JSMF and the St. Louis Community Foundation Announce Launch of National Search for Executive Director of the Inclusive Prosperity Partnership (IPP)

The James S. McDonnell Foundation and the St. Louis Community Foundation announced the launch of a national search for the first Executive Director to lead the Inclusive Prosperity Partnership (IPP), marking a significant milestone in the pooled fund’s continued growth and increasing regional impact.

The IPP is a pooled fund launched with seed funding from the James S. McDonnell Foundation and supported by a growing coalition of St. Louis–area foundations, businesses, and community institutions. The IPP brings together people, funding, and data to drive transformative solutions for economic growth at scale, with the goal of building a stronger regional economy that benefits everyone.

The partnership’s Steering Committee, chaired by the James S. McDonnell Foundation’s President & CEO Jason Q. Purnell, PhD, is overseeing the search. They have engaged BoardWalk Consulting to conduct the search. The search will focus on identifying leadership who can guide strategy, strengthen and grow partnerships, and translate the effort’s vision into measurable outcomes.

“Launching a national search for an Executive Director reflects our commitment to building durable, collaborative infrastructure for inclusive prosperity in the St. Louis region,” said Purnell. “This role will be critical to shaping the Partnership from the ground up and advancing cross-sector collaboration to achieve long-term regional impact.”

The Executive Director will provide strategic, relational, and operational leadership for the Inclusive Prosperity Partnership. This role will steward relationships across the philanthropic, business, community, and civic sectors while guiding implementation of scalable solutions. While familiarity with the St. Louis region is valued, the search is national in scope, and candidates from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to apply.

Additional information about the position and application process is available here.

To learn more about the Inclusive Prosperity Partnership, please visit: ippstl.org