Director of Finance & Operations

Hidden Leaf Foundation is a family foundation that supports inner awareness within liberatory movements to advance a more just, ecologically healthy, and compassionate society. We believe that when organizations, leaders, movements, and funders cultivate inner awareness and tend to the spiritual as well as the strategic, the power we build together — and the change we create — are deeper, more lasting, and better able to heal the historical injustices that shape our relationships to each other and the earth. Hidden Leaf expresses this commitment through low-barrier, trust-based grantmaking to organizations committed to transformative change, by aligning our investments with our values, and by intentionally cultivating our own individual and collective awareness.

Hidden Leaf is recognized for its relational, community-centered approach at the forefront of progressive philanthropy. With transformative practices firmly rooted, a five-year grantmaking program in place, and a growing commitment to aligning resources with mission, Hidden Leaf has supported hundreds of frontline and intermediary organizations working to make radical, lasting change.

As Hidden Leaf strengthens its internal systems and prepares for its next chapter, the Director of Finance & Operations (DFO) will play a critical role in building the internal foundation that sustains this trust-based work — helping ensure that the organization’s financial health, operational clarity, and collective care continue to match the depth of its external commitments.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the DFO works closely with staff, board, key contractors, and external partners to ensure Hidden Leaf’s financial health, operational stability, and internal systems align with its mission and values. This role is responsible for stewarding Hidden Leaf’s internal infrastructure — spanning finance, investments, human resources, compliance, technology oversight, and day-to-day operational systems — so that Hidden Leaf can sustain its trust-based philanthropy and people-centered work for the long term. The DFO will build the durable systems, tools, and policies needed to hold the organization’s operations together cohesively, making it possible for Hidden Leaf’s small team to remain nimble and ultimately spend more time on mission-critical relationships and grantmaking.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Finance, Investments, and Compliance

• Oversee day-to-day finance operations in partnership with the Foundation’s bookkeeping firm and audit/tax partners.
• Manage budgeting, forecasting, and routine financial reporting; support the ED with preparing board finance updates and strategic budget scenarios.
• Collaborate with ED on operations and investment budgets and present to the Investment Finance Committee and full Board for approval, articulating the strategic rationale underlying budgetary allocations.
• Partner with the ED to assess and adapt grantmaking and integrated capital (including community investments and deep impact investments) priorities in keeping with Hidden Leaf’s evolving strategies.
• Implement tools and procedures for ongoing tracking of budget adherence, providing regular financial updates and adjustments as necessary.
• Ensure appropriate systems and processes are in place for tracking grants, payments, reimbursements, and compliance deadlines.

Operations & Systems

• Lead operational matters and manage business activities to design safe, effective, legally compliant activities and processes consistent with the Foundation’s culture, vision, and values.
• Partner with and advise the ED on organizational strategy, particularly as it relates to creating and implementing financial and operational policies, processes, and procedures.
• Proactively bring mission-aligned innovative ideas to the ED for current and long-term operations.
• Assess the Foundation’s operational needs on an ongoing basis including identifying and implementing tools, resources, platforms, and staffing plans to meet identified needs.
• Support the full implementation of the grants management system and ensure backend operations align with program needs.
• Coordinate daily operations, onboarding, and knowledge-sharing among staff and contractors to minimize gaps when team members are unavailable.

Human Resources

• Strengthen HR strategies, programs, and systems aligned with the Foundation’s mission, culture, goals, and budgetary considerations.
• Establish a collaborative process to conduct regular needs assessments and generate innovative people management ideas.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for coordinating work scopes across key contractors (e.g., bookkeeping, admin support).

Technology & Cybersecurity

• Partner with the ED and vendors to implement foundational cybersecurity policies and access management protocols.
• Ensure that technology tools and platforms are used effectively and consistently by the team.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Build a culture of documentation, continuous improvement, transparency, and practical problem-solving that reflects Hidden Leaf’s trust-based, relational approach.
• Serve as a thought partner to the ED and staff — translating day-to-day operational realities into practical solutions that support the Foundation’s big-picture vision.

Key Qualifications

• Passion for and understanding of social justice and environmental movements.
• Understanding of, experience with, and comfort with contemplative practices, with an openness to exploring how they can deepen relationships, trust, and collaboration in the workplace
• Authentically values-aligned with a passion for leading from the inside out, centering spirit, sharing power, moving forward collectively, and seeking justice.
• Demonstrated experience in nonprofit finance and operations — ideally within small, values-driven teams or philanthropic organizations.
• Strong skills in budgeting, forecasting, compliance, and internal controls.
• Experience designing and implementing simple systems, SOPs, and workflows.
• Proficiency with essential tools, including QuickBooks, Bill.com, Google Workspace, Dropbox, and project management platforms such as Asana — with the ability to quickly learn and adapt to new systems as needed.
• Comfort coordinating across vendors, remote staff, and contractors.
• Understanding of human resources with a commitment to fostering a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and open feedback.
• A stabilizer mindset — someone who balances responsiveness with structure, and who enjoys translating messy, manual tasks into clear, organized systems.
• Commitment to Hidden Leaf’s mission, trust-based ethos, and a relational approach to leadership.