Overview
President & Chief Executive Officer Jobs in Birmingham, Alabama, USA at BoardWalk Consulting
The Opportunity
Founded in 1996, what is now known as the Women’s Foundation of Alabama was launched “by twenty strong women [who] invested $20,000 each… to change the lives of women in Birmingham.” Today, Women’s Foundation of Alabama (WFA) remains the state’s first and only philanthropic Foundation focused solely on the needs of women and girls. The Foundation exclusively uses a gender lens for grantmaking, research, andadvocacy.
By combining data-driven research, targeted grantmaking, and policyadvocacy, the Foundation has reshaped economic opportunities for countless women and families in Alabama. As a trusted leader for over two decades, WFA continues to expand its reach and effectiveness across the state.
Under theleadershipof CEO Melanie R. Bridge forth, the Foundation has grown into a philanthropic powerhouse advancing women’s economic power. As Bridge forth prepares to conclude her tenure in early 2025, WFA’s Board of Directors has partnered with Board Walk Consulting in the search for her successor, who will capitalize on this extraordinary momentum and lead the Foundation into its next chapter of impact.
The Foundation is about to complete its largest-ever fundraising campaign, securing $10M in the Watershed Campaign to scale programming and double grantmaking to high-impact grantees across Alabama. The Watershed Campaign’s goal of introducing 10,000 women into the workforce and on the path to economic mobility by 2027 is aggressive, but it has clearly resonated with funders and supporters.
The Campaign is comprised of three critical streams of effort:
Advocacyand Awareness
Grantmaking
Solidify infrastructure
WFA’s strategic approach, integrating grantmaking, policyadvocacy, andcollaborative partnerships, has generated a perspective that will guide future impact.
The Organization
WFA has established itself as a force in the public arena through major defensive policy victories and legislative wins, such as helping secure the state’s firstEqual PayStatute, a $2.25M cumulative state budget appropriation to prepare women for in-demand careers, and a historic $67.5M public investment in Alabama’s workforce through the Child Care Tax Credit.
The Foundation now invests more than $1M annually in grants to nonprofit organizations across 40 Alabama counties. The Foundation has doubled its staff, doubled the size of its endowment, and nearly tripled its revenues. WFA is well-positioned to build on its record ofleadershipto accelerate opportunities for Alabama women and strengthen families and communities today and for generations to come.
Armed with aStrategic Visionfor 2030, WFA has established three strategic goals:
Creating conditions for sustainable impact.
Ensuring significant milestones are achieved to strengthen the Foundation’s financial future.
Advancing transformational change.
Driving data-informed solutions and policy change.
Resourcing community-driven solutions.
Impactfulgender-lens investments in communities across Alabama.
WFA’s grantmaking portfolio comprises catalytic initiatives, collaboratives, and targeted grants that streamline the ability of women to reach their full potential. Throughimpactfulgrantmaking, WFA philanthropy targets organizations across the state of Alabama that have unique talents and missions, such as wraparound support, skills training, success coaching, housing, and child care.
A major factor in the work of WFA is its evidence-based approach to elevating women. …
Title: President & Chief Executive Officer
Company: BoardWalk Consulting
Location: Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Category: Non-Profit & Social Impact, Management
