Resource and Relationship Partner (R&R Partner)

Description

The Genan Foundation is seeking a Resource and Relationship Partner excited to wear multiple hats
and join a small but mighty team dedicated to effectively leveraging the Foundation’s resources. This
new position will serve as a thought partner for the Foundation’s President & CEO, five-person board,
and the Grants Committee in their work to positively impact Genan’s geographic focus areas:
Southwest Virginia (SWVA), Central Virginia, and Surry County. The ideal candidate will be dynamic,
resourceful, a strong communicator, and well-versed in both the ethical nuances of grantmaking and at
least one of the Foundation’s interest areas. This individual will be responsible for building and
maintaining key partner relationships, conducting research, and operationally supporting the
Foundation and its grantmaking efforts.

The Resource and Relationship Partner joins the team at an exciting time of growth and transition for
the Foundation. An influx of assets will grow the Foundation’s corpus to $200 million by 2025. In
parallel, a new President & CEO joined the Genan team in early 2023. This team will build on the work
of the foundation, founded in 1986, scaling its impact, and continuing the commitment to being an
effective funding partner.

Job Duties

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential
functions.
● Establish trust and sustain strong, long-term relationships with grant partners; Serve as Genan’s primary contact with assigned grant partners; Appreciate and mitigate, when possible, the power dynamics inherent in Genan and grant partner relationships; Recognize and act on opportunities to support grant partners beyond the check.
● Support the President in the building and maintaining of relationships with other key partners to position Genan to best respond to opportunities that may positively impact the geographic areas where funding is focused; Serve as liaison between Genan and assigned communities/organizations; Through deep listening, prioritize those with lived experience, develop an understanding of geographic regions including communities of color, rural communities and areas facing the greatest inequities.
● Partner with the President and Grants Committee to formulate Foundation strategies, particularly as it relates to programmatic elements.
● Facilitate continuous improvement of grant-making through ongoing learning and communication of evolving best practices.
● Assist grant seekers and grant partners in understanding Genan’s grantmaking priorities, processes, and systems. Provide clear, kind, and candid feedback regarding grant requests. Connect organizations to other foundations and community resources, including capacity building and technical support.
● Through management of Genan’s grantmaking software, provide administrative support throughout the life cycle of each grant round, including collecting and organizing applications, conducting basic due diligence, providing technical assistance to applicants and grantees, coordinating the review process, scheduling financial distributions, and tracking grantee progress.
● Conduct research, compile data, and hold evaluative conversations regarding grant partner progress; Pose thoughtful, probing questions to understand the work of grant partners; Assist President in designing and presenting summaries and reports regarding progress to the Board of Directors.
● Support ongoing communications strategy by monitoring media (print/social/broadcast) and assisting the communications consultant by providing content and photos to highlight grantee partners.
● Actively participate in learning on issues related to Genan’s issue focus areas through reading, webinars, talking with colleagues, and conferences; Display openness and curiosity about new ideas.
● Prepare materials needed for the Grants Committee and Board meetings (agendas, scheduling, presentation materials, etc.) Provide general operational support, including organizing files, creating presentation materials, data entry and analysis, generating reports from the database, and translating data into meaningful insights for the team. Support the Secretary in producing Board meeting minutes.
● Handle such additional matters (special projects and assignments) connected to the mission and operations of the Foundation as assigned by the President.

Skills Required

Qualifications
Education and/or Experience: Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university; OR five years’ experience within or with the philanthropic or nonprofit sector OR; equivalent combination of education and experience.

Successful candidates will have one or more of the following: Lived experience in the areas of social
determinants of health; a deep understanding of the challenges and assets of nonprofits within the
geographic regions; Depth of knowledge in one or more of the Foundation’s issue areas.

Computer Skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office software and experience with, or ability to learn and master quickly,
grant management software.

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use
hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is
frequently required to sit. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with
disabilities to perform essential functions.

Competencies
Relationship: Demonstrated ability to excel in building and maintaining relationships with a wide
variety of individuals and organizations; Excellent interpersonal skills – exhibits tact and compassion
along with candor; works cooperatively in group situations and works actively to resolve conflicts;
Displays personal humility and ability to navigate power dynamics within philanthropy; Inspires the
trust of others; Treats people with respect.

Problem-Solving: Creative and resourceful; Identifies and resolves problems promptly; gathers and
analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; uses reason even when dealing with
emotional topics; motivated by curiosity.

Oral and Written Communication: Speaks clearly and persuasively; listens well; responds to questions
effectively. Writes clearly and informatively; exhibits excellent editing skills; presents numerical data
effectively. Effectively presents information. Able to read, summarize and communicate articles related
to philanthropy and issue areas.

Leadership: Exhibits confidence in self and others; inspires and motivates others to perform well;
effectively influences actions and opinions of others; accepts feedback from others; gives appropriate
recognition to others. Able to work in a team environment but also independently with limited
supervision, a self-starter. Willing to wear many hats to help get the job done.

Ethics: Demonstrates a practice of identifying, assessing, and acting on ethical issues and obligations
related to foundation work; Has a strong moral compass and sense of personal integrity; Able to
embrace the mission and values of the Genan Foundation; Works with integrity and adheres to the
ethical standards of the Foundation; Respects confidentiality.

Dependability: Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Completes tasks on time or
notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan; Possesses a high level of organization, accuracy,
attention to detail, and follow through; Able to adapt and respond to changing priorities while meeting
established deadlines.

Judgement: Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment; supports
and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in the decision-making process;
makes timely decisions.

Equity: Feels comfortable engaging in complex conversations around equity and systemic inequities in
systems, including the Genan Foundation; Willing to do personal work around biases; Intentionally
includes diverse perspectives in decisions; Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences;
Educates others on the value of equity, diversity, and inclusion; Promotes a harassment-free
environment.

Must be able to travel by auto between SWVA, Central VA, and Surry County.

Work Environment: Primarily an office environment with work-life flexibility; occasional out-of-town
travel required.

Additional Info

Compensation and Benefits
This is a full-time, salaried non-exempt position with a salary range of $80,000 to $110,000. The Genan
Foundation offers a robust employee benefits package, the opportunity to participate in a matching
retirement program, and three weeks of vacation with nine paid holidays. This role includes
opportunities for professional development and growth.

The Genan Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. It
prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex,
national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity
or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local laws. This applies to all
terms and conditions of employment, including retirement, hiring, placement, promotion, termination,
layoff, leaves of absence, compensation, and professional training.

About the Genan Foundation
Gene and Anne Worrell established the Genan Foundation to support initiatives in Virginia. Today, the
Genan Foundation upholds its legacy through grantmaking consistent with the Founders’ philosophies
and family history, as known to the Board of Directors. The Foundation focuses its grantmaking
primarily in the far Southwest, Central Virginia, and Surry County regions. The primary grantmaking
focus areas include arts & culture, community media, education, historic preservation, healthcare,
poverty alleviation, and wildlife habitat and conservation. The Foundation is based in Charlottesville,
Virginia. More information can be found at www.genanfoundation.org.

How to Apply
Please send a resume and letter of interest to info@genanfoundation.org.