The Rhode Island Foundation is our state's only community foundation, mobilizing generosity and motivating change throughout the Ocean State. By partnering with generous and visionary donors since 1916, the Foundation aligns its fundraising, grantmaking and community investment, convening, advocacy, and capacity building efforts to address Rhode Island's most pressing issues and the needs of diverse communities. The Foundation is a dynamic, fast-paced workplace. Its dedicated employees are committed to creating meaningful progress in Rhode Island.

The Foundation is currently seeking a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to serve as a strategic leader and a member of the executive leadership team, reporting directly to the President and CEO. This role is essential to advancing the Foundation’s mission and long-term goals by leveraging technology as a strategic asset to drive innovation, maximize impact, and improve operational efficiency in service to donors, grantees, and community partners across Rhode Island.

The CTO oversees a team of at least two FTEs—a Technology Solutions Manager and a Technology and Database Specialist—as well as the Foundation’s main external IT provider, supporting daily operations and security initiatives, plus other consultants and vendors.

The CTO will inherit a Microsoft-centric environment supporting eight departments, anchored in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Power BI) and a donor, grants, and finance management platform through Foundant Technologies with supporting operational integrations. The Foundation maintains a robust security posture, with enterprise monitoring and multi-layered controls across user access, staff devices, and organizational data, supported by cloud-based infrastructure and a managed services partner. In parallel, the Foundation is expanding analytics and piloting AI tools within an emerging governance framework, creating a near-term opportunity to stabilize, standardize, and improve adoption while shaping the next phase of modernization. 

Key Responsibilities

Technology Vision and Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive technology and innovation strategy aligned with the Foundation's mission and Five-Year Action Plan, serving as a trusted advisor to the President & CEO and senior leadership on technology investments, digital trends, and emerging opportunities—including AI, data analytics, and digital engagement tools.
• Champion digital transformation initiatives that expand the Foundation's reach, make philanthropy more accessible across Rhode Island, and reflect core organizational values of transparency, equity, and responsible stewardship, while ensuring clear ownership and accountability across internal teams and external partners. 

Digital Transformation and Innovation

• Lead the Foundation's digital transformation strategy by identifying and implementing technologies—including data analytics, AI, and digital platforms—that expand mission impact, improve operational efficiency, and modernize how the Foundation engages with donors, grantees, and communities, while ensuring solutions are equitable, accessible, and aligned with organizational values.
• Drive cross-functional efforts to redesign workflows, integrate systems, and foster a culture of innovation and disciplined experimentation, balancing creativity with sound governance, risk awareness, and long-term sustainability to enable agile adoption of emerging technologies.

Technology Infrastructure, Operations, and Security

• Provide enterprise-wide leadership for the Foundation's technology infrastructure, ensuring systems, data platforms, and operations are secure, reliable, and aligned with mission needs—while overseeing budgets, vendor relationships, and resource allocation to maximize value and steward organizational resources responsibly.
• Set strategic direction for cybersecurity, data protection, and business continuity, ensuring a strong security posture that safeguards sensitive donor, grantee, and financial information and enables the Foundation to effectively detect, respond to, and recover from disruptions.

Data Strategy and Analytics

• Lead development of a comprehensive data strategy—including governance, quality standards, and system integration—that enables data-driven decision-making, provides a unified view of grantmaking, donor engagement, and community impact, and supports research and evaluation efforts.
• Build data visualization and storytelling capabilities that communicate the Foundation's impact to donors, partners, and the public, while establishing and monitoring key performance indicators that drive operational excellence and organizational resilience.

Capacity Building and Collaboration

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing technology team, fostering a culture of service excellence, continuous learning, and collaboration—working cross-functionally to co-create solutions that enable staff across the Foundation to use technology more effectively in support of shared goals.
• Promote professional development and technology capacity building across the Foundation and nonprofit partners, while enabling Foundation leaders to engage confidently in innovation partnerships and peer networks that advance the Foundation's role as a trusted sector leader. 

Additional requirements include:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, business administration, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive technology leadership experience, with at least 8 years in senior management roles.
• Proven record of developing and executing strategic technology initiatives in complex organizations, preferably in philanthropic, nonprofit, or mission-driven settings.
• Deep understanding of cybersecurity, data privacy regulations, and risk management.
• Experience managing technology budgets and vendor relationships with a focus on stewardship and value optimization.
• Excellent project management and communication skills with ability to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences and build trust across stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in technology practices, team leadership, and solution design.
• Strategic thinking combined with hands-on operational capability and a drive toward action and execution.
• Enthusiasm for serving Rhode Island communities and a commitment to place-based impact.

Preferred

• Master's degree in relevant field or MBA
• Experience working in or closely with philanthropic organizations, community foundations, mission-driven organizations, or Rhode Island nonprofit sector.
• Knowledge of donor management systems, grantmaking platforms, and foundation-specific technology ecosystems, including Foundant, Salesforce, Blackbaud, or similar software and platforms.
• Familiarity with digital accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design principles.
• Understanding of the challenges facing Rhode Island communities, including digital equity gaps and barriers to accessing services.
• Experience leading organizational change, digital transformation initiatives, and building collaborative cultures.
• Record of leveraging technology to reduce barriers to participation.
• Professional certifications such as CISSP, PMP, or relevant technology certifications. 

The Rhode Island Foundation encourages a diverse work environment and is an equal opportunity employer. We offer excellent benefits and an anticipated salary range of $175,000 to $225,000 for this position.

This position is based at One Union Station in Providence, Rhode Island. The role requires regular presence in the office to collaborate with colleagues and occasional travel throughout Rhode Island to engage with community partners and stakeholders.

To apply, please email your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to jobs@rifoundation.org