Executive Director

Location

Remote | Canada

Job description

Executive Director

THE OPPORTUNITY

Indigenous Prosperity Foundation (IPF) is seeking an inaugural Executive Director to lead our transformative journey and build our organization from the ground up. Working with donors and other supporters across Canada, the Executive Director will lead our mission to help underserved Indigenous women, youth and early-stage entrepreneurs to start and grow thriving businesses.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the new Executive Director will work with the Board, our partner organization the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA), and other key supporters to map out a business plan based on our strategic objectives. Building towards an annual revenue goal of $5M, the Executive Director will create support networks, establish a team, and create other essential infrastructure to support this exponential growth.

Familiar with the opportunities and challenges presented by a start-up, the new Executive Director will leverage their creativity and business acumen to establish IPF as a sustainable and scalable charitable organization. Comfortable working both strategically and tactically, the Executive Director will initially be a hands-on leader who will require expertise in governance, operations, financial oversight, fundraising and program development.

This is an exciting time to join IPF, an innovative start-up that is committed to working collaboratively to foster Indigenous prosperity across Canada.

Indigenous Prosperity Foundation is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within our organization. We encourage applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds. To acknowledge the focus of our mission and service to the Indigenous community, persons of Indigenous ancestry will be given preference and are encouraged to identify in their submission.

A competitive compensation package will be offered including a benefits package.

As a national organization, IPF offers flexibility of work location. NACCA’s office is located at 38 Somerset St. W. in Ottawa.

ABOUT THE INDIGENOUS PROSPERITY FOUNDATION

The Indigenous Prosperity Foundation (IPF) is a registered charitable organization established by the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) and Indigenous Financial Institutions across Canada. Committed to advancing education and alleviating poverty within Indigenous communities, IPF’s mission centers on fostering prosperity and empowerment among underserved Indigenous women, youth, and early-stage entrepreneurs across Canada by providing access to the Internet, technology, capital, training and mentorship, whilst building capacity within the Indigenous economic development ecosystem. Learn more and get involved at indigenousfoundation.ca .

We bring donors, funders and granting organizations together and partner with Indigenous Financial Institutions across Canada to support underserved Indigenous women, youth, and early-stage entrepreneurs to start and grow thriving businesses.

Through mentorship, training, tools, funding and support, the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation seeds a supportive environment for Indigenous Entrepreneurs to soar higher.

Mission

A thriving and inclusive Indigenous economy grounded in Indigenous values, where every Indigenous person has support and resources to fulfill their potential and lift others.

Vision

Foster Indigenous prosperity by providing digital access, training, mentorship, and funding to underserved Indigenous peoples across Canada.

Mandate

Promote collaboration and cooperation of organizations within the broader ecosystem in support of prosperity for Indigenous peoples across Canada.

ABOUT NATIONAL ABORIGINAL CAPITAL CORPORATION ASSOCIATION (NACCA)

NACCA established the IPF in 2023. NACCA, is a network of over 50 Indigenous Financial Institutions (IFIs) dedicated to stimulating economic growth for all Indigenous people in Canada. The IFI network has provided 50,000 loans totalling $3 billion to businesses owned by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people. NACCA supports the network by building IFI capacity and fostering Indigenous business development. NACCA’s goal is to provide opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs and increase prosperity for Indigenous people in Canada. These efforts increase social and economic self-reliance and sustainability for Indigenous people and communities nationwide.

NACCA advocates for Indigenous economic development by focusing on the following: representing the unified voice of IFIs; publishing national and regional results of IFI work; fostering partnerships and building capacity; and delivering the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program (AEP) products and services to IFIs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership, Strategy & Planning:

• Work with the Board and NACCA to outline a long-term strategic direction for the Foundation.
• Build annual business plans that deliver on strategic objectives and are aligned with the Foundation’s vision, values, and purpose.
• Model authentic cultural competence of Indigenous communities and organizations, along with a demonstrated willingness to continually learn, develop and grow competence in this area.
• Maintain public trust and accountability, by demonstrating meaningful, tangible, and transformational impact through the building of systems, KPIs, and evaluation processes that track and measure organizational results.
• Support the Foundation’s long-term sustainability and scalability beyond the initial growth phase, including the identification of strategies to diversify funding sources.
• Collaborate with Indigenous Financial Institutions and the wider Indigenous national ecosystem to create mutually beneficial partnerships.
• Ensure transparency, accountability through regular reporting to the Board, donors and IPF’s wider community of supporters.
• Adhere to all applicable laws and regulations, particularly those relevant to Indigenous rights and charitable organizations.

Program Development & Digital Innovation

• Develop and implement cutting-edge programs that exemplify the Foundation’s commitment to achieving the highest impact, scalability, and digital efficiency.
• Leverage technology and innovative digital solutions to enhance program delivery, communications, fundraising efforts, and accessibility, ensuring initiatives harness the power of technology to reach a wide and diverse audience.
• Develop, systematize, and commit to data-driven decision-making to ensure ongoing improvement through comprehensive feedback mechanisms and rigorous program evaluation processes.
• Assess and refine program strategies to maximize their effectiveness and responsiveness to the evolving needs of Indigenous entrepreneurs.

Revenue Generation:

• Collaborate with the Board, staff, and consultants to identify revenue opportunities and resources.
• Prepare and submit grant applications and donation requests.
• Lead significant donor prospecting efforts and establish an infrastructure that supports fundraising growth.
• Adhere to ethical fundraising practices, including compliance with relevant laws and ethical standards, to ensure the organization’s reputation and credibility.
• Oversee the development of marketing and communications collateral to support organization objectives.

Community Engagement, Advocacy & Public Relations:

• Cultivate thoughtful and strategic engagement with Indigenous communities, government agencies, corporate partners, donors, and other supporters.
• Build and maintain a strong national network of support and partnerships that promote and reinforce the Foundation’s mission.
• Engage, build trust, and ensure the involvement of Indigenous communities in program development.
• Lead advocacy efforts to raise awareness about Indigenous entrepreneurship issues.
• Develop public relations and communication strategies to amplify the Foundation’s message and impact.

Governance:

• Support the Board Chair and the Nomination Committee in the recruitment and orientation of Board and committee volunteers.
• Attend all Board meetings, providing regular reports and other materials as required to support Board oversight.
• Partner with the Board to develop and implement appropriate procedures and policies to govern the organization.
• Collaborate with the Board and the Governance Committee to identify, evaluate, and implement measures to mitigate organizational risks.

Financial & Operational Management:

• Identify, negotiate, develop, and monitor a Shared Service model agreement with NACCA for Finance, IT, HR, and Facilities.
• Monitor the Shared Service affiliation to ensure positive relations between the two organizations, that deliverables are met, and that a reasonable return on investment is achieved.
• Develop an annual budget and work with the Board to review, approve, monitor, and adjust as required.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable charitable and business legislation and reporting requirements.

People:

• Recommend appropriate resourcing to meet the Foundation’s strategic priorities.
• Lead the hiring, training, supervision, support, evaluation, and retention of staff members and/or professional services.
• Cultivate a culture of mentorship in staff development, encouraging continuous learning and providing opportunities for professional growth.
• Foster an inclusive, respectful, and entrepreneurial organizational culture aligned with the Foundation’s values.
• Prepare the organization for future leadership transitions through effective succession planning.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

• The ability to demonstrate a high level of cultural competence and sensitivity regarding Indigenous communities and organizations is essential. Experience and proven success working with Indigenous communities is a definite asset.
• Start-up experience with success in establishing and growing an organization or program.
• Progressively senior leadership roles with a focus on program development and revenue generation.
• Solid experience leading revenue generation activities with knowledge of grant-making.
• Demonstrated success building relationships and networks of support that advance programs, increase profile and build revenue.
• Experience working with a Board of Directors, including recruitment and onboarding.
• Proven history-building and leading successful high-performing teams.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Advanced problem-solving skills with the ability to manage and lead multiple projects and tasks towards completion.
• Demonstrated commitment to ongoing learning, cultural competence, integrity, equity, collaboration, and hard work.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Samantha David, Vice President, KCI Search + Talent by email at [email protected]

To view full Executive Brief, please visit

All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence. Interested candidates should send resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by March 22, 2024.

Candidates who require accommodations are requested to inform KCI at the email listed above.

We recognize that our office is located on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People. We pay respect to Indigenous Peoples across the country and to their ancestors for their immeasurable contributions to this country.

Job tags

Salary

$5 per hour