About the Panta Rhea Foundation

Panta rhea in Greek means “all things change, all things flow”

History and Mission

Panta Rhea Foundation was founded in 2001 as a progressive family foundation supporting organizations that build a just and sustainable world. Grounded in an enduring commitment to long-term partnership and a systems change approach to philanthropy, our grantmaking has evolved over the last two decades inspired by trust-based philanthropy approaches and an intersectional framework. Our mission is to use grantmaking and other tools to advance racially and economically just and sustainable food systems, expand democracy, and support climate resilience.

The foundation has historically focused on grantmaking nationally within the United States, with a few regions of greater focus, including California. With a sister foundation in Germany and grantee partners across the Americas and Caribbean, we are increasingly leaning into global impact.

Leadership

For nearly two decades, Panta Rhea was stewarded by its founder, Hans Schopflin and family. In 2015, the foundation expanded its trustees to include several family friends deeply committed to its mission. In 2021, we continued our leadership evolution, welcoming in non-family trustees who embody our mission, strategies, and communities we serve. In 2021, we also shifted board leadership model to a co-chair model: Lisl Schopflin, Hans’ daughter, and Holly Roberson, a non-family member.

Funding Philosophy And Approach

We invest in visionary grassroots movements, organizations, and leaders as agents of transformative systems change. We approach our work as collaborators with grantee partners, fellow funders, and donors, acting in global solidarity with movements for collective liberation. We are inspired by what’s possible when we act courageously and creatively to cultivate justice and the resilience of people and the planet, leveraging resources and our collective impact.

We strive to be a supportive, non-extractive resource hub, offering streamlined proposal processes and reporting requirements and our direct engagement as allies in the work as a proxy to formal reporting to lift the burden on our partners.

Our Values

Panta Rhea’s philanthropy is guided by the following shared values:

• INTERSECTIONAL JUSTICE that embraces whole people and complex communities:
• GLOBAL SOLIDARITY grounded in local communities;
• BIOCULTURAL diversity and resilience;
• RECIPROCITY through long-term relationships and partnerships;
• REFLECTIVE, GENERATIVE LEARNING that honors many forms of wisdom and knowledge;
• TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY through redistributing power;
• EMERGENCE, a sense of possibility and leaning into the unknown;
• INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE COURAGE in pursuit of social justice;
• BEAUTY to inspire and sustain transformative change, through creative practice and the arts.

Grantmaking And Team

Our philanthropic giving includes a combination of direct and advised grantmaking, and varies modestly from year to year. In 2020, we provided just over $8 million in grantmaking, most in general operating support. In addition to grantmaking, we continuously assess what more can we do and actively organize other philanthropic resources in support of our partners.

Our current grantmaking priorities are supported through the following charitable funds:

• The Food Sovereignty Fund supports food system transformation that fosters thriving communities & human dignity, promotes biodiversity and climate stability, and respects the planet’s rich cultural diversity;
• The People Power Fund strengthens democracy, regenerates our climate, and reshapes the economy through grassroots efforts for structural change;
• The Global Roots Fund supports communities across the Caribbean and Americas who build political power, preserve biocultural diversity, and build regenerative economies in service of a thriving planet. This work includes the Seaflower Fund, founded in 2020, to support the San Andres, Providencia, & Santa Catalina Caribbean island archipelago of Colombia.
• The Panta Rhea Flow Fund launched in 2022 in partnership with the Kindle Project, an arts and social justice participatory grantmaking initiative that supports creative works that amplify social change;
• Resilience and Renewal Fund provides support and funding for organizational learning, capacity building, leadership development, and other resources that enable grantee partners to thrive.

Panta Rhea has historically operated with a lean staff team, so as to maximize charitable resources. Our current team of three manages these funds with support from outside advisors and partners as needed. Our CEO Connie Malloy manages the Global Roots Fund; Anna Lappé leads the Food Sovereignty Fund and is interim lead for the People Power Fund; and our Grants & Administration Lead Gerlie Collado, manages the administrative needs of the foundation as well as the Flow Fund.

For more information on Panta Rhea Foundation, please visit www.pantarhea.org.

The Opportunity

The Panta Rhea Foundation is seeking a creative, strategic, and adaptive leader to serve as its first Senior Director, Strategy and Impact. This is an exciting opportunity to join a committed team as they co-design the next phase of the foundation. This role is an opportunity for a high-energy nonprofit or philanthropy leader deeply committed to social justice to work collaboratively with staff and trustees, and with other philanthropic partners, to help chart this next phase.

• Direct the Renewal & Resilience Fund – This individual will continue to innovate this core program, including working with grantee partners to help mobilize resources to grantee partners for organizational learning, capacity building, leadership development, and transformation as well as through developing innovative ideas for new areas of impact.
• Anchor the Foundation’s Racial Justice Work – The Senior Director, Strategy and Impact will seek out ways to further manifest our commitment to intersectional racial justice through working with the staff and trustees, partners in the field, and through our grantmaking. This person, for example, will explore approaches to centering the lived experiences, perspectives, and protagonism of diverse communities in shaping our strategy.
• Collaborate on and New Impact Areas – As a leader coming into the organization at a moment of growth and change, this leader will collaborate with the staff team, board, and social change leaders to nurture creative ideas for strengthening and diversifying programs and partnerships in alignment with our mission. As new areas of work and impact develop, this leader will play a key role representing Panta Rhea domestically and around the globe.
• Facilitate Strategy Evolution – This person will be a thought partner with the CEO, staff, and other organizational leaders when it comes to designing, facilitating, and implementing strategic development on both an organizational and programmatic level.
• Build Out and Support Internal Infrastructure – In partnership with the CEO, this person will help foster an inclusive team environment, catalyzing opportunities for collaborative leadership and professional development. In partnership with the CEO, this leader will help design and co-facilitate team and board meetings as well as support staff and board team evolution, human resource alignment, internal infrastructure development and external operational partnerships. Thriving in a virtual, global environment, the Senior Director, Strategy and Impact will provide organizational oversight in partnership with the CEO.

Candidate Profile

During this time of evolution and transition within the foundation, Panta Rhea seeks an adaptive Senior Director, Strategy and Impact who will bring critical organizational development skills alongside visionary ideas—co-creating for the next phase of the foundation’s growth. With a creative, entrepreneurial mindset, the Senior Director, Strategy and Impact will be able to hold where the foundation is now, while helping design and implement the next phase of strategy and operations.

Thus, we are seeking a globally minded individual who will thrive on a small, fast-paced, virtual team in an evolving environment. This person would bring a deep understanding of and passion for Panta Rhea’s values and its vision to create a more just and sustainable world. This person should be able to navigate philanthropic and donor networks while nurturing deep community with grassroots communities in the U.S. and global south. In this role, qualities of humility, integrity, and strength of character are fundamental, as are joy and empathy.

In addition, the Senior Director, Strategy and Impact of Panta Rhea Foundation will possess the following competencies:

A Thought Partner

Possessing deep relational and emotional intelligence, the Senior Director, Strategy and Impact will be a thought and action partner with excellent communication and active listening skills. They will be an effective and trusted collaborator with all stakeholders, including the CEO, staff, board, grantees, community leaders, and partners. The Senior Director, Strategy and Impact will bring managerial experience in the areas of finance, budgeting, human resources, and other operational areas to complement the CEO’s role.

Organizational Development Knowledge

This leader will bring applied knowledge of organizational development, human resources, and management practices with the commitment to investing in the ongoing development and growth of Panta Rhea’s core partners domestically and globally. Leading the Resilience & Renewal work, this individual will mobilize resources to grantee partners for organizational learning, capacity building, leadership development, and transformation. The Senior Director, Strategy and Impact will also support deepening the foundation’s commitments to intersectional justice.

Strategic and Collaborative Mindset

This leader will collaborate with key stakeholders, nurturing creative ideas and practices to strengthen and diversify programs and partnerships in pursuit of Panta Rhea’s mission. The Senior Director, Strategy and Impact will think and act strategically, helping to facilitate and implement strategic planning at an organizational and programmatic level, through effective organizational and communication skills. This individual will have proven and successful experience in program leadership, staff management, operations, seeding and launching new projects.

Passion for Our Values & a Shared Commitment to Racial Justice

Panta Rhea’s network spans the United States and beyond, therefore the foundation seeks a leader who approaches their work through a global lens. This culturally competent leader will think collaboratively and creatively, supporting work both in the United States and internationally. The Senior Director, Strategy and Impact will bring and maintain a clear and informed understanding of the complex issues around social and racial justice and a demonstrated commitment to anti-racist and progressive values.

Entrepreneurial Spirit, Self-Starter and Adaptive

This individual will be empowered to make significant, intentional moves in a collaborative team environment, while working autonomously and being decisive. Ideally this person will remain agile with adaptability in a dynamic, non-traditional philanthropic working environment.

Global Mindset

Bringing global orientation and experience to Panta Rhea, the Senior Director, Strategy and Impact will be a flexible, self-motivated team player and natural relationship builder with the ability to develop, enhance, and sustain productive relationships with stakeholders from different cultural backgrounds around the world. This individual will be respectful of people of all cultures and beliefs, cognizant of historical and current contexts that shape the global issues our funding aims to address. The Senior Director, Strategy and Impact will be inspired and excited to develop and engage in cross cultural and cross border work to advance Panta Rhea’s mission and impact globally.

Compensation & Benefits

The starting base salary for this will be $175,000 with a competitive benefits package including 401K and healthcare (if needed).  We also resource tailored professional development that enhances our individual and collective ability to fulfill our mission, and to grow as people.

Since 2020, we’ve worked as a virtual staff team spread across California and the Caribbean, with our board members spanning the continental United States. We cover costs for home office expenses and set-up, and/or co-working options to ensure all team members have a productive and safe working environment. Although we’ve been all-virtual throughout the pandemic, we’ll soon resume selective travel for Panta Rhea’s annual in-person board and staff retreats, site visits, and field or funder-oriented gatherings. Given our commitment to environmental stewardship, we will be selective in balancing virtual versus in-person opportunities.

Contact

Michelle Bonoan and Jennifer Smith of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express your interest in this role, please submit your materials here or email [email protected] and [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

Panta Rhea Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees regardless of race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, or status as a veteran. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, abilities, and business needs.

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

About Koya Partners

Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

For more information about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.