Executive Summary
Proteus Fund partners with foundations, individual donors, activists, and other allies to work strategically towards racial, gender, queer, and disability justice and an inclusive, fully representative democracy. The Fund partners with philanthropic and community leaders to identify critical opportunities, gaps, and challenges facing movement organizations and mobilizes donor support and a range of non‑grant tools to strengthen and sustain their work.
Proteus Fund donor collaboratives have become a best‑in‑class model for bridging responsible and responsive philanthropy with cutting‑edge social justice movements to generate and fuel deep, durable impact. Through fiscal sponsorship, Proteus Fund partners with emerging initiatives and innovative movement leaders, enabling them to focus on growing their work and influence with the support of a trusted operational partner. To date, Proteus Fund and its affiliated 501(c)(4) organization, the Proteus Action League (PAL), have distributed over $350 million in grants and provided essential tools to support and strengthen activists, advocates, networks, coalitions, and issue‑specific campaigns at the local, state, and national level.
The work of Proteus Fund is deeply rooted in a set of core values that are aligned with its vision and mission:
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion;
- Integrity and professionalism;
- Transparency and accountability; and
- Respect and humility.
Proteus Fund is moving into a new chapter at a moment of significant change and heightened challenge for social justice movements and the communities they serve. As political, cultural, and philanthropic landscapes continue to shift, the need for nimble, values‑driven philanthropic intermediaries that can move resources strategically and stand in deep partnership with movements has never been greater. Proteus Fund is seeking a President & CEO who will lead the organization in this context with renewed clarity of purpose, deep resolve, and bold stewardship that builds on Proteus Fund’s strong foundation and momentum, while evolving to meet the urgency, complexity, and opportunities of the moment and realizing a vision for amplified, enduring impact.
About Proteus Fund
Proteus Fund was founded in 1994 by Meg Gage to refine and expand a collaborative funding model that would leverage shared resources and align strategy among multiple funders to drive significant social change and, in the process, transform the philanthropic sector. Over the last thirty years, Proteus Fund has evolved to become a $60 million progressive philanthropic organization with a diverse and talented staff of ninety who support twenty‑three donor collaboratives, donor advised funds, and fiscally sponsored projects. Proteus Fund also provides critical programmatic support and capacity for partners on the frontlines of the fight for social justice. Current funds include:
- Piper Fund , which supports grassroots civic engagement and inclusive democracy work;
- Rights, Faith & Democracy Collaborative , focused on the intersections of religious freedom, queer justice, and gender equity;
- RISE Together Fund , dedicated to advancing civil rights, inclusion, and equity for Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (BAMEMSA) communities; and
- Solidarity Collaborative , which mobilizes philanthropic support for cross‑movement racial justice and solidarity efforts.
Over the course of its history, Proteus Fund has managed additional funds that have had transformational impact, including the Civil Marriage Collaborative , which played a key role in securing the freedom to marry nationwide, culminating in the 2015 Supreme Court decision affirming this federal constitutional right. Proteus Fund hosts a robust array of fiscally sponsored projects and donor‑advised funds that align with its mission of advancing justice, equity, and ensuring a fully representative democracy. The organization advances key learning and insights and advocates for effective philanthropic strategies , tactics, and practices with the goal of making the sector a more nimble, innovative, and responsive social justice movement partner.
The President & CEO oversees the work of two legally distinct but mission‑aligned organizations – the 501(c)(3) Proteus Fund and the 501(c)(4) Proteus Action League (“PAL”). Each entity uses the tools available to it to tackle a broad range of funder and movement needs in service of social justice goals, while navigating complex compliance, governance, and risk considerations and always in accordance with the federal tax and other laws applicable to each entity. Each entity has its own programmatic priorities, regulatory requirements and compliance mechanisms, and each is governed by its own board of directors.
The President & CEO serves as the enterprise leader for both organizations, with responsibility for the overall vision, strategy, culture, and sustainability of both Proteus Fund and PAL to help ensure mission alignment, and requiring careful time and resource allocation, accounting, and management to maintain the legal and operational separateness of both entities.
Working closely with both boards, staff, funder partners, and community collaborators, the President & CEO must steward a sophisticated dual‑
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