About Us 

At Washington Women’s Foundation, we are women funding women. 

We believe the collective wisdom, experience, and strength of women can break barriers and expand opportunities for women and girls across Washington state. Our community reaches across generations, cultures, experiences, and geographies to identify, support, and fund solutions that advance equity and opportunity. 

Over the next decade, WaWF will leverage the power of our collective to break down systemic barriers, advance women’s leadership, and meet essential needs by providing long-term unrestricted capital, organizational support, and connection to social change efforts supporting women and girls in Washington state. 

Join us as we create an intentional community of women of all backgrounds united in building a just, equitable, and thriving Washington. 

The Position 

Title: Director of Grants and Learning 

Status: Full-time (32 hrs/wk), Exempt. 

Reports to: President & CEO 

Direct Reports: None 

Location: Hybrid, with periodic required in-person meetings, events, and community activities in Washington state. Approximately one to two weeks of in-state travel required. 

Description: The Director of Grants and Learning leads WaWF’s grantmaking strategy, member learning, nonprofit sector engagement, and program evaluation. This role serves as WaWF’s primary liaison to nonprofit partners and prospective applicants, and ensures all member grantmaking and learning programs are equitable, transparent, community-informed, and aligned with WaWF’s mission to advance women and girls across Washington state. 

• Design and manage fair, transparent, values-aligned grant review systems. 

• Support volunteer committee leaders and members throughout the entire grant cycle. 

• Build trusted nonprofit-sector relationships and recruit prospective applicants statewide. 

• Develop learning experiences that deepen members’ understanding of community needs, philanthropy, equitable grantmaking, and collective impact. 

• Lead evaluation efforts that document impact and strengthen grantmaking and learning programs. 

• Partner with staff, volunteers, grantees, and community stakeholders to advance WaWF’s mission and vision through aligned giving, learning, and evaluation practices. 

Key Responsibilities 

Grantmaking and Committee Leadership 

• Lead the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of WaWF’s annual grantmaking cycle. 

• Manage applicant communications so prospective and current applicants receive clear, timely, and accessible information. 

• Recruit, orient, train, and support volunteer grant committee members and chairs. 

• Facilitate committee meetings, deliberations, and grant recommendation development. 

• Refine and maintain committee guidelines, evaluation rubrics, conflict-of-interest practices, timelines, and decision-making tools that promote fairness, transparency, and alignment with organizational values. 

• Manage application review workflows, due diligence processes, deliberations, and recommendation development. 

• Ensure grant committee work is well-organized, member-centered, and completed on schedule, with clear communications and strong volunteer support throughout the process. 

• Partner with leadership and relevant teams to prepare materials for board or membership approval, voting processes, and grant award communications. 

• Track grantmaking data, committee participation, and process outcomes to identify opportunities for improvement. 

Nonprofit Engagement and Grantee Support 

• Serve as WaWF’s primary organizational liaison to nonprofit leaders, community partners, peer funders, and sector networks 

• Lead targeted outreach to prospective grant applicants across Washington state and support an accessible, transparent, and welcoming application process. 

• Lead WaWF’s grantee engagement strategy in partnership with the Grantee Engagement Team (GET), using a trust-based approach grounded in transparency, responsiveness, mutual learning, and respect for grantee expertise. 

• Partner with members, staff, and grantees to increase grantee visibility, deepen member learning, and connect grantees with appropriate member resources and support. 

• Synthesize insights from grantee relationships and support requests to inform grantmaking, member education, organizational evaluation, and WaWF’s understanding of nonprofit needs statewide. 

Educational Programming and Member Philanthropic Learning 

• Design and lead a year-round learning strategy that helps members build philanthropic knowledge and engage thoughtfully in collective giving. 

• Collaborate with staff, members, grantees, and external experts to curate relevant, inclusive, and engaging learning experiences, including workshops, speaker events, and discussion forums 

• Advance member understanding of issues affecting women and girls in Washington, the nonprofit ecosystem, philanthropic strategies, and advocacy. 

• Strengthen a culture of curiosity, philanthropy, informed giving, and shared responsibility among members. 

• Use attendance, feedback, learning outcomes, and engagement trends to refine programs and increase participation. 

Program Evaluation and Organizational Leadership 

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO on the philanthropic priorities, member engagement, and program evolution. 

• Represent WaWF with professionalism and integrity in relationships with applicants, grantees, community partners, and peer funders. 

• Develop and manage budgets related to grantmaking operations and educational programming. 

• Ensure compliance with internal policies, legal requirements, and grantmaking best practices. 

• Design and facilitate participatory evaluation processes that surface intended and unintended outcomes, patterns, and community impact, initially using Ripple Effect Mapping. 

• Refine and maintain sustainable systems for tracking qualitative and quantitative program data, including grant outcomes, member engagement, grantee experiences, and learning program effectiveness. 

• Prepare reports and presentations for leadership, the board, members, and external audiences on grantmaking progress, committee engagement, and program impact. 

• Stay current on trends in philanthropy, collective giving, nonprofit practice, and adult learning to inform program design and organizational strategy. 

Qualifications 

• Progressive leadership experience in philanthropy, grantmaking, nonprofit programs, donor or member engagement, adult learning, or a related field. This experience is typically gained through 7 or more years of relevant work, though WaWF values transferable experience and nontraditional career paths. 

• Experience managing grant review processes, volunteer committees, or community-based decision-making structures. 

• Strong understanding of philanthropy, nonprofit operations, and principles of equitable and trust-based grantmaking. 

• Experience designing and facilitating educational programs for adult learners, volunteers, donors, or members. 

• Excellent project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple timelines, stakeholders, and priorities with strong attention to detail. 

• Exceptional written, verbal, interpersonal and facilitation communication skills. 

• Strong relationship-building and volunteer engagement capabilities. 

• Comfort using qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate program effectiveness and support strategic decisions. 

• Experience with participatory evaluation methods, qualitative data collection, or outcome mapping preferred; familiarity with Ripple Effect Mapping or similar approaches is a plus. 

• Commitment to WaWF’s mission, values, and community-centered approach to philanthropy. 

Core Competencies 

• Equity-centered leadership and decision-making 

• Strategic facilitation and adult learning design 

• Relationship-building with members, volunteers, nonprofit partners, and community stakeholders 

• Clear communication, storytelling, and synthesis of complex information 

• Project management, systems thinking, and a passion for continuous improvement 

Success in This Role 

• Grant committees are well-prepared, well-supported, and able to make thoughtful, timely funding recommendations. 

• Members report increased confidence, knowledge, and engagement in philanthropic decision-making. 

• Grantees experience meaningful support beyond grant funding through authentic relationships with members and useful consultations through WaWF’s Grantee Engagement Team efforts. 

• Educational programs are relevant, well-attended, and clearly connected to the organization’s mission and grantmaking practices. 

• Grantmaking processes are transparent, efficient, equitable, and positively experienced by members and applicants. 

• WaWF strengthens its reputation as a trusted, community-responsive funder and partner to Washington’s nonprofit sector. 

• Evaluation practices generate useful insights, compelling stories, and actionable recommendations that strengthen grantmaking, learning, and WaWF’s accountability to the community served. 

This job description outlines the core responsibilities and qualifications for the position, but it is not intended to be an exhaustive list. There may be additional tasks and responsibilities assigned, as needed, to support the foundation’s growth and success. 

Compensation and Benefits: 

Salary: $95,000 – $125,000 

Benefits: WaWF offers dental and vision coverage, as well as fully paid medical coverage for employees and dependent children under age 21. Additional benefits include up to a 3% SIMPLE IRA employer match; three weeks of paid vacation and two weeks of sick time earned during the first year of employment; 10 paid holidays; and an ORCA card with a travel allowance of up to $130 per month. 

Application Process: 

Interested candidates are invited to submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@wawomensfdn.org using the following subject line: 

DGL_Last/Family Name_First/Given Name 

Please include specific examples of relevant experience in your application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled. 

Equal Opportunity and Accessibility 

Washington Women’s Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, and we encourage applications from people who may not meet every listed qualification but believe they can contribute meaningfully to this role. WaWF is committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the application and interview process.