Vice President, External Affairs

ABOUT US

The Freedom Together Foundation’s mission is to support people who have been denied power to build it, so they can change unjust systems and create a more democratic, inclusive, and sustainable society. We are dedicated to long-lasting, systemic change. That means we commit to our partners for the long haul, trusting in the strength and vision of the organizations we support to address some of our country’s most entrenched problems. Over the last 10 years, Freedom Together has grown to be one of the largest US foundations, awarding over $300 million in grants each year.

 

THE POSITION

The Vice President, External Affairs is a critical new position that will help to develop fundraising strategies aligned with Freedom Together’s mission and position Freedom Together as a thought leader in philanthropy. The VP, External Affairs will build and lead our External Affairs work, which will (1) facilitate development of foundation-wide funder organizing and communications strategies, (2) staff the Freedom Together leadership as they carry out key funder outreach and collaborative work, and (3) track and coordinate outreach across the Freedom Together staff to ensure aligned work across multiple priorities and relationships in the field. 

Ultimately, the VP, External Affairs will lead the work to harness and coordinate the Foundation’s many resources beyond our grantmaking to amplify our efforts to build a deeper and broader pro-democracy movement, with organizations led by working-class people at the center. Reporting to the foundation’s Managing Director and serving as a thought partner to the President and Program Leadership Team, this position will supervise key consultants as needed.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the design and implementation of funder organizing and communications strategies that align with and advance the Foundation's mission.
• Act as a strategic advisor to, and facilitator of, engagement from the Foundation President and Senior Leaders, ensuring cohesive and goal-oriented decision-making.
• Lead the External Affairs work, including helping to hire and manage external consultants, and potential supervision of an internal team.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture that emphasizes accountability, innovation, and long-term impact.

 

Funder and Donor Engagement

• Develop and execute strategies to deepen relationships with major foundations and ultra-high-net-worth donors, amplifying their involvement in the work that the Foundation supports.
• Support senior leadership in funder outreach and collaborative initiatives, ensuring sustained and impactful partnerships.
• Strategically leverage the Foundation’s non-grantmaking resources to advance pro-democracy and power-building efforts.
• Take the lead, as required, on developing new fundraising strategies.
• Research and create plans to approach potential new partners.

 

Communications and Storytelling

• Lead the development of external communications plans, including managing digital content, newsletters, and multi-collaborator outreach in relation to the Foundation’s overall donor organizing strategy.
• Craft and oversee compelling narratives that effectively communicate the Foundation’s mission, priorities, and achievements to diverse audiences; ensure these narratives connect to the Foundation’s overall donor organizing strategy.

 

Internal Alignment and Coordination

• Track, align, and streamline external outreach and relationship-building efforts across Foundation staff to ensure consistency and maximize impact.
• Partner with senior leaders to coordinate and execute strategies that leverage their networks and expertise in support of shared goals.
• Prioritize initiatives and manage resources effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Drive the successful execution of key projects, monitoring progress, timelines, and deliverables to achieve measurable results.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

With a preference for experience in a social justice context, we are open to candidates from a variety of backgrounds who are passionate about building a more democratic, inclusive, and sustainable society. Above all, we seek a highly-competent, mission-driven leader with a deep understanding of, experience with, and enthusiasm for both organizing and influencing foundations and individual HNW donors and effectively communicating our mission and work to a wide range of audiences. 

We recognize that no candidate is likely to bring all of the below qualifications and the ideal candi