Chief Executive Officer: Visionary Leader for LGBTQ Philanthropy

Horizons Foundation (Horizons) envisions a world in which all LGBTQ people live freely and fully. As the world’s first community foundation of, by, and for LGBTQ people, Horizons has served for more than 45 years as a wellspring of support to San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ nonprofit organizations, a trusted philanthropic anchor for social justice causes, and a national leader in community investment. Horizons partners with donors, movement organizations, and community leaders to strengthen LGBTQ nonprofits, expand a culture of LGBTQ giving, and build a permanent endowment to secure the future of the LGBTQ community. The organization awards over $12 million in grants to community partners annually and stewards over $70 million in assets that includes a growing permanent endowment, positioning the organization to sustain LGBTQ communities for generations to come. With the pending retirement of its long tenured leader Roger Doughty, whose vision and leadership over more than two decades have helped establish Horizons as a steady, stabilizing force in the Bay Area LGBTQ community, Horizons is seeking a bold, values driven individual to lead the organization as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This transition is both consequential and full of possibility. The next CEO will step into a landscape shaped by escalating political attacks on LGBTQ communities, evolving philanthropic norms, and a transfer of leadership and assets in the LGBTQ movement. The new CEO will serve as a leading voice, a skilled ambassador, and a strategic partner to donors, community organizations, and civic leaders, expanding Horizons’ reach, modernizing fundraising strategies, and strengthening the foundation’s role as a catalytic force in the movement to protect and advance LGBTQ rights. The next CEO will bring clarity, courage, and vision to steward Horizons into the next stage of its journey, ensuring that it remains a visible, influential, and community-rooted champion for LGBTQ people in the San Francisco Bay Area and nationally. ABOUT HORIZONS FOUNDATION Founded in 1980 as the world's first community foundation created by and for LGBTQ people, Horizons Foundation provided the original seed money for nonprofits that became the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the Gay Games, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which argued and won marriage equality in the Supreme Court. In the decades since, Horizons has grown into one of the most trusted and influential LGBTQ philanthropic institutions in the United States. Guided by its core values – Justice, Equity, Pride, Generosity, Legacy, Courage, and Excellence – Horizons directs resources to the people and organizations working to advance safety, belonging, and opportunity for all LGBTQ communities. Horizons is widely recognized as a national leader in LGBTQ philanthropy, and consistently ranks among the “Top 10” LGBTQ funders in the U.S. Horizons has over $70 million in assets and distributes over $12 million annually via multiple funding programs to hundreds of organizations locally and nationally, from grassroots, frontline groups with just a few staff to larger, more complex institutions serving thousands. All are united in a shared conviction that LGBTQ people deserve dignity, respect, and access to the same opportunities to live and thrive to which all people are entitled. Horizons maintains an unwavering commitment to supporting communities most marginalized within the LGBTQ ecosystem, including LGBTQ people of color, transgender communities, immigrants and refugees, youth and elders, and those with the least access to affirming services. Through its robust donor‑advised fund (DAF) program, Horizons serves as a philanthropic home for over 150 donors investing in LGBTQ issues, broader social justice causes, and community priorities nationwide. In addition to grantmaking, the foundation convenes leaders, builds donor and community networks, and hosts one of the LGBTQ community’s most celebrated annual galas. Horizons is widely regarded as a national model and leading champion of LGBTQ donor and community-centered legacy (planned) giving. For decades, Horizons has advanced the belief that LGBTQ people can shape the future of their own movement through gifts that ensure long‑term stability, safety, joy, and cultural expression for generations to come. Horizons’ leadership in legacy giving is matched by the scale of its planned‑giving pipeline. Through its ongoing Now and Forever campaign , the foundation has already identified more than $100 million in future legacy commitments toward a $250 million goal, and its Legacy Circle now includes over 300 documented planned‑gift donors — one of the largest such communities among LGBTQ‑serving institutions. Today, Horizons is a convener, a community partner, and a trusted steward of a vision for a better future, guided by values that reflect and uplift the communities it serves. More information about Horizons Foundation can be found at https://www.horizonsfoundation.org . THE CURRENT MOMENT Horizons is experiencing a once‑in‑a‑generation moment of transition and opportunity. The departure of a long‑tenured, accomplished, and deeply respected leader, combined with unprecedented financial strength and a rapidly evolving LGBTQ landscape, positions Horizons for a new chapter of strategic and community leadership and impact. The current federal and state political and cultural climate has brought heightened visibility, vulnerability, and urgency to LGBTQ communities. Attacks on transgender rights, rising anti‑LGBTQ rhetoric, and increasing political polarization create an environment that demands bold, steady, and values‑grounded advocacy. At the same time, philanthropic norms are shifting. Younger donors bring new expectations, community needs are more complex, and Bay Area and Silicon Valley wealth dynamics continue to evolve. Internally, Horizons is experiencing growth in programming, assets, and influence, requiring both modernization and renewed strategic clarity. As Horizons navigates this moment, the next CEO will guide the organization to become an even more proactive, visible, and catalytic force, building on its role as a respected funder and leaning into the opportunity to serve as an essential movement driver. This leadership transition creates a rare and exciting opportunity to deepen Horizons’ impact, diversify and engage new generations of donors, strengthen resource development, evolve internal systems, and reaffirm Horizons’ role as a powerful champion for LGBTQ communities in the Bay Area and far beyond. THE OPPORTUNITY Horizons seeks a visionary, strategic, relational leader with strong executive presence, fundraising acumen, and a deep understanding of community philanthropy. The successful candidate will have demonstrated a strong commitment to the LGBTQ community and possess a combination of strategic sophistication and emotional intelligence, balancing external engagement with internal capacity building. The next CEO will lead a groundbreaking institution at a pivotal moment, advancing equity, mobilizing resources, and strengthening the LGBTQ movement in one of the most dynamic regions in the world. Opportunities for impact in this role include the following: Lead at a defining moment for LGBTQ philanthropy and social justice. The next CEO will have the opportunity to elevate Horizons’ role as a values‑driven leader in a rapidly shifting social, political, and philanthropic landscape. This moment requires a leader who can navigate complexity with clarity, assess emerging risks, and remain steady amid uncertainty while keeping Horizons’ mission and values at the center. They will provide the strategic vision to guide Horizons into the future, building on a strong legacy while expanding the organization’s reach, relevance, and impact. Working closely with the Board, staff, donors, and community partners, the CEO will shape a unifying, actionabl