Executive Director, Knox County Foundation January, 2020

The Knox County Foundation (Ohio), founded in 1944 as the Mount Vernon Community Trust, is the region’s leading philanthropic organization and is nationally accredited by The Council on Foundations. Due to the announced retirement of its current Executive Director, who has served since 2002, the Foundation now seeks nominations and applications for the position.
The Foundation Board expects to conduct preliminary interviews with candidates in January and February of 2020, with final interviews in March and April, and has a goal of selecting a New Executive Director by the end of April with a starting date in June 2020.

About the Knox County Foundation

The Foundation’s mission consists of the following elements:

  • To improve the quality of life in Knox County through charitable giving
  • To provide a vehicle for donors of varied interests to support charitable and community activities
  • To assess and respond to emerging and changing community needs in the fields of:
    • Education
    • Youth services
    • Recreation
    • Arts and culture
    • Social services
    • Civic and community development
    • Mental and physical health
  • To develop a permanent endowment for the community and to serve as a catalyst for innovation throughout Knox County

The Foundation is supported by donations from individuals and businesses, by the establishment of individual endowed funds, and by bequests. Total current assets of the

Foundation exceed $75 million, with contributions totaling $6 million in 2018 and an asset base that has expanded by 43% over the past five years.

In 2018 the Foundation distributed over $4 million from its more than 420 component funds, including more than $1 million in scholarships awarded to 380 students.

In addition to its grant-making activities, the Foundation also manages about $17,000,000 on behalf of other non-profit agencies in the county.

The Foundation is more than just a conduit for financial support; it also has played a strategic partnership role with individuals, organizations, and government to bring about many improvements in the quality of life in the region over the past 75 years.

In addition to the Executive Director, the Foundation has a highly experienced staff which includes a Finance Director and Program Director, along with administrative support and media management personnel. The Finance Director, who is responsible for financial accountability and management of the Foundation’s investment advisors, is a highly experienced CPA with many years of senior public accounting audit experience. The Program Director has a master’s degree in social work and manages the Foundation’s competitive grant and scholarship programs, processes donor-advised fund requests, and oversees the Foundation’s economic development and youth philanthropy initiatives. All staff positions report to the Executive Director.

The Foundation’s activities are described in more detail on its web site: https://www.knoxcf.org

More information on Knox County can be found at: https://www.visitknoxohio.org/public/pdf/visitor-guide-2019.pdf

The Position

The Executive Director reports to an active and involved volunteer board comprised of leading citizens from the Knox County community, all of whom possess a passion for improving the quality of life for the area’s 60,000+ residents.

The importance of this position extends beyond the organizational boundaries of the Foundation. The Executive Director can expect to be involved in many aspects of community life and will be a participant in most significant private/public partnership development projects in the county.

The opportunities and responsibilities of the Executive Director are many and varied. They include:

  • Establishing relationships with the most engaged high-value donors in the county
  • Identifying and cultivating the region’s emerging wave of philanthropic leaders
  • Promoting and managing the professional development of the Foundation’s professional staff
  • Being well informed about and often an integral part of the many community development initiatives throughout Knox County
  • Being the primary spokesperson for the Foundation throughout the region
  • Providing oversight and management of the Foundation’s internal administrative activities

Desired Applicant Qualities

  • Passion for the Foundation’s mission
  • Experience in community based philanthropic fundraising
    Experience in planned giving
  • Ability and experience to serve as the primary spokesperson for the organization
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Desire to support a small team of dedicated professionals
  • Familiarity with non-profit accounting is not required but is highly desirable
  • Familiarity with the Knox County area is not required but is highly desirable
  • Absolute honesty and integrity

To apply, please submit a letter of interest and resume by email to Mr. Ora Smith, [email protected].

The Knox County Foundation is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.