Director of Learning

Pennsylvania Community Foundation Association

Director of Learning

Overview

The Director of Learning will expand PACFA’s portfolio of professional development opportunities by creating intentional opportunities for community foundations staff and board to learn directly from one another, and to work collaboratively to solve shared challenges.   

Working closely with the President, PACFA members, and program partners, the Director will identify current and emerging needs across the community foundation field and translate those needs into high-quality learning opportunities for our members, including webinars, peer-learning cohorts, leadership programs, conferences, and other educational initiatives.

This position will strengthen PACFA’s value to our members. Prior experience working with community foundations is highly preferred.

About PACFA

PACFA is a statewide association representing nearly all of Pennsylvania’s community foundations. Our mission is to help our members connect, learn and act collectively.  PACFA envisions a statewide network of effective, collaborative, and trusted community foundations advancing place-based philanthropy and leadership throughout Pennsylvania.

Key Responsibilities

1. Education & Training Needs Assessment

• Develop and administer periodic member surveys and other methods for identifying education and training needs.
• Engage directly with PACFA members to understand emerging challenges, opportunities, and professional development priorities.
• Translate identified needs into an annual education and training agenda.
• Monitor developments in philanthropy, community foundations, nonprofit management, governance, and other areas relevant to PACFA members.

2. Learning Cohorts

• Manage PACFA’s Professional Advisor and CEO Learning Cohorts.

• Create and manage additional Learning Cohorts for member staff in other community foundation functional areas
• Recruit participants and speakers, develop learning agendas, coordinate sessions, and maintain ongoing communication with participants.
• Evaluate cohorts and recommend improvements or new programs.

3. Webinar & Virtual Learning Programs

• Create and manage a regular PACFA webinar series addressing timely and relevant topics for community foundations.
• Identify and cultivate qualified speakers, subject-matter experts, and partners.
• Coordinate webinar scheduling, registration, communications, technology, and follow-up.
• Oversee promotion of webinars through email communications and other appropriate channels.
• Ensure webinars and related resources are appropriately posted on the PACFA website.
• Maintain a library of webinar recordings, presentations, tools, and other educational resources for PACFA members.

4. PACFA Online Education Resources

• Identify materials, tools, research, templates, and other resources that would be valuable to PACFA members.
• Develop and maintain the Education and Resources sections of the PACFA website.
• Oversee updates to relevant PACFA online resources, including Act 50, the PA Giving Pledge, and other designated portions of the website.
• Help identify and implement an appropriate content management system (CMS) to support PACFA’s growing education and resource needs.
• Manage PACFA social media channels.

5. Leadership and Governance

• Help create and shape an expanded PACFA CEO/Board Leadership Summit.
• Manage the CEO/Board Leadership Summit, including program development, speakers, communications, participant coordination, and logistics.
• Develop other educational programming for member CEO’s and Board that strengthens their leadership, governance, and strategic effectiveness.

6. Annual Conference & Special Events

• Help create and shape PACFA’s annual Fall Conference.
• Serve as a primary liaison with conference speakers and sponsors.
• Assist with conference planning, programming, communications, and logistics.
• Identify opportunities to integrate member education, peer learning, and professional development into PACFA events.

7. Evaluation & Continuous Improvement

• Create and maintain an evaluation system for PACFA webinars, learning cohorts, leadership programs, and summits.
• Collect and analyze participant feedback and engagement data.
• Use evaluation results and member input to improve existing programs and develop new initiatives.

Desired Personal Characteristics

PACFA is seeking to identify candidates that are:

• Collaborative - Builds trust and collaborates successfully with people across organizations and perspectives.
• Curious - Understands emerging issues and continuously looks for ways PACFA can help our members succeed.
• Organized - Can move multiple projects from concept through execution while maintaining high standards.
• Finds solutions, identifies useful partners and turns ideas into action.
• Member-focused - Approaches decisions from the perspective of what will provide meaningful value to PACFA members.
• Excellent communicators - Can make complex information accessible, engaging and useful to nonprofit professionals and leaders.
• Community Foundation Focused – Ideally, we want a candidate that knows, understands and loves our field.

Measures of Success

Success in this position will mean that PACFA members increasingly view the Association as an indispensable source of learning, leadership development, practical tools and peer connection.

Within the first year, the Director will be expected to establish strong relationships with PACFA members, develop a clear understanding of their educational needs, strengthen existing programs and begin building a coordinated and forward-looking education and training strategy.

Position Details

The is a full-time position, with benefits, that reports to President of the Pennsylvania Community Foundation Association.  This is a flexible/remote work arrangement.  Travel within Pennsylvania required.  BA degree and appropriate experience required. Demonstrated experience, and a love for, the community foundations field is preferred. 

Compensation - $70,000 - $80,000