Director of Advocacy- Women's Fund of Central Indiana

Description

Director of Advocacy - Women’s Fund of Central Indiana is stepping into the advocacy space for the first time and because advocacy and policy are not local but statewide activities, Women’s Fund will expand to statewide impact. The new director of advocacy will play a significant role in this effort, including conducting a statewide needs assessment and listening tour.

Women’s Fund of Central Indiana envisions an Indiana where all who identify as women and girls exercise full power to decide how to live their lives. We answer the call of community by investing in systems change, advocating for women’s rights, and building collective power for women and girls.  

Women’s Fund will execute this mission by funding organizations, galvanizing philanthropic networks, fighting for policy change, and providing data-informed resources for Indiana. Our priority areas are health, economic mobility and career development, girls’ empowerment and personal safety/intimate partner violence.

We are dedicated to achieving the following strategic goals:

Expanding funding opportunities for organizations by fostering community relationships, enhancing organizational capacity, and implementing trust-based philanthropy in grantmaking. 

Strengthening philanthropic networks to drive strategic, long-term, and sustainable impact through collective giving.

Enhancing access to data-informed resources by collecting, analyzing, and amplifying community-vetted, evidence-based data on women and girls in Indiana. 

Advancing policy change by developing a statewide advocacy strategy prioritizing bodily autonomy and economic freedom for women and girls.
 

Women's Fund is a proud member of the Central Indiana Community Foundation philanthropic collaborative and supports its mission to make Central Indiana a community where all individuals have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential- no matter place, race, or identity.

What We’re Looking For: 

Traditional philanthropy alone cannot solve the systemic problems faced by women and girls in Central Indiana. Women’s Fund of Central Indiana is stepping into the advocacy space for the first time and because advocacy and policy are not local but statewide activities, Women’s Fund will expand to statewide impact. The new director of advocacy will play a significant role in this effort, including conducting a statewide needs assessment and listening tour. 

The director of advocacy plays a crucial role in shaping and advocating for WFCI’s policies and positions within government bodies and regulatory agencies. This position requires a seasoned professional with extensive experience in policy analysis, government relations, and legislative affairs. The individual in this role will lead the development and execution of strategies to influence public policy and legislation in alignment with strategic goals and objectives. 

Key Responsibilities

Legislative Strategy  
 

· Work in partnership with the president to develop a legislative strategy, ensuring work is steeped in research, meets community-identified needs and aligns with organizational values.  

· Draft policy agenda and position statements in response to local and state issues in collaboration with the president and communications staff.  
 

· Anticipate and leverage strategic opportunities and challenges externally and internally.  
 

· Cultivate and maintain relationships with key government officials, legislators, and regulatory agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.

Advocacy and Public Policy Engagement  
 

· Build strategy, momentum, and impact to set and advance Women’s Fund’s public policy and advocacy agenda. This includes identifying emerging policy trends, potential risks, and opportunities that may impact the organization.
 

· Monitor legislative developments and initiatives that could affect the organization's operations and objectives.
 

· Cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships with allied organizations, coalitions, local and state government officials, national partners, lobbyists and other influencers.  
 

· Lead Women’s Fund’s work with external partners to gather and disseminate critical research and data on women and girls’ issues, including the State of Women Report and related briefs.  
 

· Provide leadership for the advocacy and policy engagement of OPTIONS Alumnae, Young Women’s Advisory Council and other members of the Women’s Fund family.  

Organizational Leadership 

· Support vice president of philanthropy by contributing to proposal development for foundation and corporate funders and prepare the team for funder meetings.  

· Serve as an ambassador; develop and build transformational relationships with potential strategic partners, innovators, donors and community leaders in communities around the state, as they align with our strategic goals and objectives.  

· Participate as an active member of Women’s Fund by working collaboratively with other team members, and by communicating openly and honestly with staff and volunteers.  
 

Contribute to and attend Women’s Fund events, as required and/or as requested to highlight advocacy. 

Requirements

Qualifications:

An ideal candidate for Women’s Fund’s director of advocacy position is a self-motivated, entrepreneurial, results-oriented, equity-driven professional with a deep understanding of gender and racial equity and a passion for advancing social justice. The candidate would bring a combination of these skills, qualities and experiences to the role: 

· Minimum of 7 years of experience in policy analysis, government relations, or legislative affairs, with progressively increasing levels of responsibility.
 

· Demonstrated expertise in analyzing complex policy issues and developing effective advocacy strategies.
 

· Strong understanding of the legislative process and regulatory frameworks at the local, state, and federal levels.
 

· Commitment to upholding high ethical standards and promoting transparency and accountability in government relations activities.
 

· Proven track record of building and maintaining relationships with government officials, stakeholders, and external partners.
 

· Passion and commitment to actively addressing issues impacting women and advancing gender and racial justice.   
 

· An understanding of key challenges and opportunities in women and girls’ health, economic mobility, empowerment and personal safety.  
 

· Experience working with racially and economically diverse groups and communities, including historically marginalized communities.
 

· Excellent relationship skills and a high level of emotional intelligence.
 

· Strong verbal and written communication skills, both formal and conversational.
 

· A strategic thinker and creative problem solver who can see the big picture and the steps needed to get there.  
 

· Demonstrated ability to own the pieces of a project fully, move them from beginning to full completion, proactively seeking out the necessary information and asking questions when they are stuck or unclear.  
 

· Ability to balance working on a small collaborative team with self-direction and working independently.  
 

· Physically able to participate in set-up and teardown of events and meetings with reasonable accommodations.
 

· Uses discretion and maintains confidentiality of information, as needed.
 

Working Conditions: Flexible hybrid office environment (in office three days a week). Home base–English Foundation Building in downtown Indianapolis, plus additional space and expectation of presence in Hamilton County Community Foundation’s Fishers office.

What You Get:

· $105,000 salary plus generous benefits, including:

· Employer-provided health, dental, vision 

· 7% percent employer discretionary 403b contribution

· Potential for an annual bonus based on organizational and individual performance

· 10.5 paid holidays, including MLK Day and Juneteenth

· 20 PTO Days

· Flexible, hybrid work arrangement - Work from home on Mondays and Fridays

· Homebase–Newly renovated office space conveniently located downtown, just steps from Mass Ave.

· An opportunity to do meaningful, results-driven work with a passionate, diverse team, supporting organizations that are committed to building and maintaining a strong, equitable and supportive culture for our team of changemakers.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT: 

Central Indiana Community Foundation, The Indianapolis Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana are equal opportunity employers that seek to recruit persons of diverse backgrounds and to support their retention and advancement. We are committed to fostering a workplace culture where employees and applicants are to be provided a full and fair opportunity for employment, career advancement and access to programs without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, disability (physical or mental), sex, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or parental status. 

Our mission is to mobilize people, ideas and investments to make Central Indiana a community where all individuals have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential—no matter place, race or identity. 

Salary : $105,000