GHR Foundation – Director of Communications

Presents…

Director of Communications for GHR Foundation

Ballinger|Leafblad is proud to present the following information on behalf of our client, GHR

Foundation, in its search for a Director of Communications

GHR Foundation applies entrepreneurial creativity and universal catholic values to foster hope

and opportunity where it is needed most.

http://www.ghrfoundation.org

GHR Foundation – Director of Communications

Presenting our client – GHR Foundation

Welcome to GHR Foundation

Since its founding in 1965, GHR Foundation has sought to enhance the lives of those most vulnerable in our world. Today, GHR Foundation supports transformational change in the sectors of health, education and global development. The Foundation partners with thought leaders to develop and implement evidence-based solutions to pressing global needs. GHR Foundation takes a systemic and holistic approach to these issues, addressing related policies, programs, services, and research to develop cross-cutting interventions that leverage the work of partner public and private actors.

GHR Foundation is anchored in a belief in responsibility, action, and the knowledge that we are all deeply connected. Despite global challenges, each task is met with entrepreneurial optimism because of a focus on the impact of strategic, thoughtful change.

GHR Foundation is one of five independent family foundations founded by Gerald and Henrietta Rauenhorst. The other foundations are Better Way Foundation, Enkel Foundation, Opus Foundation and the Opus Prize. Additional information on the interconnection and interdependence of these foundations can be found at the website of Arbor Philanthropy LLC which supports all five family foundations; http://www.arborphilanthropy.org.

In recent years, GHR Foundation has undertaken a thorough review of its strategy and approach, and has greatly strengthened its internal organizational capacity and network of partners. In 2015, GHR Foundation awarded $23M to over 110 grantees. With the projected growth of the Foundation, the grantmaking budget is expected to significantly increase over the next 3 to 5 years.

GHR Foundation – Director of Communications

Program Strategy and Funding Priorities:

GHR supports projects and programs that integrate most if not all of the following characteristics:

Entrepreneurial: GHR pro-actively develops initiatives to address the world's most vexing challenges and understands that calculated risk is at times necessary for significant impact.

Partnership: GHR seeks sustainable change and works in partnership with the world’s experts to achieve it.

Scalable: GHR understands the importance of scale and supports a learning culture that sparks scalable impact.

Localized: GHR collaborates and learns with those closest to the issue.

Faith-based: GHR is inspired by universal catholic values, and the Foundation has a competency in working with faith-based actors. When this approach adds value and deepens impact, GHR deploys the asset of faith networks and partners.

GHR supports these characteristics in its funding but also in the way it works. The Foundation believes in the power of collaboration across sectors and levels of influence to move the needle, and prioritizes telling stories of the work from the perspective of those most impacted. Examples of current work in its three programmatic areas include:

Health: GHR Foundation is joining forces with the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Mayo Clinic, and other philanthropic partners to support a game-changing undertaking – the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. GHR has committed more than $17 million over 5 years to scale up highly promising research that could have a dramatic impact on the disease’s incidence and prevalence.

Education: GHR Foundation recognizes that education is an essential component of poverty reduction and community development. The foundation is building the capacity of a number of Catholic educational institutions at both the elementary and higher education level. These schools are at the front lines of addressing serious economic and social issues, particularly in low income settings to close the achievement gap.

Global Development: GHR Foundation is an emerging leader in this space relative to its work preventing and responding to child separation, demonstrating how an inter-religious approach in development is vital to sustainable solutions, and demonstrating the power of women religious as leaders of change in how social services are delivered on the ground. As GHR builds its credibility, public private partnerships is becoming a larger part of the portfolio.

Long-term Program Goals

GHR has set long-term goals requiring transformational change of systems and behavior and believes that communications strategies and thought leadership are vital to success. The grantmaking strategy aims to deliver on the following:

Ensure Catholic schools are strong educational communities that are academically excellent and prepare children to be college-ready, productive citizens

Cultivate innovative and adaptive universities that graduate scholars who exhibit a strong ethical code and are prepared to succeed

GHR Foundation – Director of Communications

Build a proof of concept model to strengthen families and deinstitutionalize children; and, engage pro-family approaches at all levels – global, national, local – that can be replicated across geographies

Mainstream inter-religious approaches into funding and service delivery within global and country-level development and relief agencies

Realize a landscape populated with strong congregations of women religious that are well-led, well-resourced, spiritually strong and effective in service

Transform treatment of Alzheimer’s disease to prevention therapy

Position Summary

As a vital member of the GHR Foundation team, the director of communications is responsible for development, integration, implementation, and measurement of communication strategies that build credibility, protect reputation and advance the program priorities of GHR Foundation.

The position works closely with the CEO and Chief of Strategy and Programs, in collaboration with board, staff and grantees to identify and implement communications strategies at the Foundation and program levels, advance advocacy priorities, leverage the most effective communications tools and report on key communication metrics.

The director of communications supervises a communications associate and will manage external consulting partners supporting marketing and communications programs. As a private, family philanthropy, the primary focus of all communication is to connect with other donors to scale up successful grantmaking and increase impact.

Responsibilities

Lead development of comprehensive communications strategy and develop annual goals and work plan.

Identify and assess new communications ideas and vehicles to determine most effective

strategy for GHR Foundation over time.

Develop content, and manage staff/consultants to produce all communications materials. (Including press releases, meeting briefings, op-eds, executive summaries, reports, website and social media).

Foster relationships with editorial boards, thought leaders and individual reporters through direct contact and through op-ed suggestions or submissions. Creates or assists in production of public comments, speeches, and talking points for use by board, staff and/or grantees.

Develop and manage the communications team budget and supervises communications staff and consulting partners.

Leverage external communications to advance GHR Foundation’s impact and expand its network of co-investors or funding partners.

Provide communications expertise in the preparation of board materials and presentations.

Support information and knowledge management strategies within the Foundation.

GHR Foundation – Director of Communications

Provide or identify talent to work with individual programs on specific strategic communications. Strengthen internal staff communication capacities.

Strengthen internal communications across Arbor Philanthropy.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Strategic Counselor, Communicator and Collaborator

Demonstrated experience contributing on a strategic, managerial and operational level; as a leader, a team member and a strong individual contributor.

Stellar writing skills including preparing clearly written articles, summaries and analysis. As well as edit and curate content generated by others.

Professional experience researching and writing about complex topics in a variety of lengths and formats, and for varied audiences.

Broad communications knowledge including branding, messaging, social media, presentations and media relations.

Ability to communicate effectively interpersonally and in group presentations. Excellent listening skills.

Commitment to develop and guide adherence to defined technical, design, and language style standards.

Ability to analyze, question and identify key issues and use data to support conclusions. Diplomatic and Global Worldview

Demonstrated cultural competence and global worldview.

Ability to work effectively and collaboratively across organizational functions and teams.

Ability to view issues and challenges from multiple dimensions and apply intellectual energy and creativity.

Ability to quickly switch gears as urgent issues arise, display calm under pressure, and consistently meet deadlines.

GHR Foundation – Director of Communications

Consultative and Client Mindset

Quickly grasps complex issues; is able to distill key elements and convey those to multiple audiences.

Demonstrated self-starter with an entrepreneurial and growth mindset.

Client-service mentality and consultative approach to problem solving in a family foundation environment.

Strong time, budget, project management skills.

Ability to engage others and influence outcomes.

Required Education and Experience

In addition to the above knowledge, skills, and abilities requirements, the ideal candidate for this position will also possess:

A degree in communications or a related field (master’s degree preferred) and a minimum of 10 years related full-time professional work experience in nonprofit, foundation, public relations or other for-profit business, with five or more years of managerial level experience, or a combination of equivalent education and experience.

Experience working with a board of directors, preferably a family board.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume in Word document format to Lars Leafblad, co-founder, Ballinger | Leafblad, Inc. via lars@ballingerleafblad.com. All inquiries and conversations will be treated as confidential. Review of candidate materials will begin immediately.