About The Fund to Build Grassroots Power The Fund to Build Grassroots Power (FBGP or The Fund) is a national frontline-serving and accountable intermediary fund that works to strengthen, grow, and support the members and affiliates of four national grassroots networks and alliances: Climate Justice Alliance Environmental Justice Forum (coordinated by WE ACT for EnvironmentalJustice) Peoples Action Institute PowerSwitch Action The FBGP works to advance environmental and climate justice in the United States through the awarding of general operating support grants to organizations within these specified networks. The Fund specifically aims to support organizations that are led by constituencies who have been historically suppressed and who work on a variety of issues, such as environmental and climate justice, farmworker rights, and economic justice, to name a few. The FBGP also prioritizes communities and regions that have historically lacked adequate investment, like the Southeast and the Midwest. Since its inception in 2019, the FBGP has granted $25.3 million to 136 organizations across the United States. Intermediary Funds & Theory of Change Intermediary funds like the FBGP play an essential role in the environmental and climate justice movement by providing flexible funding to frontline organizations. As an intermediary fund, the FBGP expects the organizations it supports to articulate how they will use the funds to build their power, whether by increasing the financial stability of their organization, hiring more organizing staff, or improving digital infrastructure. The Funds theory of change states that if grassroots organizations that have ties to national networks have enough capacity and resources, they will be better equipped to effectively engage with these networks, which in turn will strengthen the networks themselves. A stronger set of networks means a stronger infrastructure for the environmental justice movement, allowing all participants in the movement to wield more power at the local, state, and federal levels. To read more about intermediary funds, review The JPB Foundations memo on the topic, linked here. Organizational Structure As a participatory fund, the FBGP relies on two groups to provide strategic guidance: The Advisory Board is made up of staff leaders from the national networks the FBGP supports, as well as a representative of TheJPB Foundation. This body provides strategic guidance and makes grant recommendations to the Steering Committee to ensure the funds resources respond to the member organizations needs. The Steering Committee is made up of three leaders in the environmental philanthropy field. These leaders guide the Funds overall grantmaking strategy and process and recommend grant awards to the Funds fiscal sponsor, the Windward Fund. In addition to the Advisory Board and Steering Committee, the FBGP engages additional groups to fulfill its mission. The Fund was founded by The JPB Foundation. The Windward Fund offers fiscal sponsorship to the fund meaning that Windward is able to accept donations into a restricted fund and grant them to organizations. Any staff of FBGP would be employees of the Windward Fund. Historically, a team at Arabella Advisors, a philanthropy consulting firm, has provided implementation and management support for the FBGP, and they will continue to do so at least through 2024, with an option to continue beyond that timeframe. For more information, visit the Fund to Build Grassroots Power website. The Opportunity The FBGPs governing bodies recently outlined an ambitious shared vision for the Funds future: a scaling goal over the next two years to become an organization capable of attracting and disbursing $10-25 million annually to grassroots organizations advancing environmental and climate justice, up from $5-7 million in FBGPs recent years. The success of this bold vision hinges in large part on the skills, capabilities, competencies, and qualities of a leader who will play a pivotal role in charting the Funds course to scale. As the FBGP aims to expand its reach and deepen its impact in the years ahead, the addition of its first Executive Director (ED) to advance the strategy, vision, and growth goals is significant and marks a pivotal moment in the FBGPs trajectory. Over the upcoming two years, a significant focus for the FBGPs will be developing and launching an ambitious fundraising strategy, aimed at strategically enhancing the Funds resource pool. Concurrently, there will be an ongoing commitment to oversee existing grants, understand the funds impact, and distribute new resources as they become available, ensuring just distribution of resources to grassroots environmental and climate justice organizations nationwide. Reporting to the FBGP Steering Committee, and working collaboratively with the Advisory Board, the Executive Director will cultivate and steward current and existing relationships with the Funds stakeholders, lead fundraising efforts to amplify the FBGPs impact, communicate the FBGPs and its grantees unique value-add in addressing some of our countrys most pressing issues, and serve as a dynamic, visionary leader to elevate the Funds positive influence and field prominence. The Executive Director may hire consultants and/or staff who can support and grow these areas of work. Specific responsibilities for the Executive Director include: Craft and implement a fundraising strategy: Develop an ambitious plan to attract new funders to contribute in significant and sustained ways to the FBGP. Showcase the funds unique value to the environmental and climate justice field and its track record and potential for impact. Manage current and potential donor relationships: Manage relationships with current and prospective new donors and, as needed, coordinate with the teams at Arabella Advisors and Windward Fund to complete FBGP application and reporting requirements for contributing donors. Lead external communications: Take the lead in external communications efforts, representing the fund at conferences.