Executive Director

ImpactAlpha; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Travel for site visits and family-mat

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Confidential Family Philanthropy is seeking an Executive Director to shepherd a thoughtful startup phase, embedding Jewish community life and health investments into the new strategy while preserving the legacy of the sunsetting foundation. You will shape grantmaking across two generations, translate vision into funded programs, and oversee governance, budgeting, and reporting.

You will report to the Family Chair, supervise staff and vendors, and collaborate with a family office and impact

Qualifications

• 15+ years of professional experience in philanthropy, foundation operations, and grantmaking lifecycle
• Proven ability to navigate multigenerational family dynamics with EQ and coaching
• Experience launching or sunsetting a foundation and guiding strategic pivots
• Strong financial acumen with familiarity in endowment management and governance

Responsibilities

• Oversee grant portfolio distribution and administration across legacy and new program areas
• Co-design strategy and long-term impact goals with Principals/Trustees
• Evaluate grant structures (general operating support, recoverable grants, PRIs) for impact
• Translate vision into actionable program areas and governance processes
• Manage annual operating budget, grant payout compliance, and regulatory filings
• Lead relationships with family office, external experts, and service providers
• Align endowment with ESG and impact investing strategies
• Provide coaching to trustees and support generations in philanthropic development
• Foster collaboration with grantees and philanthropic networks

Skills

Grantmaking lifecycle

Family foundation leadership

Strategic planning

Financial acumen

Stakeholder management

Job description

About Confidential Family Philanthropy

Confidential Family Philanthropy is a philanthropic enterprise undergoing transformative generational evolution. Building on a rich history of multi-generational grantmaking spanning decades, the organization bridges tradition and innovation while honoring proven strategies and developing new program areas and approaches to drive impact. Historically, the organization’s philanthropy has centered on health, sustainable agriculture, and Jewish life and continuity. Since establishing their philanthropic work, they have distributed more than $160 million in grants to over 300 organizations supporting these core missions. The foundation’s approach is grounded in humility, seeking to be of service while continuously working toward a deeper, more holistic understanding of the areas they support. As the family grows, the organization is shifting course to build on newer program areas, grantmaking structures, and investment vehicles. The emerging foundation will operate a growing endowment with approximately $100 million at launch. The foundation’s expanded focus areas include environmental sustainability, arts and culture, equity and wealth creation in marginalized communities, Jewish continuity, and sustaining democracy. The new enterprise, along with its Board and committees, will benefit from shared services of a relatively new family office that is building infrastructure to support grantmaking and impact investing operations.

About this Role

As Executive Director, you will support the family as they navigate a thoughtful start-up process and partner with them to co-create a strategic vision for the new entity. Central to this start-up will be preserving the sunsetting foundation’s legacy, embedding Jewish community life and health investments from the current entity into the new strategic direction for the emerging organization. As the new entity takes root, you will work closely with its Principals to design and implement an evolving grantmaking strategy across two generations of family leadership. You will be responsible for translating the Principals’ vision into actionable program areas, advising on grant structures, and supporting strategic planning around the management and investment of foundation capital. This is an ideal opportunity for a leader steeped in family philanthropy and/or family impact investing organization to play a strategic role in building a new and impactful institution. You will report directly to the Family Chair of the Board of the Foundation and share responsibility for regular reporting to the Principals/Trustees. You will supervise foundation vendors, consultants, and staff, and frequently collaborate with family office staff, impact investing professionals, external philanthropic networks, and subject‑matter experts.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the distribution and administration of the foundation’s grant portfolio, balancing legacy focus areas with expanding programs in arts and culture, environmental sustainability, wealth equity, and sustaining democracy
• Work closely with the Principals/Trustees to co‑design strategy, core programmatic focus areas, and long‑term impact goals
• Evaluate and explore a range of modern grantmaking structures such as multi‑year general operating support, recoverable grants, and PRIs to maximize impact
• Translate the Principals’ and Board’s vision into actionable, high‑impact programmatic frameworks, establishing clear metrics for learning and evaluation
• Facilitate the development of overarching frameworks for the generational transition, helping the family build a sustainable approach to philanthropy that honors tradition while embracing innovation
• Embed a continuous learning agenda into the foundation’s DNA, staying ahead of emerging trends in philanthropy to continuously refine giving strategies while staying current on institutions and research within each programmatic field
• Oversee the full lifecycle of grantmaking, including rigorous due diligence, financial vetting of grantees, and the creation of high‑impact agreements
• Serve as liaison to the family office, leveraging and helping to further develop shared services for streamlined accounting, HR, IT, and legal support
• Direct external partners, legal counsel, tax advisors, and philanthropic consultants to ensure seamless execution during the entity transition and ongoing operations
• Manage the annual operating budget, grant payout compliance, regulatory filings, and tax reporting in full compliance with federal and state private foundation regulations
• Establish clear operational policies, workflow processes, and governance practices tailored to the emerging foundation’s scale
• Partner with the Principals, family office, and investment advisors to align the foundation’s $100M endowment with its mission through ESG, mission‑related investments, and impact investing strategies
• Act as a trusted advisor to the Principals, providing coaching and education to empower trustees—particularly rising generations—in their philanthropic development and decision‑making
• Facilitate meaningful engagement across two generations of family leadership, fostering alignment, shared vision, and effective family dynamics
• Cultivate strong, collaborative relationships with grantees rooted in humility, learning, and mutual respect, positioning the foundation as a supportive partner rather than just a funder
• Represent the foundation within the broader philanthropic sector, collaborating with peer funders and network partners to share learnings and co‑invest

Requirements

• 15+ years of professional experience
• 5+ years of experience in family foundation leadership, demonstrating comprehensive mastery of the grantmaking lifecycle, due diligence, and foundation operations
• Proven ability to navigate complex, multigenerational family dynamics with high emotional intelligence, transparency, and capacity to coach and develop emerging family leaders
• Deeply collaborative approach characterized by a supportive, low‑ego mindset with the desire to amplify the principals’ vision rather than centering their own agenda
• Experience developing new programs and strategies and successfully guiding an organization through a major strategic pivot
• Strong financial acumen with a working understanding of impact investing, family office structures, or blended finance/hybrid philanthropic models
• Demonstrated success identifying, managing, and convening external experts, boards, and vendors across disparate issue areas
• Outstanding critical thinking with a track record of translating high‑level values into rigorous, structured, and impactful strategic plans
• Passionate commitment to driving positive global change with intellectual curiosity eager to explore diverse, generalist funding areas
• Experience launching and/or sunsetting a foundation (preferred)
• Based in or willing to relocate to the Greater New York Metropolitan Area

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package (detailed information to be provided to candidates advancing in the process)
• Hybrid work schedule with regular in‑person collaboration at the family office alongside remote work
• Travel for site visits and family meetings as needed