Senior Program Officer, Community Engagement & Grantmaking
About The Position
The Senior Program Officer, Community Impact and Grantmaking is a hybrid role that devotes equal focus to strategic community engagement and grantmaking to advance the Cleveland Foundation’s impact priorities, serving as a bridge between the Cleveland Foundation and the communities it supports. The role cultivates relationships with residents, community leaders, and neighborhood stakeholders while managing a portfolio of grants and initiatives. Focused primarily on neighborhoods within a one-mile radius of the Foundation's headquarters, the Senior Program Officer identifies community needs, opportunities, and emerging trends to inform funding recommendations and investments that advance the Impact Agenda’s long-term outcomes. The position supports one or more grantmaking areas, including health and human services, community organizing, community development, neighborhood revitalization, or related fields. The Senior Program Officer, Community Impact and Grantmaking reports to the VP of Grantmaking and will work closely with the Chief Impact Officer on enterprise priorities.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in public policy, public administration, social work, education, business or a related field strongly preferred
- A minimum of 7 years in a similar role, demonstrating evidence of mastery of managing increasingly complex projects and strategic leadership in the field
- Experience designing and delivering community programs and engagement strategies
- Significant experience working in the City of Cleveland’s neighborhoods
- Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously
- Exceptional writing and presentation skills
Nice To Haves
- Strong collaboration skills across multidisciplinary teams and diverse communities
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and working knowledge of database systems (e.g. Salesforce)
- Experience working in one or more of the following sectors – health and human services, community development, community organizing, neighborhood revitalization, or any other related fields
Responsibilities
- Exercise strategic leadership as a visible and trusted representative of the Foundation in the community, building and maintaining relationships with resident groups, community-based organizations, non-profits, advocates, public agencies, funders, and cross-sector partners
- Develop a people-based approach to the Foundation’s impact agenda with a particular focus on Invest in Vibrant Neighborhoods, strategically resourcing changemakers in the community
- Drive the Foundation’s community engagement strategy in partnership with the Foundation’s real estate division and place-based development staff, actively leading community meetings, convenings, site visits, and neighborhood events
- Influence public, private, non-profit and community partners to become champions of the work, embedding the work into the overall system
- Facilitate connections and convene stakeholders around opportunities to advance systems change and community solutions
- Prepare briefings and community insights for internal leadership and colleagues
- Represent the Foundation in public engagements, panels, learning sessions, and working groups
- Provide strategic direction and oversight for programs/grants to deliver results for the long-term Impact Agenda outcomes
- Educate and support partners in developing and tracking outcomes
- Inspire and connect donors to specific projects related to the Impact Agenda
- Assess progress and make changes/adaptations in real time, ensuring the lessons learned are incorporated into ongoing work, outcomes identified and progress made
- Identify and implement when appropriate policy and/or advocacy agenda
- Manage an increasingly diverse portfolio of complex grants from initial grantee conversation to completion of the grant cycle and final report
- Leverage sector-specific expertise and remain abreast of best practices, trends and innovations, and policy implications shaping key issues impacting the Foundation’s tri-county footprint (Cuyahoga, Geauga, & Lake Counties)
- Provide expertise and management of key areas related to one or more grantmaking areas, including health and human services, community organizing, community development, neighborhood revitalization, or related fields when needed
- Contribute to a culture of innovation, ideation, and data-driven decision making across all facets of the Foundation’s work both in immediate and long-term grantmaking
- Support and strengthen partners through capacity building, problem solving, site visits, and outcome tracking to ensure accountability and community impact
- Collectively identify and recommend training and development needs to enhance team performance and grantmaking impact; collaborate with others on opportunities applicable to the entire enterprise
- Engage with donors through facilitated group conversations and individual meetings; share expertise and knowledge of the community in service of impactful and informed donor-advised grantmaking
- Support peers in the onboarding process for smooth integration into and understanding of TCF best practices and operations; function as a thought partner for ongoing Program Officer development
- Contribute to the Foundation’s overall strategic planning and organizational development
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
