Needs From: BrownEngage

Overview

What we do: The Newport Partnership for Families (NPFF) is a multi-member partnership comprised of nonprofits, municipalities, faith-based organizations, schools and others focused on the health and well-being of the residents of Newport and Middletown and more broadly Newport County, RI. We focus on sharing information and knowledge among our members, identifying core issues impacting the most vulnerable residents in our communities and developing collaborations to provide solutions. Our nonprofit members also share strategies, practices, resources, and tools, across boundaries of fields of practice, and budget size all in service of our shared community.

Why it matters: Community leaders and nonprofit staff need places to convene and share information and strategy and work together on complex, intersectional issues in the community - the kinds that take multiple partners and perspectives to tackle. Together our partners see “the big picture” and identify those issues that if worked on holistically by organizations focused on common cause can make a difference to the community. Since 1991, NPFF has played a major role in supporting community-wide early education curriculum development, parent involvement in decisions affecting their children’s learning, substance abuse education and prevention, school-based health and human services delivery, enhanced school year reading/math programming and summer learning opportunities. NPFF addresses workforce development, economic insecurity and basic human needs. During times of crisis, such as the recent Pandemic, it has served as “the commons” for members to convene and act together to ensure the community does not go without in regard to basic human needs and emergency services through communication and sharing of nonprofit resources.

Values:

We value democratic participation, NPFF members are our leaders, govern the organization, set vision and strategy and through data-based processes choose projects on which to collaborate.

Every voice is heard. We embrace centering knowledge among our members and in the community, including individuals and organizations whose knowledge is historically undervalued.

NPFF values learning while doing. NPFF exists to identify model practices or innovate its own practices and uses real-time feedback loops for learning and where feasible, engages in third party evaluation – all in service of continuous improvement. In addition, NPFF works to improve practice, policy, and regulatory frameworks, and to co-create new standards of excellence and effectiveness in its collaborative efforts.

What we are achieving now:

NPFF creates community learning by building on its 35+ members’ knowledge shared at monthly membership meetings. NPFF produces monthly member identified skills building trainings for front-line staff, managers, leaders and board members. We convene community-wide meetings to review data and determine issues of shared concerns that members want to make a difference on – e.g. complex social issues like housing costs, health, jobs that impact early chronic absenteeism in local schools. We are also committed to keeping our members and the public informed about federal policy and funding changes that impact on our local services and support to children and families.

More about NPFF can be found at www.newportpartnershipforfamilies.org.

Leadership Profile

NPFF seeks a dynamic leader who ideally has spent time in the nonprofit trenches as a practitioner while also cultivating a community-wide and systemic view of the Newport area’s challenges for children and their families. The leader will have a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including the ability to work effectively with people of diverse races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, veteran status, ages, and physical abilities in a multicultural environment.

The leader will partner with a dynamic and purpose driven membership and board of directors. They will cultivate relationships with and among our member organizations, support strategic partnerships among the members and with other intermediaries; and be a strategic communicator and sense-maker to funders and other stakeholders regarding an array of NPFF collaborative efforts and programming. The leader should also excel at change and growth management, community organizing, strategic planning and communication, proposal writing and nonprofit operations.

Summary of position: The executive director will steward engaged community partners focused on learning and doing together on behalf of children, families and Newport County’s most vulnerable populations.

Classification: Full-time/exempt. Flexible hours. Compensation: Negotiable based on experience

Location: Hybrid in office located in Middletown, RI and remote. Travel required for meetings with members, partners, funders in Newport County, Rhode Island and occasionally out-of-state.

Key Responsibilities Manage growth of a purpose driven nonprofit partnership:

Lead Networker

Develop a sustainable organization that can balance program implementation with right-sized staffing

Ensure appropriate infrastructure in parallel with program growth.

Partner with the board to continue to cultivate a “member-driven governance”

model.

Supervise/coach for success at least one part-time staff person

Engage with and listen to all NPFF’s key audiences – learning from them, supporting their leadership in various parts of the NPFF system

Oversee the development of a comprehensive strategic and communications plan that supports NPFF members and NPFF strategy.

Act as the key spokesperson in partnership with the Board President with donors, media, at conferences and other venues while engaging others to become spokespeople as well.

Willing to immerse deeply in the activities and work of the community

Organize monthly membership meetings focused on networking, learning and info

sharing

Oversee member training and learning sessions

Lead Implementer strategy and impact:

Ensure vision, mission and values as defined by the members are integrated day-to- day work of NPFF

Translate strategy into annual operations plans with measurable goals.

Continually test and improve collaborations and NPFF own programming by

ensuring feedback loops from stakeholders and formal evaluation where feasible

Ensure the organization is focused on the right metrics vis a vis its programs, financial

and user-engagement measures.

Support the annual process of adapting or generating strategy/goals based upon

continuous learning and data collection.

Lead resourcing planning and implementation:

Lead, with board support, fund development planning and implementation – mostly working with local and state philanthropy

Expand earned income strategies and revenue.

Continuously strengthen NPFF social capital by building networks, partnerships, and strong ties to community leaders to leverage capacity.

Financial:

Build and maintain a healthy organization culture:

Oversee processes for budgeting that are team-based and equitable

Oversee accounting and related reporting functions, compliance, checks and

balances, timely reporting, transparency.

Develop 2-year financial projections that reflect strategy, program goals,

infrastructure requirements and ability to resource.

Ensure values are alive and underscored in day-to-day work.

Build authentic, healthy communications among staff to leverage teamwork and

productivity.

Oversee the annual goals and performance metrics for staff.

Manage and continually improve systems for effective check-ins, formal periodic

supervision, and performance reviews.

Oversee contract fulfilment for contracted positions and vendors ensuring values

alignment and other accountability on behalf of the board of directors.

Preferred Qualifications/Characteristics

The leader should be endlessly curious about what drives health and well-being outcomes at the community level and deeply passionate about the nonprofit sector.

Commitment to the mission, vision, values of NPFF

Proven “walks the talk” leadership on racial and economic justice integration into an

organization’s DNA.

Demonstrated experience in facilitation of collaborations, collective impact initiatives

and/or nonprofit networks

Demonstrated accomplishment in a nonprofit leadership and operational role

Grant-writing experience

Additional requirements:

Preference for work experience in or knowledge of the issues impacting children, families and vulnerable populations in Newport County, RI

Familiarity MS Office Suite; Google Workspace

Ability to distribute leadership activating the knowledge and skills of others.

Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills with the confidence to interact

effectively with all people.

Agile, systems-level thinker with the capacity to identify the evolving needs of NPFF

on behalf of its members

Ability to identify trending topics and needed conversations among member

organizations and the community

Physical demands/work environment: We recognize that qualified applications will include a range of people who will each require different support to be successful. The physical demands for this position are those of a typical hybrid- remote work environment. The ability to sit and stand in front of a computer screen is an essential aspect of the position as well as the ability to make presentations, Air/train travel, while rare, may be required. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals to perform work functions.

To Apply

Please send an email cover letter and resume, or equivalent to: info@newportpartnership.org

If you have questions about the role reach out to info@newportpartnership.org Applications accepted on a rolling submission until the position is filled.

Timeline: Expected hire date no later than Nov. 1, 2025