Director of the Louisiana Justice Fund

ABOUT FOUNDATION FOR LOUISIANA

Foundation for Louisiana (FFL) is a social justice philanthropic intermediary founded in 2005 as the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation to invest in the immediate recovery of Louisiana’s communities after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. While FFL was established in the wake of these disasters, our founders recognized the need to address the longstanding inequities that have contributed to the life outcomes of the most marginalized of Louisianans for centuries. Our programs grew in response to these needs, and today FFL focuses on philanthropic leadership, racial justice, climate justice, criminal legal reform, economic opportunity, LGBTQ justice, and support for Louisiana's vibrant arts and culture via a three-pronged strategy:

• Invest: FFL makes grants and loans to support organizations and movements throughout Louisiana in our key program areas. We attract and invest resources to support on-the-ground projects, many of which can’t access traditional philanthropy. Through fiscal sponsorship, we support innovative ideas responding to unmet needs throughout Louisiana.
• Build: We build power to effect change in Louisiana communities. We convene community leaders and provide training in organizing, policy change, leadership, public speaking, and facilitation to tackle issues of climate change, police accountability, health disparities, housing access, and more.
• Transform: By fortifying movements, we shift systems and shape regional and national narratives. We re-imagine how our communities are governed and funded to redefine how residents can thrive in them.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Louisiana Justice Fund (LJF), a pooled fund housed within FFL, seeks a Director to lead its efforts in transforming the criminal legal system in Louisiana. The Director will envision, develop, and implement strategic goals, oversee grantmaking, build partnerships, manage staff, and ensure the Fund's alignment with its mission and values. This role requires a deep commitment to social justice and the ability to navigate complex, dynamic contexts.

FFL’s criminal legal reform work aims to shift resources away from dehumanizing and discriminatory practices within the criminal legal system towards a justice system that reinforces and sustains strong individuals, families, and communities. We aim to build on previous work and successful partnerships to develop our forward-looking criminal legal reform strategy with an intersectional emphasis on the relationship between criminal legal system involvement, race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, and immigration status.

The LJF Director will report to the Vice President of Programs. The location for this position is flexible inside the state of Louisiana.

All Foundation for Louisiana employees work remotely with the option to access office space in New Orleans. In-person attendance is expected at semi-regular (quarterly) programs team and all staff meetings in New Orleans. External partner meetings may also require in-person availability across the state.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

We invite applications from diverse professional and personal backgrounds, especially those with lived experience in the criminal legal system. We anticipate the successful applicant will demonstrate a significant number of the following competencies and skills:

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop and implement LJF’s strategic plan in collaboration with the Steering Committee and Advisory Committee.
• Conduct needs assessments to identify gaps and opportunities within the criminal legal ecosystem.
• Broaden LJF’s impact by focusing on high-impact communities across the state of Louisiana.
• Build and maintain relationships with funders, community organizations, and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with local and national foundations to increase funding for criminal justice reform in Louisiana.

Grantmaking and Program Management:

• Develop, implement, and oversee LJF’s grantmaking strategies in collaboration with the Steering Committee and Advisory Committee.
• Facilitate collaboration among grantees and partners to enhance collective impact.
• Hire and supervise staff and consultants.

COMPETENCIES

We understand no one candidate is likely to possess all the following skills, abilities, and characteristics; the following list is meant to be illustrative of what we think will serve someone well in this role:

• Proven experience in leadership roles within the nonprofit, philanthropic, or criminal justice sectors.
• A commitment to racial justice and racial equity, and experience working with People of the Global Majority as well as members of other historically under-recognized communities.
• Deep understanding of the economic barriers facing individuals impacted by incarceration or arrest.
• Experience in re-imagining the criminal legal system and advancing criminal justice reform.
• Excellent project management and staff management skills.
• Experience implementing geographically dispersed programmatic strategies.
• Ability to view the experiences of Louisiana’s queer and trans, immigrant, disabled, incarcerated/formerly incarcerated, and/or low-income individuals through an intersectional lens and connect these insights to criminal justice reform and other FFL programs.
• Strong writing, editing, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills.
• Effective time management skills with the ability to meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent relationship and network-building skills.
• Well-developed, dynamic facilitation skills.
• In-depth knowledge of Louisiana’s criminal legal system and the state’s socio-political landscape.

WHO ARE YOU?

You are a strategic thinker and experienced leader with a strong background in criminal justice reform. You may have experience as an organizer, policy advocate, or nonprofit leader. You bring a deep passion for social justice and a wealth of knowledge about criminal legal system reform. You are adept at working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and navigating complex challenges with a values-centered approach. You are committed to learning, reflective practice, and achieving systemic change.

Regardless of where you are coming from you have a deep passion for and wealth of content knowledge regarding various issues and areas of practice within the “systems of systems” that is criminal justice. You are comfortable working in complex, frequently shifting contexts and approach your work in a deeply values-centered way. You can give and receive meaningful feedback, embrace challenges productively, and are deeply committed to learning and self-reflection. You are okay with ambiguity; can see, celebrate, and uplift small victories while engaged in generational fights; and are dogged in your belief that a better future is possible.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT POLICY

Foundation for Louisiana follows an equal opportunity employment policy and employs personnel without regard to race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, criminal justice background, and marital status.

This policy also applies to internal promotions, training, opportunities for advancement, terminations, outside vendors, members, and customers, service clients, use of contractors and consultants, grantees, board members, and dealings with the general public.

Individuals fluent in Spanish and/or Vietnamese are encouraged to apply.