Vice President Programs and Grants

Position Summary

The New Hanover Community Endowment (The Endowment) seeks an experienced and dynamic leader to serve as Vice President Programs and Grants, helping to drive impactful, mission-aligned programs and grantmaking that uplift the citizens of New Hanover County. Reporting to the President & CEO, the Vice President is a critical member of the senior leadership team and will direct a robust Programs and Grants department with focus areas in health and social equity, education, community safety, and community development. The Vice President will ensure The Endowment’s grantmaking aligns with The Endowment’s founding documents and enhance The Endowment’s transformational goals to improve residents’ quality of life while fostering cross-sector partnerships and maximizing resource impact.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Serve as primary programmatic advisor to the President & CEO ensuring that the Programs and Grants department aligns with the Endowment’s mission and strategic goals.
• Report on program and grants related matters to the President & CEO and the Board with accountability for progress against programmatic goals.
• Collaborate with the senior leadership team to support the President & CEO, actively contributing to The Endowment’s strategic and operational priorities while fostering organization-wide alignment and collaboration.
• Integrate the Programs and Grants work across The Endowment to ensure streamlined coordination, leveraging interdepartmental perspectives for comprehensive, strategic input.
• Work closely with the technology team to explore and develop technology-driven solutions (e.g. artificial intelligence, algorithms, etc.) that can scale The Endowment’s philanthropic impact.
• Imagine or utilize a diverse range of philanthropic tools to maximize impact, including convening key stakeholders to foster cross-sector collaboration.

Programs and Grants Leadership, Oversight, and Management

• Lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of The Endowment’s programs and grants; review strategies and priorities and recommend changes to the President and CEO; develop and recommend programs, initiatives, and grants in alignment with the Endowment’s strategic direction and goals.
• Establish and refine structures, protocols, technology, and processes for grant solicitation, review, approval, and deployment, ensuring alignment with The Endowment’s organizational goals. Review and evolve standard operating procedures for grants and relationship management (SOPs).
• Develop and proactively communicate clear grant pathways, opportunities and boundaries for open and closed processes (RFPs, invitations, solicitations, programs) with fidelity to the Endowment theory of change.
• Supervise, build, inspire and mentor a dedicated team of grant makers and analysts ranging from junior to senior levels, in their domain of expertise to foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, and high performance across all focus areas; drive innovation, promoting a mindset of continuous improvement and encouraging the reimagination of processes for greater impact.

Impact and Learning

• Lead and recommend to the CEO the design, implementation and oversight of a new evidence‑ and impact‑oriented function, embedding monitoring, measurement, research, and learning as core organizational imperatives that shape programs, partnerships, and investments tied to the Endowment theory of change.
• Ensure data-driven decision-making across program areas, fostering an environment of use of evidence in grant diligence and decision making, and continual learning and evidence-based improvements.
• Implement, enforce and track metrics that evaluate the effectiveness of grants, and grant portfolios and provide actionable insights for The Endowment’s evolving impact strategy.
• Oversee a team that plans and executes external evaluation of significant initiatives. Use data, research, and evaluation frameworks to measure, track, and assess the impact of the Endowment’s grantmaking and leverage insights to inform strategy, improve effectiveness, and communicate results to internal and external stakeholders; manage and work with external advisors as needed
• Work with the P&G team, the communications team, and external consultants to communicate impact externally through evaluations, narratives, and dashboard updates.
• Ensure the processes for internal learning and continuous improvement are in place and adaptations are integrated in processes and grant selection.

Internal and External Relations; Cross-Sector Collaboration

• Collaborate with The Endowment’s communications team to strengthen and share The Endowment’s brand and story, encouraging community engagement and aligning The Endowment’s message with its mission-driven impact; respond to inquiries from the general public regarding The Endowment’s programmatic work.
• Represent the Endowment in the community, actively engaging with diverse stakeholders across sectors to identify needs and opportunities for impactful partnerships.
• Work closely with The Endowment’s Community Advisory Council (CAC) to align grantmaking with community priorities, gather feedback, and maintain transparent, constructive communication within the scope of CAC’s mandate.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with The Endowment’s founding organizations, grantees, government partners, community organization, private sector stakeholders, and current and prospective philanthropic partners and co-funders to augment impact and enhance the Endowment’s collaborative efforts and reputation and promote knowledge sharing.

Position Requirements and Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant field or a minimum of 15 years in leadership roles. Experience in philanthropy at a funding grant maker preferred.
• Extensive leadership experience across multiple sectors, including philanthropy, grantmaking, and cross-sector partnerships, with a strong background in building and leading high-performing, mission-driven teams.
• Excellent people management, emotional intelligence, and strategic communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to engage with and inspire both internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work effectively with advisory and governing boards, including experience aligning grantmaking with community priorities and strategic objectives.
• Experience in engaging with government, business and community leaders across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to align the Endowment’s work with stakeholder needs and priorities.
• A nuanced understanding of cultural differences and respect for social and cultural histories across communities served.
• Strong strategic, analytical, and organizational skills with experience navigating complex challenges and fostering collaborative approaches to social issues.
• Expertise in leveraging philanthropy to drive social change, including experience using mission-related investments and other innovative funding tools.
• Commitment to community engagement and a deep understanding of societal challenges, especially those affective New Hanover County.
• Awareness of key issues in health, education, safety and community development and how they intersect with The Endowment’s strategic priorities.
• Commitment to The Endowment’s values, equity, and inclusion, with knowledge of grants management systems and best practices.
• Demonstrated depth of experience building and sustaining high‑performing teams, with a focus on developing internal organizational capacity and excellence.
• A deep understanding of grantmaking and systems‑level funding, and experience using those perspectives to shape effective grantmaking strategies and practices.

Application Process

The Endowment provides a competitive salary and benefits package, including employer-paid health insurance, dental, vision, life insurance and a 403b retirement plan.

Please direct applications including a cover letter and resume to the recruiting team at ***email_hidden***. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.