Company:       Private Foundation, Chicago area

Position:         Program Officer, Jewish Community Grants

Reports To:     President

Background of Foundation:

The Foundation supports great organizations to enhance community, opportunity and well-being.  The Foundation, founded in 1997, makes targeted grants in the areas of Jewish Community, Education and Medical Research and also makes grants to a wide range of social-service organizations in and around Chicago.  Grants in the Jewish community are made to organizations in Chicago as well as to others with national and international programs.

Position Summary:

After years of grant making throughout the community, the Foundation’s leadership seeks a program officer who will lead the development of a strategic framework for the Foundation's Jewish Community giving.  The program officer will work closely with the Foundation's president and the Foundation's Jewish Community Committee, which is a committee of the Foundation’s board of directors and is composed of Jewish community professionals and business leaders.  The program officer will organize committee meetings designed to educate members about issues and trends, consider priorities and strategies and make decisions about grant recommendations.

The program officer will execute the grant strategy, including developing and growing new and current programs and partnerships and adapting existing programs to accomplish the Foundation's strategic goals for Jewish Community giving.

The program officer will represent the Foundation among peers, grantees and experts and develop appropriate networks and partnerships.  The program officer will often represent the Foundation in working with the local Jewish Federation as well as with funders and not-for-profit organizations in the local community and nationally on projects of interest to the Foundation.

The program officer will report to the Foundation president and will work collaboratively with the entire Foundation team.

Function and Purpose of the Position:

• Lead and support strategic grant-related projects for the Foundation’s Jewish Community program (50-60% of time).
• Investigate, evaluate and make grant recommendations, and provide follow-up on grants (25-35% of time).
• Other projects as assigned by the President (10-15% of time).

Major Responsibilities:

Jewish Community Program Strategy Development and Implementation

• Conduct research and draft proposals regarding strategy and projects for the Foundation’s Jewish Community program.
• Coordinate strategic planning with the Foundation’s president, the Foundation’s Jewish Community Committee and the Foundation’s board of directors.
• Focus on implementation of the Foundation's Jewish Community strategies.
• Develop new and creative ideas and propose ways to adapt successful programs and practices to different contexts.
• Collaborate with local and national funders and not-for-profit organizations in developing projects of common interest.
• Organize thought-provoking Jewish Community Committee meetings that include interesting speakers/facilitators and education of committee on relevant topics; prepare appropriate materials in a timely fashion.
• Handle general grant-making responsibilities (as described in the next section) for strategic grants.
• Attend conferences and meetings and conduct research and interviews in furtherance of developing ideas, knowledge, strategic objectives and grant recommendations.
• Handle Jewish Community program strategic inquiries, initiatives and grant proposals as requested from time to time by president, Jewish Community Committee or board of directors.

Grant Making and Monitoring:  Jewish Community and General Community

• Insightfully evaluate grant proposals including analyzing organization and program goals, plans, outcomes, financial data, and sources of funding and other relevant information, using qualitative and quantitative analysis.  Responsibilities will include reviewing grant proposals in the Jewish Community and the general Chicago-area community.
• Conduct interviews and site visits and collect relevant information necessary for a thorough analysis of grant proposals.

• Communicate with grant applicants on a timely basis, requesting and providing information related to the grant-making process.

• Prepare summary and analysis of assigned grant proposals and recommendation of Foundation action.

• Monitor performance and progress of organizations receiving grants from the Foundation.  Recommend interim Foundation action as appropriate.
• Review and analyze final grant reports from grantees.
• Participate in team discussions with respect to Foundation strategic initiatives and grant making outside the Jewish Community giving area.
• Work to increase effectiveness in grant analysis and evaluation by participating in activities to develop ideas, skills and knowledge, including attending seminars and conferences and reviewing relevant literature.
• Assist in the planning of Foundation committee and board meetings, including identifying and inviting speakers and helping with logistics.

• Handle related administrative tasks, including maintaining electronic and paper files.

• Other Foundation duties as assigned by the president.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree; master’s degree preferred.
• Substantial experience in roles of significant responsibility in not-for-profit organizations in a major metropolitan Jewish community.
• Passionate and conversant about trends and issues throughout the Jewish community.
• Open to and respectful of diverse ideas, perspectives and approaches to Jewish community issues.
• A strategic thinker, who can set priorities and strategies to identify and solve problems.
• Excellent organizational skills and qualitative and quantitative analytical skills; able to apply those skills to evaluate issues in the Jewish Community, to suggest ways to address those issues and to evaluate organizations’ abilities to develop strategy and to execute proposed programs.
• Demonstrated creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a self-starter as well as collaboratively among a team – both with internal colleagues and external colleagues (e.g., professionals at grant applicants, grant recipients, foundations and other not-for-profit organizations)
• Experience preferred in not-for-profit or public sectors with emphasis on social-services programs.
• Attentive to detail; comfortable with handling multiple projects simultaneously; excellent time-management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• A person described by their peers as humble, honest, hard working, open and willing to learn.
• Flexible to assume additional responsibilities as assigned.
• Software skills:  Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Additional Information:

• Full-time position.
• Off-site work will be required regularly for site visits and research work; travel outside Chicago area will be required from time to time.
• Compensation:  Competitive and commensurate with experience.
• Modest relocation assistance available.

• Training will be provided for MicroEdge GIFTS software.

• Available benefits:
  • Insurance: Health, Dental, Life Insurance, Disability, Long-Term Care
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • Flexible Spending Account
  • Vacation
  • Holidays
  • Sick/Personal time
  • Matching gift program

The information contained in this job description is intended to convey information about the essential functions and requirements of the position.  It is not an exhaustive list of the skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the opportunity.

Start Date:       As soon as possible

Contact:           This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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