Executive Director

Mission

Leaders for Reproductive Health (LRH) is a global initiative to generate and accelerate philanthropic funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights, specifically focused on contraceptive access, safe abortion care, and reproductive rights.

The Initiative

Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) are fundamental for gender equality, for poverty reduction, and for ending preventable deaths that are overwhelming amongst women and girls. Investments in SRHR deliver some of the greatest returns in terms of economic and social benefits, especially in the poorest countries and within the poorest communities. However, the funding gap for SRHR is large and growing. Insufficient donor support is coupled with a growing backlash against reproductive rights. At the same time, major events around the world, such as the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the success of the Marea Verde campaign in Argentina, demonstrate the increased salience of, and public interest in, SRHR.

In 2023, scoping and design work conducted by the Bridgespan Group, in deep consultation with funders and partners operating in the global SRHR sector, identified an opportunity to respond to these world events and increase the pace of progress by growing and diversifying philanthropic engagement in SRHR with ultra- and high-net worth individuals and their families. High impact opportunities in SRHR are ready to be pursued with new philanthropic resources. Connecting U/HNWI to these opportunities and curating their deep engagement in the sector is precisely the motivation and vision to launch LRH, which at its core is a global fundraising initiative focused on SRHR.

This initiative will generate net-new funding for global family planning and safe abortion care by identifying and cultivating a group of U/HNWIs as donors and advocates, and matching them with SRHR programmes, focused on where new funding will deliver the greatest impact. LRH aims to raise at least $100m in new funding within its first five years, with a $40m interim fundraising target for the 3.5 year mark.

Governance Structure & Operating Model

Funding is fully committed for LRH’s inception phase, which will cover its initial 3.5 years of operations, from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). The following operating structure has been sketched out for the new Executive Director to support the design and implementation of the initiative’s inception-phase strategy.

LRH’s governing board will include representatives of the co-funders from the Hewlett Foundation, Packard Foundation, Gates Foundation, CIFF, and independent SRHR sector experts. The Advisory Board will include SRHR sector representatives and, in time, a small group of U/HNWI advisors. The Executive Director will have the opportunity to advise on and support efforts to shape and evolve these governance and advisory structures to ensure sector legitimacy and field collaboration.

Core operating principles for LRH include:

• Philanthropic Advising:  Engage with and guide U/HNWI donors on learning journeys; advise donors on customized / bespoke high-impact funding opportunities in the SRHR sector.
• Strategy:  Design, build, and curate “funding menu” for high-impact philanthropic investment; source opportunities from the SRHR field; build and maintain partnerships with the field; educate donors on SRHR initiatives and trends.
• Donor Communications and Outreach:  Guided by the objective to create clear and compelling points of entry into the sector for new philanthropists, develop content, narratives, and communications materials for general audiences and in support of customized donor engagement activities; support efforts on donor events and experiences.
• Operations:  Liaise with the fiscal sponsor, manage outsourced operations and internal administration.

During the inception phase, LRH will be hosted by a fiscal sponsor, which will handle all employment, benefits, accounting, and related operations activities for the team.

The Opportunity

Current SRHR funders, including the initiatives founders, are ready to do much more to leverage their credibility, networks, resources, and experience to attract new donors to the sector and inspire them to give on a scale commensurate with the global scope of the problem. In order to do this effectively, these current funders need sophisticated support from LRH. With the overall objective of mobilizing large-scale global philanthropy for SRHR, the Executive Director will begin with the following year-one priorities:

• Lead the design and development of LRH’s strategy, operations, and brand.
• Build relationships with the initiative’s “anchor” peer champions, who are the largest and longest standing funders in the SRHR sector; create approaches to leverage their existing networks and profiles to identify and engage new U/HNWI funders.
• Finalize the operations and staffing plan; begin recruiting key staff.

As the initiative gets underway, and as the team takes shape during the inception phase, the Executive Director will be responsible for:

• Determining overall strategic direction of LRH, reporting on and presenting key milestones and decision points to the governing board.
• Onboarding, prospecting, and stewarding U/HNWI donors, liaising with donor-facing staff.
• Overseeing and advising on the development of a “learning journey” to sensitise and educate U/HNWI donors on key areas and investment opportunities pertaining to SRHR.
• Serving as the public “face” of the initiative, representing the organization at key events and forums.
• Working in collaboration with the fiscal sponsor on LRH’s international operations.