Senior Program Director

ABOUT THE DRIEHAUS FOUNDATION

Since its founding in 1992, the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation (“Driehaus Foundation” or “Foundation”) has been committed to enriching the lives of all Chicagoans by improving the built environment, cultivating a robust and diverse arts and culture ecosystem, and supporting investigative journalism that fosters transparency, accountability, and effective government.

Through the Foundation’s work, the legacy of Richard H. Driehaus and his dedication to philanthropy in gratitude for those who provided him with opportunities throughout his life is carried on. The Foundation remains committed to historic preservation, architecture, and investment in the built environment to ensure that urban areas are designed to meet a community’s needs. Central to the Foundation’s work is a belief that the arts play an essential role in cultural life and that investigative reporting and an independent press have the power to improve society.

Mr. Driehaus took deep personal interest in the hundreds of organizations that benefitted from his generosity and believed in giving individuals an opportunity to create their own success. It is this sentiment that contributed to his unwavering philanthropic support of small organizations, many times as their earliest funder. Philanthropy enriched his life immeasurably, and he would often paraphrase Winston Churchill, reflecting that, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

The Driehaus Foundation’s funding areas include:

• Built Environment
• Arts and Culture
• Investigative Journalism for Government Accountability 

The Driehaus Foundation brings the following values to its work:

The Foundation values relationships and brings accountability, loyalty, respect, and trust to all of which it is a part. It endeavors to be an excellent steward of the Foundation’s resources as well as of the partnerships and collaborations it makes with individuals, organizations, and businesses.

It values quality of life, effective government, and the unique sense of place created by diverse, inclusive, and culturally vibrant communities. It believes these characteristics are integral to viable, healthy, urban areas. Through its grantmaking, the Foundation seeks to ensure that urban places are sustainable, accessible, and meet the needs of all who inhabit them.

For more information on The Driehaus Foundation, please visit its website.

The Opportunity 

In line with the Foundation’s ambitious agenda and increased giving, the Senior Program Director will lead the Arts and Culture program and play a key role in developing and implementing program goals and objectives. The Senior Program Director will provide grantmaking expertise and leadership; manage budget planning, oversight, and reporting; develop, manage, and evaluate philanthropic investments; and represent the Foundation and its Directors to existing and prospective grant recipients and other external stakeholders. The Senior Program Director will also lead and manage Program Officers assigned to the Arts and Culture portfolio. 

The Senior Program Director will play a key role in identifying, developing, supporting, and evaluating potential grant recipients, partners, and funding opportunities, and communicate potential grants and their impact to the Directors and to the broader field. This work will be done through extensive conversation and network building with current and prospective grant recipients and leaders in the field. 

Key responsibilities for the Senior Program Director include, but are not limited to:

Strategy & Planning

• In partnership with the Executive Director, establishes and implements Arts and Culture program grantmaking strategy, guidelines, and procedures; periodically reassesses the Foundation’s strategy, based on changed assumptions, new knowledge and information, changes in the external environment, or other factors.
• Serves as a thought leader on current arts and culture trends, emerging issues, policy interventions, and best practices, both internally and externally.
• Continually assesses the arts and culture environment and applies new knowledge that will inform implementation of program strategies. 
• Maintains a wide breadth and depth of field knowledge including organizational effectiveness and development, professional practices, policies pertinent to the funding programs, and levers of change that are available to philanthropists. 

Program & Grants Management

• In coordination with the Executive Director, oversees all aspects of Arts and Culture grantmaking, including planning, funding inquiries, budget oversight and reporting, and distribution of dollars.
• Identifies and maintains an ongoing pipeline of Arts and Culture funding prospects in alignment with program guidelines and portfolio distribution requirements.
• Oversees funding inquiries, applying a breadth of knowledge on a wide range of subjects and clear understanding of the Foundation’s interests.
• When serving as the lead Program Officer for an organization, reviews proposals, conducts due diligence, and formulates funding recommendations for Board approval, serving as a resource for detailed analysis of complex grant applications.
• Ensures that written funding recommendations are coherent and accurate and that all required information is provided. Ensures that any substantive questions about proposal content and recommendations are answered, including a decline rationale when appropriate.
• Reviews and approves grant reports, following up when necessary to ensure completeness, discuss concerns, and offer appropriate guidance.
• Stays informed about, and follows up as necessary, on grant-related issues throughout a grant’s duration.

Management & Administration

• Serves as an active member of the Foundation’s leadership team.
• Manages the team of Program Officers assigned to the Arts and Culture program, ensuring that job responsibilities are clearly communicated and duties are delegated appropriately.
• Coordinates with portfolio managers and Grants Manager to periodically review and report on the overall effectiveness of program goals and objectives.
• Participates in grant-tracking and other types of program support.
• Participates in developing and producing content for the Foundation’s website, social media channels, and other communication tools.

Relationship Building & Field Leadership 

• Advances depth of knowledge and credibility in the field by cultivating and managing relationships with grant recipients, outside advisors, experts in the field, public sector partners, and colleagues in philanthropy.
• Seeks opportunities for sharing knowledge with appropriate audiences to increase learning in the field and advance program goals.
• Participates in convenings, working groups, committees, and other opportunities for learning and collaborative work among grant recipients and other partners.
• Scouts and identifies potential grant recipients and field-building opportunities; conducts due diligence to ascertain fit and potential risks.
• Cultivates strong working relationships with grant recipients, outside advisors, experts in the field, public sector partners, and colleagues in philanthropy.
• Provides leadership through public speaking engagements, writing, panel discussions, and use of social media, etc.
• Attends continuing education events to remain current on best practices in grantmaking and contributes to the Foundation’s understanding of new approaches and issues relevant to program interests.

Qualifications

• Competitive candidates will possess the following qualities, skills and characteristics: 
• Arts and Culture Program Officer/Senior Program Officer experience is preferred, ideally in a private foundation setting. We are also open to considering candidates with CEO/ED experience in the arts who bring a strong track record of financial/budgetary management.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills necessary for identifying funding opportunities, assessing organizational health and capacity, designing and evaluating initiatives, and evaluating proposals and outcomes.
• Demonstrated budget planning and oversight experience is required. 
• Proven experience leading a team and guiding team member growth and development.
• Ability to analyze and understand complex organizational and community conditions and assess community dynamics; knowledge of organizational development and the ability to assist in the creation of comprehensive approaches.
• Intellectual agility and the ability to analyze, think critically, and understand emerging issues relating to programmatic priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to articulate and convey the Foundation’s priorities to a broad range of constituents, write clearly and succinctly under deadlines, and make compelling presentations to diverse groups in a variety of settings.
• Employs a collegial approach to sharing ideas and receiving feedback, considering new ideas, encouraging open dialogue, and inspiring people to work towards common goals. 
• Demonstrated ability to work with efficiency, diplomacy, and flexibility.
• Experience with learning, monitoring, and evaluation processes.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills; able to quickly gather, synthesize, and summarize information in a clear manner with a variety of audiences from grant recipients to Directors to staff.
• A deep appreciation for the Foundation’s values and a clear commitment to advance its philanthropic work.
• Ability to exercise tact, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Goodwill and a commitment to collegiality in a small team environment.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for the role starts at $170,000 - $190,000 and is commensurate with experience. The Foundation offers an especially generous benefits package including a generous 401k match, 5 weeks of PTO, in addition to holidays and other perks.

Staff work from the Foundation’s office four days per week with the option to work one day remotely.

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Contact 

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Anne McCarthy and Medelene Beasley. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing the search team directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.