Description

ABOUT STRYKER JOHNSTON FOUNDATION
The Stryker Johnston Foundation (SJF) is a private family foundation founded by Ronda Stryker and Bill Johnston and based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. For nearly 30 years, SJF has partnered with organizations and groups that work to strengthen and build thriving, equitable communities. SJF invests in and partners with organizations and groups working to end intergenerational poverty in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. They follow a relationship-centered philanthropy model that is driven by values, centers relationships, is aware of power dynamics, and prioritizes equity, trust, and ongoing partnerships. SJF partners with organizations and groups to change the systems and structures that create intergenerational poverty, particularly among Black people, people of color, and other communities that have been left out or left behind. SJF is using its power as a foundation to support, champion, and raise-up the work of people who are making real change in the Kalamazoo community. The Foundation is led by a Board of Directors consisting of Bill, Ronda, and their three children. The Foundation staff are a dedicated and passionate group of seven, including the Executive Director, all based in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director of Network and Programs is a senior leadership role at the intersection of strategy, relationships, and community impact. Reporting to the Executive Director, this position leads and coordinates SJF’s Grants Team across four strategic pillars - health, affordable housing, economic opportunity, and education while serving as a primary external presence and relationship builder in the Kalamazoo community and broader philanthropic ecosystem. This role is grounded in SJF’s relationship-centered philanthropy model: building authentic trust with community partners, elevating community voice in foundation strategy, and advancing equitable systems change through people-centered grantmaking. The Director of Network and Programs is both a field leader and an organizational bridge translating the strategic vision into coherent, pillar-level action while fostering a collaborative, high-performing program team culture.

Requirements

RESPONSIBILITIES

1.Strategic Network Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of SJF’s integrated network engagement strategy, ensuring coherence and collaboration across all four strategic pillars.
• Partner with the Executive Director to translate strategic direction into clear program strategies, funding approaches, and outcome frameworks aligned with SJF’s 2030 impact goals.
• Monitor local, state, and national policy and community landscapes for trends affecting SJF’s priority areas; surface insights and recommendations to the Executive Director and Board.
• Identify emerging community needs, systemic gaps, and opportunities for catalytic or collaborative investment, including cross-pillar and cross-sector initiatives.
  Support the ongoing balance of responsive and proactive grantmaking in alignment with Board priorities.

2.Grants & Portfolio Management

• Oversee the full grantmaking lifecycle across SJF’s portfolio: inquiry intake, due diligence, site visits, proposal review, financial analysis, approval, monitoring, and renewal.
• Review, evaluate, and recommend grant proposals for Executive Director and Board consideration; ensure clear and timely communication with all applicants and partners.
• Assess grant partnerships for programmatic strength, organizational readiness, equity alignment, and long-term community impact potential.
• Facilitate connections and co-investments among nonprofit grantees, government agencies, and private sector partners to maximize leverage and advance shared goals.
• Monitor portfolio performance using qualitative and quantitative indicators; produce clear, actionable reporting for the Executive Director and Board.
• Ensure all grantmaking complies with legal requirements, internal policies, and annual budgets.

3. Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Directly supervise Network Partners and the Program Associate, providing coaching, goal setting, accountability, and structured professional development support.
• Build and maintain a team culture rooted in SJF’s values: equity, trust, transparency, collaboration, and accountability.
• Develop individualized annual professional development plans for each direct report, aligned with SJF’s strategic pillars and organizational needs.
• Facilitate internal peer learning, cross-pillar collaboration, and team reflection sessions to build shared knowledge and adaptive practice.
• Lead or support recruitment, onboarding, and orientation for program staff and relevant consultants.

4. Community Engagement & Partnership Building

• Build and maintain authentic, ongoing relationships with nonprofit leaders, faith communities, local government, residents, and private sector partners that inform and strengthen SJF’s strategies.
• Represent SJF in the community and at local, regional, and national meetings, conferences, and peer philanthropic networks with humility and accountability.
• Identify and develop cross-sector partnership opportunities and collaborative grantmaking initiatives, including work with co-funders and backbone organizations.
• Convene grantees, community members, and partners in gatherings designed to promote shared learning, peer exchange, and collective impact.
• Partner with the Executive Director on external messaging and communications, ensuring SJF’s voice remains consistent, credible, and community-rooted.

5. Capacity Building & Technical Assistance

• Conduct or facilitate grantee capacity assessments and identify shared priorities for organizational capacity-building support.
• Manage relationships with consultants providing technical assistance; ensure scopes are well-defined and grantee feedback is incorporated.
• Design and oversee capacity-building engagements, peer learning cohorts, and sector-specific training opportunities for grant partners.
• Plan and host county-wide grantee convenings focused on collaboration, shared learning, and collective problem-solving.

6. Learning, Evaluation & Continuous Improvement

• Implement evaluation approaches that incorporate equity measures, community perspectives, and both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Partner with evaluation consultants and data partners to assess portfolio impact and generate insights that inform future strategy.
• Lead quarterly internal reflection sessions with program staff to review grant outcomes, partnership lessons, and strategic adjustments.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to produce SJF’s annual impact report and contribute to landscape analyses that inform future-year planning.

QUALIFICATIONS

Professional Experience Required

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred in Public Administration, Social Work, Public Policy, Nonprofit Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management, community development, or closely related fields.
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing complex grant portfolios or multi-sector initiatives oriented toward systems-level change.
• Strong people management experience, including supervising senior-level staff or diverse program teams.
• Deep understanding of racial, economic, and structural inequities and demonstrated experience applying equity principles in grantmaking and decision-making.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills across nonprofit, philanthropic, governmental, and community sectors.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information for diverse audiences including boards and senior leaders.
• Experience working within community-centered, trust-based, or network-based philanthropic approaches.

Preferred

• Deep knowledge of and relationships within the Kalamazoo community and/or Southwest Michigan region.
• Experience with trust-based philanthropy, participatory grantmaking, or co-design approaches.
• Familiarity with at least two of SJF’s four strategic pillars: healthcare equity, affordable housing, economic opportunity, or early childhood development and education.
• Track record of building collaborative, multi-funder grantmaking initiatives or cross-sector partnerships.
• Lived experience that informs passion and commitment to equity and community-centered work is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, & Attributes

• Leads with deep awareness of systemic inequities and power dynamics, centering community voice while building trust-based partnerships across all stakeholder groups.
• Strategic network thinker that connects people, organizations, and resources across sectors and pillars to build durable coalitions oriented toward long-term systems change.
• Relationship-center practitioner that cultivates genuine, sustained relationships rooted in mutual respect, accountability, and shared purpose modeling SJF’s philanthropy approach.
• Team leader and coach that supports the Grants Team members to lead, grow and connect in their work for lasting community impact.
• Grantmaking excellence demonstrating rigor, transparency, and equity at every stage of the grantmaking lifecycle, balancing responsive and proactive approaches to funding.
• An adaptive learner that embeds continuous reflection and feedback into practice, using data, community insight and evaluation findings to improve strategy over time.
• Community engagement leadership representing SJF with humility and accountability in coalitions, convenings, and public forums.
• Resilience in navigating complexity and ambiguity maintaining creativity, purpose, and perspective.
• Exceptional reliability, high degrees of professionalism, confidentiality / maximum discretion, effectiveness stewardship of resources, compliance with policies and procedures, culture sensitivity, pluralistic environment, team-oriented, trust-building]

COMPENSATION

Base Salary Range: $189,000 - $256,000 Actual starting salary within the range will be commensurate with candidate’s breadth and depth of experience, education, certifications, special skills, and accomplishments. Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates.

• Leave and Benefits
• Generous paid leave policy
• Collective Rest & Reflection Time: SJF closes their office for at least two weeks each year for collective rest and reflection time (typically one week in the summer and one week in the winter)
• 11 federal holidays
• Generous medical, dental, vision benefits, and wellness program stipend
• Annual 401(k) matching plan

SUBMISSION & CLOSING

For consideration, please submit your resume’ and a cover letter that shares a clear narrative of your experience, values, and perspective on the role of philanthropy in community change through the position application portal.

This search is being conducted by SHARED Strategy Group, LLC. To recommend a prospective candidate or for questions, please email the search team at [email protected]. Closing date for submissions is June 11, 2026, at 5:00 pm ET.