarity, systems, policies, and procedures;
• Develop an aggressive and effective fundraising strategy with clear benchmarks;
• Lead the Development and Partnerships team to raise all contributed revenue for the organization (foundation, corporate, individual);
• Develop new revenue strategies and streams as opportunities arise (membership, affiliates, digital);
• Work closely with the Board of Directors and other Race Forward leadership to create and sustain long-term financial resiliency (Board reserve, planned giving, investment strategy);
• Develop and maintain external individual and institutional partnerships;
• Work closely with Programs teams to understand the breadth and the details of Race Forward’s programmatic work, and to communicate that work to a wide range of funding partners;
• Work closely with Communications team to elevate the profile of Race Forward through external partnerships and initiatives;
• Create social cohesion among and across teams;
• Approach philanthropy through a racial justice lens in both internal policies and procedures, and external relationships.

The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

• Strong understanding of the racial justice movement, including Race Forward’s mission, vision, and programmatic work;
• Minimum 10 years of experience in racial justice/equity non-profit work—with active understanding of the racial justice funder landscape, all aspects of fundraising, and fundraising systems;
• Excellent supervisory and communication skills;
• Strategic thinking and visioning;
• Complex development strategy, including knowledge of traditional and emergent funding sources;
• Interpersonal—as relates to a diverse, fast-paced, and visionary workplace, and to a wide range of external partners;
• Understanding of current political and racial justice movement landscape; depth of relationships across racial justice movement;
• Understanding of racial justice movement approaches to philanthropy, including community-centric fundraising, solidarity fundraising, and decolonizing philanthropy;
• Excellent writing and editing skills;
• Structural racial justice analysis and the ability to clearly frontline this analysis in working with philanthropy, donors, and partners.

Racial Equity Advocate

Demonstrates, through behavior, understanding of racial equity, institutional racism, and structural racism, with the ability to apply that analysis to Race Forward’s work and culture. Demonstrates, through action, commitment to centering Blackness in both internal and external work.

Accountable and Self-reflective

Consistently practices self-reflection; follows through on commitments; treats others fairly and consistently; confronts difficult issues despite discomfort and supports others to do so; shows strong commitment to personal and professional values; champions new ideas. Demonstrates a strong understanding of how identity and corresponding power dynamics impact interactions.

Transparent and Collaborative

Actively builds and sustains authentic, meaningful relationships with colleagues and external partners, across race and other group identities, to strengthen Race Forward’s work and create new opportunities. Communicates clearly and directly with colleagues. Engages in ways that are solutions-oriented and productive. Is proactive in resolving conflicts and misunderstandings, especially across differences in identity and experience; works to foster a culture that allows all voices to be heard and is respectful and supportive of staff, without expecting perfection.

Strategic and Creative

Cultivates and generates new ideas and customized approaches that add value and foster innovative solutions; thinks critically, anticipating unintended impacts of decisions; engages the correct stakeholders with a specific emphasis on BIPOC communities, and identifies ways to connect their work to the work of other departments and teams as well as to Race Forward’s mission, vision, and values.