Program Director, Children’s Rights Innovation Fund (TF)

OVERVIEW: Tides and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund’s Global Children’s Right (GCR) Program have launched the Children’s Rights Innovation Fund (CRIF) (a working title) to deepen and scale learning and innovation across the field of children’s rights. The CRIF will address systemic problems and structural challenges impacting the children’s rights field to date and incentivize actors to strategically shift how they design and lead their work. CRIF Values: The following values serve as core guiding principles to the fund’s work, and for the larger community engaged in this effort: Child and girl centered Rights-framed Inclusive Locally generated Gender equity and justice Evidence-based CRIF Goals: The primary goal of CRIF is to reinvigorate the children’s rights field through piloted innovation, nimble and responsive grantmaking, and robust program learning in collaboration with field partners. Through the launch of an innovation grantmaking fund, we will: Fuel learning and experimentation Develop a robust community of diverse actors that reinvigorates the field Build a collaborative framework that aligns activities across the field and strengthens collective capacity of grantees

POSITION SUMMARY: The Program Director (Director) is a full-time role reporting to the Fund Steering Committee and Tides Director of Special Initiatives. The Director will lead the CRIF vision, steering committee development, and execution of grantmaking and fund development strategies. In close collaboration with the Tides Special Initiatives and Wellspring GCR teams, the Director will launch and execute CRIF’s grantmaking, innovation, and fund development priorities outlined below. We are seeking a unique philanthropic leader passionate about advancing innovation and progress in global development and rights ecosystems. The ideal candidate will be an experienced grantmaker, charismatic leader, and deeply committed to bringing research to life through innovation. The candidate will be experienced in managing philanthropic and/or grantee partnerships and excels in building collaborative partnerships across diverse stakeholders.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Steering Committee Recruit, hire, train and onboard Steering Committee members Maintain clear communication with the Steering Committee on evaluation of CRIF grantees, strategies, and grantmaking activities; consults with the Steering Committee when appropriate; and provides learning opportunities for Steering Committee members Grantmaking Oversee grantmaking strategy design, grantee application process including interviewing, selection, and notification of selected partners Ensure grantmaking activities align across actors, address systemic barriers, and result in the development of new, vigorous interventions Develop milestones to assess capacity building needs and organize activities to develop grantee learning, collaboration, and innovation outcomes Create opportunities to receive grantee reflection and feedback on the fund’s strategy and activities and in assessing grantee learning and collaboration