Executive Director

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Sam L. Cohen Foundation (“SLCF”) is dedicated to building opportunities for southern Maine residents to grow their potential, build healthy, productive futures, and support themselves, their families, and their communities. Based in Portland, Maine, the Foundation has worked to advance the values of its founder and grantor, Sam Cohen, for more than twenty-one years.

The Sam L. Cohen Foundation Board of Directors (“Board”) is seeking an experienced leader to guide the Foundation into the future as its next Executive Director. Grounded in the Foundation’s core values and leading with a relational approach, the Executive Director will work with the Board to shepherd the founding vision, mission, and values of the Foundation.

ABOUT THE SAM L. COHEN FOUNDATION

The Sam L. Cohen Foundation is a nonprofit independent foundation that strives to ensure that all people have the opportunity to develop their potential and provide healthy, productive futures for themselves, their families, and their communities. Supported by an endowment of more than $30M, the Foundation’s work is grounded in three core beliefs:

• Everyone deserves an opportunity to have a fulfilling and productive future;
• Family and community are of utmost importance in life; and
• Giving back to one’s community is a fundamental value.

The Foundation has awarded nearly $40M to more than 450 nonprofit organizations since its inception in 2004. In 2025 alone, the Foundation awarded nearly $3M in grants over multiple cycles, including 93 responsive grants totaling more than $1.7M, to organizations in the Foundation’s five targeted focus areas: Arts & Culture, Civic & Community, Education, Health & Human Services, and Jewish Culture & Traditions. Through these efforts, the Foundation provides resources to nonprofit partners working to advance the health, wellbeing, engagement, and education of individuals, and to cultivate the next generation of empowered leaders in Maine. Visit (www.samlcohenfoundation.org) to learn more about the work of the Foundation.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Board of Directors seeks a thoughtful, relationship-driven leader to steward the Foundation’s enduring impact and legacy as its next Executive Director. They will oversee day-to-day operations and collaborate closely with the Board to develop and implement a strategy that advances the mission, vision, values, and impact of the Foundation. They will serve as an ambassador in the communities served by the Foundation, maintain key partnerships, and sustain the Foundation’s critical grantmaking efforts.

More specifically, the Executive Director will:

Maintain a relational, accessible posture grounded in a deep understanding of the grantee experience, ensuring the Foundation remains proximate to the community while advancing flexible, relationship-driven grantmaking that reduces barriers for grantees.

Shape and advance the Foundation’s strategic goals by translating values into clear priorities, resource allocation, and aligned programming while maintaining close community partnership and engagement.

Build a strong, trust-based partnership with the Board that is grounded in transparent engagement, candid communication, thought partnership, sound judgment, and close alignment on critical decisions.

Steward the Foundation’s financial and organizational health by ensuring sound fiscal management and partnering with the Board, staff, and professional advisors to implement policies aligned with the Foundation’s mission, vision, values, and legal obligations.

Serve as a credible and collaborative ambassador and spokesperson for the Foundation, advancing its grantmaking strategy while cultivating strong stakeholder relationships.

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Expirationdate

2026-08-16 00:00:00

Url

https://impactopportunity.org/job/8749/executive-director/

Salaryfrom

160000

Salaryto

190000

Companydescription

NPAG was founded in 2002 to bring the rapidly evolving social sector a more current, more strategic, and less transactional approach to executive search and talent consulting. Our business model is designed not only to offer the highest quality services with greater flexibility and cost transparency, but also to bring stronger and more enduring leaders to organizations. We pride ourselves on the exceptional craft of our work facilitating critical, meaningful relationships for our clients and on helping them navigate tricky organizational transitions. We are grounded in our commitment to equity and inclusion and are driven by the way the right leadership at the right time can catapult an organization and its mission forward.

Companywebsite

http://www.npag.com

Companylocation

Beaverton, OR, USA