The Weissberg Foundation seeks a relational, values-driven, and strategic leader to serve as its next Executive Director. A family foundation rooted in Virginia, the Weissberg Foundation has earned a reputation as a trusted partnerand influential voice advancing racialequity and justice– known not only for what it funds and how it investsits endowment, but also for how it operates, prioritizing trust, learning, and long-term partnership with grantees and communities.
Founded by the late Marvin Weissberg, a lifelong champion of human rights, the Foundation has grown fromapproximately $29 millionin assets in 2020 to roughly $235 million today, significantly expandingits capacity for long-term impact at a decisive moment for racial justice in Virginia. With a 2026 operating budget of $14 million,a grantmaking budgetof $10 million, and a strong commitment to leveraging all of its assets for impact, the Foundation has moved into a new chapter.
This is an opportunity to help shape the Foundation’s future, at a time when the pursuit of racial equity and racial justice is under threat. With a committed board, a highly mission-aligned team, and racially-focused grantmaking and investing, the next Executive Director will lead the development and implementation of the Foundation's strategic plan, strengthen relationships with grantee and community partners, deepen impact investing work, build organizational capacity, and translate the Foundation’s aspirations into effective programs, systems, and results.
The Executive Director will provide strategicand organizational leadership while working closelywith the Board of Directors, the staff, vendors and consultants, grantees,and community partners. The successful candidate will be a highly relational leader who builds trust across constituencies, works effectively both internally and externally, and brings the judgment to navigate a complex and evolving environment while remaining grounded in the Foundation's values. The next Executive Director must be energized by the opportunity to lead the Foundation through the current political climate, build on its strong reputation, deepen the Foundation’s impactin Virginia, and contribute to broader conversations and more impactful actions in philanthropy.
The Weissberg Foundation has retained Isaacson, Miller, a nationalexecutive search firm,to assist in this search. All inquiries, nominations, and applications should be directed in strict confidence to the firm as indicated at the end of this document.
The Foundation in the Current Moment
The Weissberg Foundation hired its first professional Executive Director in 2016 and has since continued to professionalize and expand its organizational capacity. The Foundation's small team is known for a culture of trust, autonomy, learning, and care.
Approximately 70% of its grantmaking supports Virginia-based work, with the remainder supporting regional and national efforts. Staff engage deeply with organizers and community leaders across the Commonwealth, regularly adapting strategy and funding approaches based on what they learn.
Beyond grantmaking, the Foundation has also distinguished itself through its commitment to impact investing, pursuing mission alignment across its endowmentand using its investments as another tool to advance racial equity and justice.
More information about the WeissbergFoundation can be found at https://weissbergfoundation.org/
ROLE OF THEEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Executive Director reports directly to the Board of Directors, which is currently chaired by Courtney Morris, a family trustee. As the Foundation's chief executive officer and primary spokesperson, the Executive Director provides overall strategic, operational, and organizational leadership in partnership with the Board.
The Executive Directorcurrently leads a staff of four full-time professionals, including the Senior Director of Operations and Finance, the Director of Organizing Power, the Director of Narrative Power, and the Grants and Operations Manager. The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to shape the Foundation's future organizational structure and capacity.
KEY OPPORTUNITIES ANDCHALLENGES FORTHE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The success of the Executive Director will be determined by how well they address the following leadership opportunities and challenges:
Advance the Foundation’s visionand impact for racial equity and justice
The Weissberg Foundation enters its next phase from a position of strength, with a clear commitment to racial equity and justice, deep relationships with grantee partners in Virginia and nationwide, and expanded resources to support long-term change. With the current strategic plan in placethrough 2028, the next Executive Director will lead a collaborative process with the Board and staff to develop the Foundation's next strategic plan, building on the expertise, learning, relationships, and strategic leadership that exist throughout the organization.
While the Foundation’s commitment to advancing racial justice in Virginia has enabled it to supporta wide range of issues and movements, a central opportunity for the next leader will be identifying where greater focus, prioritization, or deeper investment can generate the greatest impact. Working closely with board members, staff, grantees, and community leaders, the Executive Director will help translate the Foundation's vision into clear priorities, effective implementation, and continuing stewardship. Success will require balancing continuity with evolution while remaining responsive to emerging needs and opportunities.
Partner with the Board and Committees to strengthen governance and shape the Foundation’s future
The Weissberg Foundation has been moving from a working board model toward one centered on governance, and that transition remains underway. The Governance and Nominating Committee is actively workingto develop strongergovernance practices, clarifyroles, and fine-tune responsibilities, and is therefore seeking an Executive Director who can help advance that work. Success will require building trust across the Board with diverse perspectives, creating space for meaningful dialogue, and helping the Board operate as an effective strategic partner. A successful leader will help Weissberg evolve by beginning with curiosity, recognizing the value of what has already been built, and understanding that organizational change should be developed in partnership with staff, community, and the Board.
Engaging the next generation of the Weissbergfamily is anotherimportant priority. The Executive Director will play a meaningful role in helping to nurture the next generation's connection to the Foundation's mission and their sense of stewardship for its future. Success will require understanding not only the Foundation's strategy, but also the legacy, values,and shared commitments that shape its direction across generations.
Nurture ahigh-performing, care-centered team
The Weissberg Foundation is at an important point in its organizational development. It has grown from a two-person operation to a five-person team. The next leader will partner with staff to identify opportunities to strengthen organizational capacity, supportcontinued staff leadership and development, and ensure that the Foundation's systems and structures enable the team to work effectively.
QUALIFICATIONS ANDCHARACTERISTICS
While no single candidate is expected to possess every quality listed below, the ideal candidate will embody many of the following characteristics:
- Demonstrated commitment to racial equityand justice and a deep understanding of structural racism, power building, and community-centered social change
- A highlyemotionally intelligent leadership style characterized by empathy, humility, curiosity, strong communication skills, and the ability to build trust across diverse stakeholders
- Success in leading organizational growth, change management, and implementation, including building and developing teams, strengthening systems, and translating that into effective execution
- Experience partnering effectively with governingboards and navigating complex governance environments; experience with family foundations’ governance is helpful but not required
- Experience engagingwith investment, finance,or other board committees and an appreciation for the role of mission-aligned investing as a tool for advancing organizational impact
- Proven abilityto navigate complexity, balancing continuity and adaptation while exercising sound judgment, resilience, and flexibility in evolving environments
- Deep commitment to building organizational cultures grounded in trust, accountability, learning, care, and respect for staff expertise
- Understanding of philanthropy's opportunities, limitations, and inherenttensions, including the relationship between power, values, accountability, and impact
- Ability to serve as an effectiveambassador for the Foundation and build relationships across philanthropy, community organizations, policy, and civic leadership
- Familiarity with Virginia's civic,political, philanthropic, or nonprofit landscapeis preferred
- High integrity, intellectual curiosity, and a reflective approach to leadership, learning, and decision-making
COMPENSATION ANDLOCATION
The anticipated salary range for this positionis $250,000-$300,000, commensurate with experience.
The Foundation operatesin a hybrid work environment. This is a full-time role with in-officeexpectations to be determined based on the successful candidate’s location. The Foundation offers a competitive benefits package, including comprehensive health coverage, retirement benefits, generous paid leave, sabbatical eligibility, and additional wellness and family-supportive benefits.
APPLICATIONS, INQUIRIES, AND NOMINATIONS
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