Program Officer, The Belk Foundation

Alma Advisory Group•Charlotte, NC

7h•$50•Hybrid

About The Position

The Belk Foundation is a family foundation that invests in public education, specifically K-3 achievement and excellent teachers and leaders. It serves as the public expression of gratitude and commitment shown by the family that created the Belk department store organization. The Foundation awards grants in Charlotte and considers select state-level initiatives in North Carolina. Working collaboratively with a dynamic small team, the Program Officer will be responsible for offering strategic input into the Foundation's operations and supporting the evaluation and grantmaking process for nonprofit partner organizations and school districts focusing on K-3 literacy, and the teacher and leadership pipeline. This person will build public awareness of the Foundation's mission and grantees, and facilitate the onboarding and professional learning opportunities for the Rising Generation and new members of The Belk Foundation Board. The Program Officer will cultivate and identify potential grantees through research, networking, community involvement, and relationship-building across Charlotte-Mecklenburg and North Carolina. To succeed in this role, It is essential for this person to have knowledge and a true passion for public education, specifically in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, but also across the state of North Carolina. The Program Officer must be exceedingly organized, flexible, and thrive on the challenges of an active, mission-focused lean organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree is required
Knowledge of Charlotte-area and North Carolina education history, systems, organizations, leaders, and communities is required.
At least five years of professional work experience in a nonprofit, school district, higher education, or philanthropic organization with a focus on the education sector within North Carolina is required.
Proficient in Microsoft Office, research skills and community relations.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in nonprofit management or a related field is preferred.
Experience in grant writing and management is preferred.
Experience with Blackbaud grantmaking system is preferred.
Knowledge of philanthropic financial and legal responsibilities, including familiarity with private foundation approaches, requirements, and processes is an added plus.
Experience in aspects of the grantmaking process, including application review, conducting site visits, data analysis, and reporting is preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage the grant process for a portfolio of grants, including but not limited to reviewing grant applications, facilitating the evaluation process, utilizing established online grants system and conducting grant process reviews.
Support the planning of grantee and stakeholder convenings.
Respond to the letters of inquiry, including researching and recommending new grantees.
Provide input to continuously improve the use of the grant management system (Blackbaud).
Support efforts to implement strategies to improve operational efficiencies within the grantmaking process and general operations of the foundation.
Support the development and execution of an onboarding plan and individualized learning for the Rising Generation and new members of The Belk Foundation Board.
Support the continuous improvement of the Rising Generation strategy in order to effectively engage the group in the mission and operations of the Foundation.
Support the coordination of some Board and grantee meetings, including logistical planning, communication, and material preparation.
Develop talking points, speaking notes and presentation materials for speaking engagements for the Executive Director and Board Chair.
Prepare visual presentations and materials for meetings and events.
Support communication efforts to meeting/event participants.
Support the development of the annual report and periodic communication updates.
Provide some logistical planning for meetings, as designated by the Executive Director.
Proactively support internal and external communication efforts and engagement logistics.
Develop communications for various audiences, as needed.