Program and Community Engagement Officer

The Opportunity

The Lohengrin Foundation seeks its first Program and Community Engagement Officer to work alongside the Executive Director. The individual in this role will develop and support the adoption, communication and implementation of streamlined and standardized grantmaking guidelines, timelines, and processes aligned with our strategic plan and program funding areas of educational equity, social justice, and strategic collaborations. The individual will cultivate and manage a portfolio of grantee partnerships.

The Program and Community Engagement Officer role reports to the Executive Director.

This is a full-time, exempt, hybrid position located in Chicago, IL

Identify, Recommend and Champion Grantee Partner Organizations

• Identify, cultivate, and recommend potential grant opportunities aligned with the Foundation’s strategic framework and grantmaking guidelines by initiating and managing relationships with mission-aligned organizations, thought leaders, and fellow funders.
• Conduct due diligence (e.g., review funding requests, conduct external research, meet applicant staff and direct beneficiaries, review financials) and make recommendations for funding consideration to the Executive Director and Board of Directors.
• Prepare written documents for senior management and the Board of Directors summarizing key grant-funded activities.
• Input relevant and timely information into the grants management system and maintain adherence to grant administrative processes.
• Amplify grantee activities and learnings by highlighting grantee partners, recommending content, and partnership through ongoing collaborative efforts with Communications Consultants
• Manage consultants or interns as required.

Grants Portfolio Management, Processes and Guidelines Development

• Work in collaboration with the Executive Director to develop, deploy, and refine grantmaking guidelines, timelines, and due diligence processes for new and existing grantees.
• Make process recommendations and enhancements using a Trust-Based Philanthropic and data-informed approach that incorporates insights from grantees, the field, and the grantmaking guiding principles of the Foundation.
• Review grantee reports to assess outcomes, and capture and report on organizational learning.
• Prepare written grantee summaries for incorporation in the Board package.

Community Engagement, Relationship Building, Networking and Advocacy

• Develop knowledge and credibility in the field by cultivating and managing relationships with grant prospects, recipients, subject matter experts, advisors, and colleagues in philanthropy.
• Maintain ongoing relationships with grantee partners (e.g., virtual check-in meetings, site visits, verbal updates, and report reviews) to stay abreast of progress towards stated goals and learn from grantee challenges and successes.
• Stay up to date on current and emerging trends in the philanthropic, nonprofit, and governmental sectors, as well as political, social, and cultural contexts aligned with the areas of interest of the Foundation by participating in funder/community collaboratives, relevant convenings and local, regional and national networks as appropriate.
• Participate in trainings, convenings, working groups, committees, or other opportunities for learning and collaborative work among grant recipients, philanthropic partners, and other partners.

Administrative and Program Support

• All Foundation staff members are expected to perform ongoing administrative tasks associated with their role including scheduling meetings, attending internal staff and board meetings, and participating in organizational strengthening activities (such as staff retreats, meetings, or trainings), and strategic planning or strategy refresh activities in the future.

Qualifications

• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills coupled with relationship building skills to identify mission aligned funding opportunities, assesses organizational partner’s health and capacity, and potential for impact.
• Ability to analyze and understand complex community, societal and organizational ecosystems, community and power dynamics, institutions, policies and the role a funder can play to support the recommendation of comprehensive grantmaking and partnership approaches to foster social impact and systems change.
• Strong interpersonal, collaborative, and self-reflective capacity to support the development and deployment of Trust-Based Philanthropic approaches.
• BA or higher preferred, or equivalent work and life experience.
• A commitment to the Foundation’s mission and racial equity values.
• Direct experience in one of the Foundation’s priority funding areas of educational equity or social justice is highly desired.
• A minimum of seven years of related experience in program development, Foundation funding life cycles, and policy and systems change analysis within the nonprofit or philanthropic sectors.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present data and information concisely.
• Comfort within a ‘start-up’ work environment and ambiguity in an evolving organization.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office platforms (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint) and experience working with databases is highly desired.

To Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter to Human Resources at hr@lohengrinfdn.org with “your name - Program and Community Engagement Officer Vacancy “in the subject line that describes why you are interested in working with a family foundation, your salary requirements, and how your prior experience aligns with the qualifications of the position and mission of the Foundation.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Evenings as needed

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Chicago, IL 60606: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chicago, IL 60606