The Honnold Foundation (HF) partners with local communities to expand equitable solar energy access. HF believes those experiencing the greatest impacts from climate change, economic instability, and social injustice stand to benefit the most from the renewable energy transition— and their knowledge and innovation can and should lead the way. Using a trust-based philanthropy framework, HF partners with grassroots organizations and leaders who have the vision and knowledge to create thriving, more vibrant communities in the places they call home. Over the past decade, HF has worked with grassroots organizations worldwide to increase access to solar energy, reduce environmental impact, and improve people’s lives. Powered by a tight-knit team of inventive, dedicated, and collaborative professionals, HF’s impact has scaled rapidly to reach over 130 partners, representing over $13 million of investment in grassroots communities. Please see their most recent impact report to learn more about their work, programs, and values.
The Opportunity
The Honnold Foundation is entering an exciting period of growth. Over the past two years, the organization has doubled in size, expanded its grantmaking to support more community-led solar projects and provide organizational development support to its partners, and strengthened its influence within community-led climate philanthropy. As it continues to grow, the Foundation is investing in the leadership and systems needed to scale its impact while remaining grounded in its values.
Reporting to Executive Director Emily Teitsworth, the Vice President of Programs will provide strategic leadership for the Foundation’s global and domestic programs, grantmaking, learning, and partner support. Leading a four-person programs team and working closely with leaders across advancement and operations, this role will strengthen coordination, guide program strategy, and help shape the Foundation’s evolving approach to community-led climate solutions and organizational capacity building for partners.
As a key thought partner to the Executive Director, the Vice President will help translate strategy into action, build effective systems without creating unnecessary bureaucracy, and ensure the organization continues to balance growth with flexibility, trust, and responsiveness to partners. The Vice President will also represent the Honnold Foundation externally, contributing to conversations about community-led renewable energy, climate justice, and trust-based philanthropy.
Key Responsibilities
Program Strategy
Grantmaking and Partner Support
Learning and Organizational Effectiveness
Team and Organizational Leadership
External Leadership
The ideal candidate is a thoughtful and experienced program leader who combines strategic vision with humility, curiosity, and sound judgment. They are an effective listener, collaborative decision maker, and people leader who creates the conditions for others to succeed.
They bring significant experience working across cultures and geographies and demonstrate genuine cultural humility, approaching their work with self-awareness and a willingness to keep learning from those they partner with. They understand the realities facing grassroots organizations and community-led initiatives, and they are willing to name and interrogate dominant culture assumptions embedded in traditional philanthropic practice — from who holds decision-making power to how “impact” and “rigor” get defined. Ideally, they have experience working with both nonprofit organizations and philanthropy, enabling them to balance partner needs with institutional priorities while remaining committed to trust-based, community-centered approaches.
This leader is comfortable navigating complexity and ambiguity. They build effective systems without overcomplicating processes, make thoughtful decisions, and help organizations scale while preserving culture and flexibility. They are a trusted executive partner who can translate ideas into action, establish clear priorities, and foster accountability while empowering others.
An engaging communicator, they represent organizations with credibility and authenticity and are passionate about advancing climate justice, equitable philanthropy, and community leadership. Experience with community development, global programs, Indigenous communities, grassroots organizations, and/or participatory philanthropy is more important than technical expertise in solar energy. Above all, they bring integrity, warmth, and a deep commitment to the Honnold Foundation’s mission.
Qualifications
Competitive candidates will bring many of the following experiences and capabilities:
Salary, Benefits, and Location
The salary range for this position is $135,000 to $155,000, based on experience.
This is a remote position open to candidates based in the United States. Honnold Foundation offers flexibility in how and where employees work, along with shared expectations for communication, collaboration, and participation in team activities.
Honnold Foundation offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
The Foundation’s compensation and benefits reflect its commitment to supporting employees as whole people. The Honnold Foundation expects team members to produce high-quality work and contribute fully to the mission while also placing a high value on flexibility, autonomy, and control over one’s time.
Work Environment & Expectations
The Honnold Foundation is a primarily remote organization that operates with a high degree of trust, flexibility, and shared accountability. Staff are expected to communicate clearly, meet commitments, and participate in collaborative work during agreed-upon hours.
The Foundation maintains a four-day workweek, with core working hours from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. PT, and seeks to protect the boundaries that make this model successful. Because the organization works across regions and time zones, some early morning or evening meetings will be necessary, with flexibility to adjust schedules accordingly.
The Vice President of Programs will participate in periodic team retreats, programs team gatherings, partner visits, and external convenings. The role requires occasional domestic and international travel, but frequent travel is not expected.
The organization’s culture is candid, collaborative, and low in hierarchy. The Vice President will be expected to model respectful communication, curiosity, accountability, and a commitment to community leadership in their relationships and decisions.
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