Program Officer, Healthy Children and Adults
Reports to: Director of Grantmaking, Program and Community Engagement Position
Status: Full-Time/ Exempt
Location: Hybrid – Onsite 3 days per week
Hiring Salary Range: $74,000 -$85,000
POSITION SUMMARY
The Program Officer for Healthy Children and Adults is an integral part of a close-knit team working to shape and execute the Foundation’s strategies to support strong families, healthy children, and thriving communities. The program officer is a fierce and committed advocate for populations that are vulnerable to poor social and economic outcomes and works in close partnership with communities being served. This individual participates in programs, capacity-building efforts, and special initiatives to strengthen the systems and infrastructure dedicated to improving opportunities and outcomes for children, youth, and families in Allegheny County. The program officer is responsible for managing a responsive and proactive grant-making portfolio that enhances the nonprofit sector’s ability to identify and address, in a culturally responsive, strengths-based and comprehensive manner, the human service needs of community members particularly in the areas of food access, child care and mental health.
The program officer will work closely with the Center for Philanthropy and the Development and Donor Services staff to create productive partnerships with Foundation’s donors and will work with internal and external colleagues to strengthen the Foundation’s capacity to create impact and to foster a community where all individuals can thrive. This position will also work collaboratively with the Program and Community Engagement, Public Policy and Community Partnerships and Learning staff to facilitate convenings with local and regional stakeholders related to human services.
PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Grantmaking
- Independently manage cluster grants in the healthy children and adults portfolio from application through interim and final reporting.
- Evaluate grant applications, performing essential due diligence and evaluation of grant applications and communicating with grant-seekers regularly through virtual and in-person meetings and conducting site visits as part of the review process.
- Represent grant-seekers by preparing and presenting written grant summaries and grantee progress reports to the Program Committee and other board committees.
- Assess grantee progress and maintain ongoing communication with grantees to both understand their evolving needs and continuously improve the grantee experience.
- Oversee and execute participatory grantmaking processes, including selecting and training grant reviewers, facilitating grant review panels, documenting panel decisions, sharing panel recommendations and evaluating the participatory grantmaking process.
- Create and manage advisory committees to inform and evaluate grantmaking and program initiatives.
- Identify challenges facing grantee organizations and networks and ensure that the grant portfolio helps to meet those needs in areas such as leadership and governance, financial sustainability, racial justice practice, and through convenings, sharing best practices and other technical assistance.
- Work with the director of grantmaking to assure full utilization of the Foundation’s field of interest and special purpose funds to execute grantmaking that fully aligned with donor intent and the Foundation’s funding priorities.
- Work closely with administrative staff to ensure that data regarding grantmaking is accurate and timely.
- Communicate with nonprofit agencies, public and private funders, and the general public about the Foundation’s grantmaking priorities, guidelines, and proposal review process.
- Contribute to the development of criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of the healthy children and adults portfolio and participate in the evaluation of the results.
- Work closely with administrative staff to ensure that data regarding grantmaking is accurate and timely.
Special Initiatives
- Work with Program staff to design and implement high impact special initiatives that respond to those community needs.
- Participate in and work to strengthen current special initiatives including but not limited to the Small and Mighty Grants Program and Social Justice Fund.
- Provide support beyond grantmaking to build capacity and organizational effectiveness of grantees including facilitating technical assistance, sharing best practices and knowledge, and/or convening as appropriate.
- Work with colleagues to monitor and evaluate Foundation special initiatives.
- Participate in flexible workgroups convened to carry out special initiatives and projects.
Community Engagement
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with diverse thought leaders, funders, nonprofits and other key stakeholders to shape the Foundation’s environmental action and physical health priorities and support effective collaboration.
- Serve as a resource and thought partner to external stakeholders who are interested in learning more about or advancing work that is aligned with the Environmental Action focus area.
- Develop and implement convenings on issues relevant to the grant portfolio and for the benefit of grantee partners and the communities they serve; track decisions and next steps, disseminate notes and coordinate follow-up actions; when appropriate, collaborate with the VP, Community Partnerships and Learning.
- Develop and/or participate in foundation-initiated and community-led convenings that center truth-telling about racial and economic injustice and create space for dialogue and healing that builds momentum toward community-driven solutions.
- Regularly attend meetings, events and celebrations hosted by grantees that showcase the organization’s work.
- Meet with potential applicants, individually or via information sessions, to help them understand the Foundation’s grant process and strategic priorities.
- Represent The Foundation, when assigned, in local and regional partnerships that address critical community needs.
Public Policy and Community Impact
- Participate in the development and implementation of convenings with key stakeholders to identify and activate the foundation’s role in public policy and community impact efforts and, when needed, facilitate sessions.
- Elevate to Policy and Community Impact staff policy and advocacy issues that are identified through the grantmaking process and other program-related convenings that align with the Foundation policy agenda and/or impact areas, as well as emergent, time-sensitive issues of critical importance to the Foundation’s priorities.
- Share content knowledge and expertise with policy and community impact staff, acting as a resource and thought partner to inform the design, implementation and/or evaluation of public policy efforts that relate to the Healthy Children and Adults portfolio.
Research and Learning
- Contribute to the development of criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of the healthy children and adults portfolio and participate in the evaluation of the results.
- Identify timely and reliable sources of research to understand and respond to key issues related to food insecurity, childcare, mental health and human services.
- Support efforts to fully engage the individuals served by the Foundation to assure that their expertise and lived experience are included in research and learning activities.
- Participate in efforts to aggregate, and commission where necessary, research that effectively captures and describes the context and causality of factors that impact the quality of life for diverse populations across Allegheny County.
- Participate in conferences, workshops, classes and other professional development opportunities to remain current on issues and philanthropic best practices.
Donor Engagement
- Collaborate proactively and responsively with Development and Donor Services staff to serve donors in meeting their philanthropic goals.
- Participate in Center for Philanthropy programs in order to contribute to a culture of excellence in donor education, donor engagement, “co-creation” of giving opportunities, and increased alignment between Foundation and donor giving on significant community issues.
Other
- Other tasks as assigned.
KEY SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Proven ability to work successfully with diverse populations and demonstrated commitment to promote and enhance diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Commitment to the foundation’s values of collaboration, trust, racial justice, community and accountability.
- Curiosity, strong research skills, and the ability to examine, analyze, and interpret data from multiple secondary sources.
- Ability to give and receive meaningful feedback with a deep commitment to learning.
- Creative and analytical writing and skills, including the ability to design new strategies, ask relevant questions as well as to synthesize information into a coherent report or proposal.
- A commitment to integrity, transparency, honesty and cultural humility.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Post-secondary education in a related field of study with at least five years of relevant experience, preferably within the nonprofit or public sectors; a degree in public administration, social work, human development or similar fields of study preferred.
- Knowledge and track record to serve as a critical advisor and subject matter expert on strategies to advance food access, affordable childcare, mental health access, improved human services coordination; knowledge of related federal, state and local policy is a plus.
- Familiarity with, but not necessarily a professional background in, philanthropy and philanthropic processes.
- Creative and analytical writing skills, with a focus on being able to synthesize complex concepts, information, and recommendations succinctly and effectively for decision.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and manage deadlines and to work independently.
- Strong written and verbal skills; demonstrated persuasive and respectful presentation skills for communications with internal and external stakeholders, and people from the communities we are working to reach on a range of complex issues.
- Experience working with racially, culturally and economically diverse communities.
- Strong technical proficiency and the ability to quickly learn to function with the Blackbaud Suite of Products and Foundant.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and other business-related applications.
TO APPLY
Interested candidates should submit an online application with resume and cover letter by Jan. 28, 2024. No phone calls please.
apply online
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