About National Philanthropic Trust
National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) is a public charity dedicated to providing philanthropic expertise to donors, foundations, and financial institutions, enabling them to realize their philanthropic aspirations. Founded in 1996, NPT manages donor-advised funds and is one of the leading grantmaking institutions in the U.S. Donor advised funds (DAFs) are the most popular giving vehicle in philanthropy. Since its founding, NPT has raised more than $49.8 billion in charitable funding and has made more than 640,000 grants exceeding $25.7 billion to nonprofits around the world.
Driven by a dedicated team of philanthropic professionals and guided by a Board of Trustees who are experts in business and philanthropy, NPT consistently makes a meaningful difference. The organization fosters a welcoming environment for all. People are valued and respected for who they are—with opportunities to bring their entrepreneurial spirit and talents to increase giving around the world.
NPT’s values are on display in everything they do. They want their work and teams to embody: Inclusivity, Integrity, and Innovation. They believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace is essential to the ability to innovate in a fast-changing market and create the best experience for donors, financial service partners and grantees.
Learn more about NPT at https://www.nptrust.org/.
The Opportunity
National Philanthropic Trust is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Vice President, Communications to develop and lead NPT's external and internal communications strategy in order to amplify the organization’s mission of increasing philanthropy in society.
The role includes leading the team that focuses on thought leadership, brand positioning and brand reputation management and working closely with senior leadership and the Board to amplify the overall voice of the organization. External communications responsibilities include maintaining and building upon NPT’s reputation with the public, social impact sector, philanthropy community, press, financial services industry, and public policy stakeholders both in the US and UK. Internal communications responsibilities include working across all NPT departments to create and promote key messages and information to employees and Trustees.
The SVP will be a member of NPT’s Executive team, will have the opportunity to contribute to overall organizational strategy, and draw on their communications expertise as a thought partner to colleagues and partners alike. For this role, a proactive approach is critical as are humility and strong listening skills. This person will be adept at advocating for their own viewpoint and considering the value of other perspectives, with the goal of making the right decision for the organization. The ability to adapt to rapid changes and manage competing priorities is key to success in this role.
This is an exciting opportunity to serve as both a strategic and tactical leader for NPT and to elevate the important work of the organization, and philanthropy more broadly, in the coming years.
Key Responsibilities
Communications Strategy
- Develop and execute the communications plan and strategy in support of NPT’s mission and strategic vision, ensuring that all projects promote, enhance, and protect the organization’s brand and reputation.
- Develop NPT’s Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing strategies for all websites in the US and UK.
- Develop systems that ensure communications accuracy, security, and adherence to brand standards.
- Work with the Creative & Technical Solutions Team to ensure a cohesive strategy for messaging and design.
- Manage, track and report on digital marketing initiatives, including adherence to editorial calendars and evolution of best practices.
- Support NPT UK and NPT Transatlantic in their external communications and brand positioning and collaborate with the UK team.
- Own key communications to NPT’s Board of Trustees.
Team Leadership
- Manage and inspire a dedicated Communications Team, nurturing their growth and ensuring effective execution of communications initiatives.
- Support the Creative & Technical Solutions Team’s initiatives to strengthen brand strategy, expand and improve UX/IU integrations with public sites and create ongoing solutions to increase efficiency and scalability.
Media Relations And Crisis Management
- Cultivate relationships with media outlets and journalists to ensure coverage of the DAF sector and our grantmaking
- Prepare executives for media and public speaking engagements.
- Own NPT’s Crisis Communications Plan, annual strategy, protocols and simulations and lead all efforts to address communications challenges.
Internal Communication
- Oversee internal communication efforts to keep staff informed and engaged.
- Collaborate regularly with all NPT departments to support their communication needs.
Public Relations
- Develop and execute PR campaigns to raise awareness of NPT’s work.
- Manage external consulting resources responsible for amplifying NPT’s message to various audiences and stakeholders. This includes but is not limited to SEO, web, and PR consultants.
- Support NPT’s public policy efforts in the donor-advised fund sector.
Content Development
- Create and manage content that supports NPT’s core messaging including, but not limited to, NPT’s websites, public relations activities, social media, publications, speaking engagements, digital and traditional advertising, email marketing, blogs and bylines.
- Create and manage creation and distribution of NPT’s Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) report, NPT’s Annual Report and other publications.
- Act as the subject matter expert on the consistency and quality of NPT content, language, and messaging across all departments and in all channels and materials.
- Manage all NPT websites’ content and functionality in the US and UK. Ensure implementation of design initiatives or upgrades and maintain them in coordination with the IT team. Ensure that all content is accurate and current.
Budget Management
- Efficiently manage the communications budget, allocating resources to maximize impact.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
- Senior level communications experience including strategy development as well as tactical implementation in a complex environment.
- Significant experience leading both direct teams and outside consultants to successful outcomes.
- Proven leadership experience across multiple areas including digital marketing, social media, crisis communications, SEO strategies, and using data to inform communications decisions.
- Prior experience within philanthropy and/or nonprofit sector preferred.
- Superior track record of project, vendor, and budget management.
- Experience contributing to organizational diversity, equity and inclusion objectives.
- Ability to lead crisis communications thoughtfully, demonstrate foresight around. potential future challenges and respond quickly and effectively to questions or concerns.
- A self-starter, with personal integrity, high-quality standards and meticulous attention to detail.
- Excellent communication, presentation and relational skills and the executive presence to lead discussions at all levels and across functional disciplines.
- Ability to work in a complex, matrixed environment.
- Superior track record of creative, strategic thinking.
- Highly skilled in collaboration and navigating professional environments and experience supporting executives with both written and verbal communications.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $190,000 - $220,000 plus a 27.5% bonus opportunity, along with a generous benefits package. The exact salary that will be offered to the SVP, Communications will be determined based on a consideration of the successful candidate’s skills, experience, and geography and aligned with NPT’s compensation policies.
Contact
Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Erin Reedy and Christy Farrell. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
National Philanthropic Trust is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from all candidates. At NPT, diversity is a concept that acknowledges value in the full spectrum of human experience. It includes differences in race, gender, age, national origin, ethnicity, disability, religion, culture, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status and other attributes that identify an individual, organization or group. They recognize that these are not the only factors that contribute to an individual’s identity. Some differences may be obvious, while others may be less apparent. NPT is committed to an evolving definition of diversity that embraces all forms of individual difference.
About Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group
Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.
Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the firm's website.