Executive Director

Our Client

Mental health and well-being present significant challenges facing today’s youth. With proper support, these challenges present opportunities that can change the trajectory of young people’s mental health development and their overall well-being. The Room to Breathe Project (R2B) is a foundation that invests in and partners with Bay Area-focused organizations and innovative projects to address these challenges.

R2B works to address these mental health and well-being challenges by:

• Enabling a strong start to life
• Supporting culturally appropriate training for caregivers
• Promoting mental health and well-being support, meeting young people where they are
• Engaging with key community partners to address systemic issues facing the youth mental health ecosystem

R2B seeks to create durable partnerships with its grantees that align with the principles of trust-based philanthropy and the time horizon needed to create and sustain change on complex social issues.

For example, R2B developed the Room to Be Well (R2BeWell) program to bring greater well-being to youth-serving adults on school campuses. This year, R2B partnered with 13 San Francisco schools to provide a stipend for each staff member on campus to use toward a well-being practice of their choice.

Focused on Bay Area-based innovative organizations, R2B has a small, nimble staff, based in San Francisco, CA. This is a hybrid role that includes working from home as well as regular, in-person meetings held at the organization’s future offices. R2B prioritizes a straightforward application and review process that enables more grantmaking dollars to go directly to the organizations it supports.

Shared learning and collaborations with other funders are sought regularly to leverage content knowledge and expertise. R2B plans to deploy $5 million (increasing to $7 million) annually over the next five years.

Learn more about the Room to Breathe Project at r2bproject.com.

Position Responsibilities

R2B seeks its first Executive Director who will be a dynamic leader with strong strategic and operational skills to guide the organization in executing its mission and implementing R2B policies and programs. The Executive Director will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization, including grantmaking, and representing R2B to external partners.

The Executive Director will help lead change efforts to the youth mental health landscape, ultimately resulting in more positive outcomes for young people. The Executive Director serves as an external ambassador for R2B, and is an important conduit of information about the progress and effectiveness of its nonprofit partners. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced, collaborative, and values-driven leader in youth mental health to proactively carry out the Board’s vision.

Reporting to the Board, the new Executive Director will provide thoughtful strategic and operational leadership, promoting the fulfillment of the organization’s mission. The preferred candidate will have a compelling mix of skills, personal characteristics, and motivations – drawn from experiences in youth mental health and wellness – to lead, manage, and advance R2B’s initiatives, grantmaking, evaluation, and community engagement.

Serving as R2B’s leader, the Executive Director will inspire confidence with both external and internal audiences while demonstrating superior leadership, management, and communication skills. The Executive Director will partner closely with the Board and staff to achieve the organization’s mission, managing the team, building the operational infrastructure needed for success, and advancing R2B’s programmatic goals, grantmaking, and partnerships.

The successful candidate will bring knowledge of the youth mental health and wellness field; be able to develop trust with the Board and staff; understand family philanthropy; facilitate robust and meaningful discussions; and prepare high-quality and succinct materials. The Executive Director will be responsible for providing strategic leadership to develop and deliver programs that enable the achievement of R2B’s overall mission, developing and managing a committed and high-performing team, and effectively representing the organization.

A deep understanding of young people, systems that serve them, applied philanthropy, seasoned nonprofit leadership, an entrepreneurial mindset, and creative thinking will serve the Executive Director well in this role. Integrity and deep commitment to the vision and values of the Board and a good sense of humor will also be important.

Leadership

• Leading vision and strategic development processes to envision the next chapter of R2B in collaboration with the founders, ensuring that planning cycles and benchmarks are established for measuring success and impact
• Identifying and implementing a strategy to catalyze the impact of local organizations and initiatives focused on youth mental health
• Implementing and evaluating an action plan based on the approved strategic goals and opportunities
• Ensuring that all operations of the organization are carried out in accordance with applicable laws governing private philanthropy

Community Engagement

• Cultivating, building, and maintaining strong and authentic relationships with a wide range of partners and community leaders including nonprofit executives, agency, government and elected leaders as well as other funders
• Creating and maintaining strong relationships with nonprofit organizations and community leaders throughout the Bay Area to understand and articulate evolving needs
• Representing R2B’s work and that of its partners locally, regionally, and nationally at public and private events

Supporting Board Governance

• Collaborating with the Board to develop meeting agendas, and regularly providing information to the Board on activities related to the mission and progress toward strategic goals
• Providing information and recommendations to the Board for setting or revising R2B’s vision, goals and objectives, operating policies, strategic planning, and grant-making priorities
• Working with the Board to determine annual and long-term budgets
• Engaging with the Board effectively, both during and between meetings
• Filtering and prioritizing issues and current events to identify opportunities

Team Leadership

• Building, motivating, and fostering a high-quality team and work culture
• Aligning the team around R2B’s values and goals
• Developing, establishing, and maintaining strong relationships nationally and locally
• Creating and encouraging a collegial work environment where trust, integrity, and open communication are valued
• Anticipating trends and issues in business, society, and philanthropy as they relate to and inform R2B’s mission
• Developing, inspiring, and providing regular feedback to a high-performing team

Grantmaking and Related Activities

• Evaluating Letters of Intent, grant applications, and conducting due diligence, including interviews, site visits, and review of budgets and financial information
• Preparing summaries and making recommendations to the Board concerning grant proposals
• Researching and keeping abreast of issues, trends, and best practices nationally as well as locally in program areas
• Monitoring grantee performance by reviewing and summarizing grantee reports, maintaining positive relationships with grantees, following up with grantees as needed to obtain necessary information, providing technical assistance, and engaging in evaluation and problem-solving
• Tracking all R2B’s activities and enterprises, transparently communicating progress, challenges, impact, and outcomes

Profile of the Successful Candidate

The Executive Director will be a dynamic, effective leader who is knowledgeable and passionate about the challenges facing young people, strategic advocacy, organizational management and development, and R2B’s mission and goals. The successful candidate will possess proven leadership, team management, relationship management, and equity acumen.

The successful candidate will be a detail-oriented, analytical thinker skilled at using data effectively to inform decisions. The Executive Director will have a demonstrable passion for youth mental health and wellness, combined with experience in the public, private, or philanthropic sectors. The successful candidate will have strong values alignment with R2B and a track record that demonstrates empathy and personal and professional integrity.

More Specifically, R2B Seeks a Professional Who Embodies the Following:

• Minimum 10 years of experience in a leadership role within mental health and/or family philanthropy
• Knowledge and understanding of youth mental health systems and the nonprofit sector, and how social change happens both in real time and over time
• Having a keen intellect that can be brought to bear on a wide range of programmatic and organizational issues
• Grantmaking and family philanthropy experience that is aligned with the values of R2B
• Astute manager with a high EQ that can oversee a team with care and high expectations
• Strategic thinker with the ability to unify staff and Board around a shared vision and mission
• Ability to identify, develop and maintain strategic relationships with key stakeholders
• Analytical thinker and creative problem-solver
• Open and honest communicator and good listener who is open to input, yet holds strong convictions
• Track record as a valued advisor to leaders with the ability to influence others and take risks
• Commitment to lifelong learning and the ability to help an organization and small team learn and grow
• Persuasive written and verbal communication skills
• Proven decision-making capabilities, with the ability to be nimble and responsive in the moment – and to the moment
• Demonstrated success in working with a range of private and public funders
• Understanding of the role and nuances of philanthropy in closely supporting grantee partners
• An inclusive, consensus-building leadership style that inspires others
• A track record of effective and judicious deployment of financial resources

Start Timeframe

We seek to have someone in place by Winter 2024.

Compensation

This position offers a salary range of $190,000 to $210,000 and includes a comprehensive benefits package. We actively welcome all candidates from a wide range of backgrounds who have the skills to fulfill this role – regardless of compensation history.

To Apply

All applications are held in strict confidence. Please submit your credentials and a letter of interest through our private applicant portal to The 360 Group at: the360group.us/portal

Applications should be directed to the attention of Maureen Capitolo, Principal or Monica Rodgers, Senior Consultant. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Earlier applicants may receive priority consideration. To be considered, The 360 Group encourages all interested candidates to submit their applications promptly, via the confidential applicant portal.