Organizational Overview

About Philanthropy Northwest
Philanthropy Northwest is a network of philanthropic organizations of all types working in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Our mission is to grow philanthropy’s capacity to do transformative work toward redistributing resources and power to underinvested communities in the Northwest. We serve equity-committed philanthropic funders and practitioners serving communities in our six-state region and consulting clients across the nation.

We are also home to The Giving Practice, a national consultancy committed to advancing equity-centered philanthropy. As a division of Philanthropy Northwest, The Giving Practice’s consulting team brings customized solutions, deep regional relationships, and national expertise to support organizations navigating philanthropy’s changing landscape.

We work with philanthropic partners who share a commitment to transforming philanthropic practices to advance greater equity & racial justice for communities by:

1. Cultivating learning, connections & relationships, professional development and thought partnership for practitioners in the field.
2. Providing value-aligned & equity-centered consultative support and thought leadership for philanthropic organizations.
3. Pooling, managing and equitably distributing resources to the field on behalf of philanthropic and public sector funders. 
4. Advocating for structural shifts through public policy and advocacy.

Role Responsibilities

The Director, Policy and Advocacy is a full-time position that is responsible for leading the development and implementation of initiatives and ongoing activities of Philanthropy Northwest’s public policy and advocacy functions. This position will be a leader in integrating a public policy lens, informed by our strategic priorities and commitment to centering racial equity, into work across the organization including membership engagement. This role will drive the delivery of policy and advocacy-related programming, resources and communications, lead Philanthropy Northwest’s annual delegation for Foundations on the Hill (in Washington, DC), and facilitate relationship-building and collaborations with Philanthropy Northwest members and other external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is a strategic and equity-driven policy leader who is energized by the intersection of philanthropy, public policy and systems change. They bring both strong analytical rigor and are equally comfortable drafting a federal policy brief, facilitating a member roundtable, or building trust with lawmakers and community partners across the Northwest region.

They are a skilled translator of complex policy issues, able to distill nuanced legislative developments into clear guidance, compelling communications and actionable strategies for philanthropic audiences. They understand the unique role philanthropy plays in public policy and can thoughtfully guide members in advancing advocacy efforts aligned with racial equity and social justice.

The ideal candidate is both visionary and operational. They can set strategy while also managing timelines, budgets and cross-functional coordination with care and precision. They thrive in collaborative environments, proactively engage colleagues across teams, and bring a steady, diplomatic presence when navigating politically diverse stakeholders. They approach advocacy with curiosity, humility and a deep commitment to relationship-building.

They are energized by convening and mobilizing networks, whether preparing a delegation for Foundations on the Hill, designing policy programming, or responding to emergent policy issues. They bring strong facilitation skills, executive presence and the ability to represent Philanthropy Northwest confidently in public settings.

Above all, the ideal candidate is deeply committed to advancing racial equity and redistributing power and resources to underinvested communities. They understand how public policy can reinforce or dismantle inequities and are motivated to help philanthropic partners engage in advocacy that supports long-term structural change.

Key Responsibilities

Government Relations, Policy Analysis and Advocacy (40%)

• Stay up-to-date on key policy proposals and developments related to Philanthropy Northwest’s public policy positions and priorities.
• Conduct research, analysis and synthesis to communicate Philanthropy Northwest’s positions and policy priorities verbally and in writing to policy makers and other external audiences. Written products may include briefs or one-pagers, advocacy letters, legislative testimony and agency comments.
• Drive strategy and project manage the planning and implementation efforts of Philanthropy Northwest’s congressional meetings for Foundations on the Hill (FOTH) – serving as our delegation captain – and support members’ preparedness for these activities with the VP of Government Engagement’s oversight. Ensure coordination and appropriate layers of review of FOTH content prepared by other members of the Policy and Marketing & Communications teams. Manage the annual FOTH budget. 
• Build and maintain relationships with policy makers, including deepening knowledge of the policy priorities and positions of federal lawmakers representing the Northwest region and general knowledge of the policy landscape and trends at each state level.
• Build and maintain relationships with philanthropy, nonprofit and community partners to deepen policy issue expertise and advise strategies for Philanthropy Northwest’s engagement, including strengthening relationships with Philanthropy Northwest’s government members.

Programs, Communications and PNW Network (35%)

• Ensure public policy and advocacy priorities are integrated into enterprise programs and communications.
• Manage the coordination of policy and advocacy programming, serving as the policy team’s lead liaison with the programs team: 
  • Vet ideas for collaborative programming.
  • Engage appropriate external partners (philanthropy, academia, community, government) as content experts, advisors and guest speakers.
  • Ensure internal coordination and development of new and existing programs and events related to public policy and advocacy. Specific opportunities include advocacy trainings, Friday Network Calls and standalone programs on emergent issues.
  • Apply a lens of broader enterprise strategy and priorities to the planning process.
  • Manage the organizational budget for policy and advocacy programming.
• Manage development and support drafting of communications materials to the PNW network, including advocacy action alerts and policy bulletins, in coordination with the Policy and Marketing & Communications teams, and coordinate on final content review with VP of Government Engagement and/or CEO. 
• Engage as a content expert in occasional public speaking events, including as a host or facilitator of Philanthropy Northwest programs or trainings, and as a guest speaker for external events. 

Governance and Enterprise (25%)

• Maintain in-depth knowledge of Philanthropy Northwest’s processes and strategies for developing public policy positions and advancing emergent issues through this framework. 
• Support the VP of Government Engagement with strategy, planning, content and writing related to Philanthropy Northwest’s public policy committee and board-related work. 
• Support staff learning and engagement in Philanthropy Northwest’s public policy and advocacy efforts, as connected to organizational strategy and priorities.  
• Support VP of Government Engagement to lead annual budget and workplan process and meetings for the Policy team.  
• Engage in enterprise-wide activities and team building, including staff meetings, peer coaching, learning and development, annual conference, staff committees and other enterprise events throughout the year. 
• This is not a comprehensive list of duties, and there may be additional or different tasks as needed.

Other

• Engage in enterprise-wide activities and team building, including staff meetings, peer coaching, learning and development, annual conference, staff committees and other enterprise events throughout the year.
• This is not a comprehensive list of duties and may be asked to take on other administrative and operational tasks, as needed.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Enthusiasm and understanding of public policy issues, governmental relations and advocacy strategies in philanthropy and/or the nonprofit sector with 8-10 years of relevant and progressively responsible experience. 
• Exceptional communication – oral and written – paired with demonstrated strong research and analytical skills. Must have solid experience writing and reviewing policy documents and conducting policy briefings. 
• Public speaking capabilities, including experience facilitating in-person and virtual community meetings, panels, workshops, events, focus groups, listening sessions and/or roundtables, etc.
• Knowledge of federal and ideally Northwest state legislative processes and structure, and experience as lead strategist and planner of advocacy events at the federal or state levels (e.g., legislative advocacy days). Demonstrated experience working with coalitions and cross-sector groups to advance public policy work, especially on issue campaigns. 
• Ability to translate complex subjects into approachable concepts. Experience developing and writing content for policy maker audiences, including briefs or one-pagers, advocacy letters, legislative testimony and agency comments. 
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to manage key relationships with diplomacy, including a keen ability to communicate with politically, ideologically, culturally and geographically diverse people and communities. 
• Strong project management skills and demonstrated ability to take ownership and prioritize multiple simultaneous and complex projects from conception to fruition, with continuous follow-up to ensure project completion within specified time parameters.
• Ability to travel throughout the region and occasionally to Washington, D.C. 
• Collegial and collaborative team player.
• Proficiency in MS Office.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience strategizing and implementing programming for stakeholders around public policy issues. 
• Experience with and commitment to advancing social justice and racial equity in organizations and/or communities. 
• Experience developing and writing content for public policy and advocacy communications, such as website updates, e-bulletins, blog posts or social media, and coordinating with marketing and communications staff. 
• Comfort with ambiguity, flexibility and adapting to shifting priorities and plans, including on tight timeframes. 
• Experience using and administering CRM databases (Salesforce or other grants management databases preferred)
• Ability to work effectively both autonomously and collaboratively.  
• Ability to support Philanthropy Northwest members and other external partners on public policy and advocacy-related questions on a range of topics.