Executive Director, Jenkins Foundation

For 31 years, the Annabella R. Jenkins Foundation ("Jenkins") has advanced equitable access to healthcare across the Richmond region, with a focus on primary care, mental health, and substance use. As a supporting organization of The Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, Jenkins grants from a permanent endowment and doesn't fundraise. The Community Foundation handles our finance, HR, IT, compliance, and infrastructure, allowing Jenkins to concentrate fully on grantmaking and community relationships.

The Opportunity:

Jenkins is hiring its inaugural Executive Director, a rare chance to shape a 31-year-old foundation's future as its first dedicated leader. Our partnership with The Community Foundation supporting our back-office functions will allow you to focus on strategy, grantmaking, and relationships. You won't start from scratch. You'll redesign something that already works, alongside a trusted Board and grantee community. The role grows over time: starting with learning the grant cycle and earning trust; and then, you'll lead strategy, deepen partnerships, and continue building Jenkins' voice in the region.

What You'll Do:

• Set annual goals and budgets with the Jenkins Board and The Community Foundation
• Set grantmaking strategy with the Board, champion trust-based, low-burden practices, serve as the primary relationship-holder for Jenkins’ grantee partners, and manage the grant cycle.
• Represent Jenkins externally and pursue co-investment with peer funders
• Steward the Board relationship: support governance, ensure 509(a)(3) compliance, and prepare materials

What You Bring:

• A track record of building or redesigning something real, under ambiguity
• Comfort as a solo operator, equally strategic and hands-on
• Working knowledge of grantmaking, nonprofits, or philanthropy (any venue point)
• A commitment to health equity and trust-based practice
• Strong communication and board-facing experience
• Experience using technology, including AI tools and grants management platforms

Basic Requirements:

• 7+ years of professional leadership experience in nonprofit management, philanthropy and/or grantmaking strategy, including time in a senior role with direct accountability to a governing board
• Hands‑on experience supporting board governance and ensuring nonprofit regulatory compliance
• A track record of building or reshaping an organization, program or strategy, especially in changing and unpredictable circumstances
• Experience owning a budget end-to-end: building it, managing it, and explaining it clearly to others
• A natural connector with a track record of building genuine and new external partnerships
• Bachelor's degree in a related field (public health, public administration, public policy, etc.) or 7+ years of equivalent professional experience.

Preferred:

• 3+ years of direct grantmaking experience, ideally in trust‑based philanthropy
• Experience managing an operating budget of $250k - $1M+
• Knowledge of primary care, mental health, or substance use funding landscape in the Richmond region, with deep and diverse relationships across it
• Advanced degree (MPH, MPA, MSW, MBA or related)

Key Responsibilities:

• Set annual goals and budgets with the Jenkins Board and The Community Foundation
• Set grantmaking strategy with the Board, champion trust‑based, low‑burden practices, serve as the primary relationship‑holder for Jenkins’ grantee partners, and manage the grant cycle.
• Represent Jenkins externally and pursue co-investment with peer funders
• Steward the Board relationship: support governance, ensure 509(a)(3) compliance, and prepare materials

Required Qualifications:

• 7+ years of professional leadership experience in nonprofit management, philanthropy and/or grantmaking strategy, including time in a senior role with direct accountability to a governing board
• Hands‑on experience supporting board governance and ensuring nonprofit regulatory compliance
• A track record of building or reshaping an organization, program or strategy, especially in changing and unpredictable circumstances
• Experience owning a budget end‑to‑end: building it, managing it, and explaining it clearly to others
• A natural connector with a track record of building genuine and new external partnerships
• Bachelor's degree in a related field (public health, public administration, public policy, etc.) or 7+ years of equivalent professional experience.

We’re here to help you make an impact. Let’s connect and explore the possibilities.

The Community Foundation for a greater Richmond
P.O. Box 49044
Baltimore, MD

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