Director, Grants & Community Initiatives

Director, Grants & Community Initiatives 0.8 FTE (Mon-Thurs) Salary Range: $115,000 - $135,000 (30 hours / 4 days per week) plus outstanding benefits package. Reports to: CEO Location: Work from downtown Vancouver office, with flexibility to work remotely 1- 2 days per week. Application Deadline: September 15, 2025

About Us The Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) is a philanthropic organization that works to advance sustainable, equitable, and socially-just land use and real estate practices across what’s known as BC. We do this by funding projects, connecting people, and sharing knowledge.

The Foundation believes that a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve strengthens our ability to achieve our mission. To learn more about REFBC, please check out www.refbc.ca. About You You’re a strategic and operational leader who grows people and teams to advance thoughtful, equity-centered initiatives that support resilient communities and healthy environments. You have senior-level experience working with people across sectors— including nonprofit, Indigenous-led, philanthropic, and public—to build relationships rooted in respect, collaboration, and shared purpose.

You have successfully led people, teams and projects through your diverse grantmaking and community engagement experiences.

You have credibility and a strong track record working with Indigenous, immigrant, and racialized communities. REFBC’s commitments to advancing UNDRIP and values of equity, decolonizing our practices, reciprocity in relationships, sustainability, and integrity are exciting to you.

You’re self-aware and have demonstrated you can participate in collaborative decision- making in a dynamic community, philanthropic, and organizational context. Your glass is half-full, you can see the big picture, connect the details, and read between the lines. You are diplomatic, tactful, enjoy networking and developing meaningful contacts and relationships.

You are a motivated self-starter with excellent written and verbal skills. You are able to present ideas, written reports and fulfill program management requirements with clarity, adaptability and accountability.

You possess strong research and analytical skills, enjoy meeting and collaborating with people of all backgrounds, and would be excited to work with diverse people and organizations to help advance key land use and real estate issues through philanthropy.

Key Responsibilities & Duties Leadership

• Demonstrates consistent commitment to values of equity, environmental sustainability, and social justice through personal and organizational leadership practices.

• Supervises and supports growth, development and performance of a small team of professional staff and consultants who perform a range of grants and community engagement activities.

• Works closely with CEO and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to connect Grants team with the Foundation’s strategic and operational planning; manage budgets; align strategic partnerships, projects, and learning agendas; and fulfill financial and regulatory requirements.

• Leads development and management of Grants program and operations budget.
• Facilitates communication and planning between Grants and special projects and

other organizational functions, including Communications, Operations, Human Resources, Finance and Investments.

• Provides counsel, feedback, and constructive support to CEO on governance, operational and communication matters.

Grantmaking

• Provides team leadership for developing and implementing strategic direction and priorities for an impactful Grant program

• Serves as primary liaison with members of the Indigenous Grants Stream Community Leaders’ Circle and consultants.

• Develops, refines, and updates grants program interest areas, criteria, guidelines, priorities, in consultation and collaboration with staff members, Board of Governors, and external partners.

• Leads the design of learning and evaluation systems for grants and community engagement initiatives.

• Communicate the Foundation’s priorities with internal and external audiences.

• Leads and/or directs preparation of recommendations, reports, and presentations to advisory groups, committees, CEO, and the Board.

• Manages a small portfolio of key special project and grant relationships.
• Stays informed about emerging issues, relevant research, and initiatives.

Community Engagement

• Works proactively to ensure the Foundation is engaging people and communities whose voices and experience have been under-represented and/or excluded in land use planning and decision-making.

• Builds relationships with First Nations and Indigenous-led organizations, as well as non-profit, philanthropic, public, and academic institutions.

• Collaborate to develop policies and practices that share decision-making power with people who bring diverse lived and professional expertise to our understanding of grants and community priorities. Attends events hosted by grant recipients, funders, partners, collaborators, and other organizations as part of the Foundation’s engagement strategy to build meaningful relationships.

• Represents the Foundation with external audiences and potential grant applicants.
• Works with internal and external stakeholders to plan and implement community

engagement and learning opportunities.
• Participates on relevant committees and collaboratives with other funders, grantees,

and decision makers to pursue collective impact and learning opportunities.
• Works closely with CEO and the Senior Communications Specialist to inform the

Foundation’s storytelling efforts to amplify experience of people and communities we serve.

• Share project outcomes, knowledge building, and opportunities for convening and connecting through our grantmaking and community initiatives.

• Creates and delivers written and verbal presentations to Board, community agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Senior grantmaking and community engagement experience within a non-profit, public and/or philanthropic organization which includes responsibilities for leading a high-performing staff team, working with Boards and committees, communicating with internal and external audiences, collaboratively developing and implementing operational systems, plans and budgets.

• Applied understanding of the United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous Peoples (“UNDRIP”) and its relevance to REFBC.

• Strong relationships and professional credibility with First Nations and Indigenous- led organizations in BC.

• Experience in trauma-informed and decolonial approaches to grantmaking, community engagement and people leadership.

• Experience in the design and implementation of approaches to research, evaluation, and learning.

• Experience developing policies, procedures, and terms of reference for engagement of staff and volunteers in development and implementation of grants and community initiatives.

• Strong interpersonal skills, high degree of emotional intelligence, ability to consider and balance diverse viewpoints, and engage in shared decision making in a constructive, flexible, and positive manner.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Graduate degree or equivalent experience in a related field.

Working Conditions

• This position normally works 4 days a week, Monday to Thursday, between the hours of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

• A weekly hybrid schedule between home and our offices, located in downtown Vancouver.

• This is a senior management position and from time-to-time additional or flexible hours may be required to fulfil the duties of the position.

• This position requires occasional travel for community visits, events and conferences. How to Apply Please send your resume and cover letter to careers@refbc.ca with “Director, Grants & Community Initiatives” in the subject line by September 15, 2025. In your application, kindly tell us why you would make a great candidate for this role.

We strongly encourage applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds. We encourage, though don’t require, those who identify as First Nations and from other equity- deserving groups to indicate so in their cover letter.

mailto:careers@refbc.ca