Julio Suárez, Managing Director
According to the Giving USA 2024: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2023, giving by corporations to U.S. charities rose to $36.55 billion in 2023. This accounts for just seven per cent of total giving in the U.S., but it is a growing piece of the pie.
You may be surprised to learn that the teams responsible for running corporate foundation and impact programs are relatively small and, depending on the company, they may also be running multiple other functions, including employee volunteering, sustainability programs, cause marketing campaigns, and DEI programs.
With so many responsibilities and resources at stake, it is critical that companies be highly strategic when recruiting leaders to run these important and highly visible functions. Here are five questions the executive search experts at DRiWaterstone ask when working with corporate foundation and impact clients to assess high-performance leadership candidates:
- How well do they connect with the organization’s mission and values?
Ensuring leadership candidates understand and can articulate the company’s mission is critical. Even more important is how well they align with, and can live up to, the organization’s values. Afterall, as a leader within the company, they will need to model and reinforce these values within their teams and within the broader organization. This supports engagement, ownership, and performance across the board. It’s also a good indicator of how they’ll represent the organization when interacting with stakeholders, partners, and the broader public. - Are they a strong communicator?
Being able to connect with a variety of diverse stakeholders – from team members to C-suite leaders and board members, to nonprofit partners and community members – is key for corporate foundation and impact leaders. But good communication is about more than a press release or amplification plan. Do they believe in transparent, two-way communication? Do they lead with empathy and authenticity? Are they adept at translating business priorities into goals that resonate with their team’s purpose (and vice versa)? - Are they a subject matter expert?
Unless you’re looking for a more administrative leader, finding someone who has a level of expertise in the social, environmental, or other impact area is vital. Afterall, corporate foundation and impact leaders are tasked with moving the needle on a variety of social and environmental issues. Finding a candidate with knowledge and relationships in these areas of work will allow them to hit the ground running – and build credibility among both employees and community stakeholders. - Can they balance strategic thinking with hands-on leadership?
Corporate impact leaders need to be focused on the social and environmental priorities, while also being able to tie them back to the larger company and the overall corporate strategy. They need to be pragmatic enough to identify and run programs that deliver on the impact front, while also helping to achieve the business objectives. It’s a tricky balance, that requires a leader who’s just as skilled during business meetings, as they are when interacting with community leaders and advocacy groups! - What’s their understanding of the nonprofit sector?
While a background in the nonprofit space isn’t a must, an understanding of the sector and how it operates (or at least a willingness to learn) is hugely beneficial. Recruiters and hiring managers should look for candidates who consider nonprofits and advocacy groups as long-term partners. Someone who understands the nonprofit sector, how these organizations work, and who has a track record of partnering with nonprofit and advocacy group leaders to run programs that are mutually beneficial, should be able to translate that knowledge into effective campaigns and programs on behalf of the foundation and/or the larger organization.
At DRiWaterstone Human Capital, our team are experts in supporting corporate impact teams and foundations with their recruitment needs. We have hands-on experience running corporate impact programs and foundations, plus more than 20 years in the search business. Schedule a call with our team today and find out how we can help.
