Economic Resilience Fellow

THE FOUNDATION

The Miami Foundation builds the philanthropic, civic, and leadership backbone for Greater Miami. Since 1967, the Foundation has invested over $770 million to strengthen our community with partnerships and contributions from more than 1000 fundholders and 35,000 donors. The Miami Foundation, which currently manages over $570 million in assets, mobilizes donors, nonprofits, leaders, and locals to set a bold vision for our community's future and to invest in a stronger, more equitable, more resilient Greater Miami.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Miami Foundation is seeking candidates for a one-year fellowship for a recent graduate with a master's degree in finance or economics, with research interests and work experience in sustainable finance, community economic development, and impact investing. The Fellow will be part of the Collective Impact team and collaborate closely with the Senior Director of Economic Resilience.

The selected Fellow will support the development of a collaborative, place-based impact investing alliance between The Miami Foundation and local peer foundations. The alliance is building a multi-fund investment strategy that will develop and invest in a deal pipeline and drive blended finance and innovative capital tools – such as program-related investments (PRIs), loans, equity, and guarantees – toward community development projects and/or funds in affordable housing, small business, and climate resilience.  

The Fellowship presents a valuable opportunity to collaborate with and learn from Miami Foundation staff, peer foundations, nonprofits, fund contributors, collaborators, and investment recipients.

By joining The Miami Foundation, you would directly contribute to advancing critical solutions for housing affordability, climate resilience, and inclusive economic growth in South Florida. This position offers the chance to drive transformational impact through innovative and sustainable financing strategies.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

It is anticipated the Fellow will work 40 hours per week in the following areas: 

Collaborative Strategy Development: 

• Work closely with the Senior Director and external impact investment consultant to develop the strategy for the regional, place-based impact investing collaborative. 
• ·Develop and manage project plans and timelines in coordination with the Senior Director and other stakeholders. 
•  As needed, conduct external background research and analysis to support the development of impact investing strategies that promote economic resilience within the region. 
• Prepare reports, presentations, and other documentation to communicate findings and recommendations to stakeholders. 

Partner Management & External Relations: 

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with peer foundations, investors, investment committees, Miami-Dade County teams, and relevant nonprofits to foster collaboration and support for the regional impact investing collaborative. 
• ·Facilitate meetings and provide necessary support to external consultants to maximize their contributions to the collaborative. 
• Serve as a product specialist by introducing the strategy to prospects, answering client questions and managing impact investor reporting deliverables. 
• Support Communications efforts around storytelling to raise awareness about the initiative, including developing website copy, branded materials, and other collateral.  
• Amplify The Miami Foundation’s role and visibility in the impact investing community by attending and speaking at relevant meetings and conferences and generating content for external distribution. 

Development Finance: 

• Apply basic principles of development and blended finance to inform the design and execution of impact investment strategies. 
• Support the development of application materials, including financial documents and investment committee review. 
• Review potential investment opportunities by performing initial due diligence including financial and impact analysis. 

Evaluation & Technical Assistance: 

• Support the provision of technical assistance workshops, such as housing developer workshops, to prospective finance recipients to enhance their capacity to participate in and benefit from the collaborative. 
• Support the development of the measurement & evaluation framework to collect appropriate KPIs. 

Other duties as assigned. 

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Essential Qualities  

• Love for Miami – The Miami Foundation team works hard every day to build a better, stronger Miami. We seek a Fellow that possesses a strong desire to develop a deep understanding of Greater Miami and the funders and nonprofits that help power our community.  
• Alignment with Foundation values – Joy. Imagination. High volume, high quality, high speed. Relationships. Sustainability. Zero drama. Deliberate, visible equity. Strong judgement and generous communication. 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills - Exceptional commitment to delivering the highest-quality customer service and ability to work with diverse stakeholders. Excellent writing and grammar skills and general communications abilities written and verbal.  
• ·Strong project and time management skills – An adeptness at using organizational methods and tools to manage multiple workstreams with ease and effectiveness, while maximizing shared visibility and accountability. 
• Proactive and solution oriented – An inclination to seek opportunities to maximize impact or overcome challenges. Creative and resourceful in seeking or developing solutions. 
• Willingness to do it all - Excellent ability to organize and prioritize multiple complex portfolios, problem solve, anticipate what’s needed next and manage time to deliver the highest quality work on time. 
• ·Entrepreneurial spirit – A passion for building innovative solutions from inception and developing the necessary processes and partnerships for their continued success. An eagerness for working across multiple functions of a project.  
• Robust commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion - A dedication to deliberately and proactively engage and partner with groups that are historically underrepresented. Passionately believing that our strength as a community is rooted in our diversity.  

Desired Experience and Skills 

• Minimum of a master's degree or equivalent work or life experience. 
• Five plus years in private markets such as real estate, private credit, or private equity, nonprofit leadership, small business finance, economic mobility, and climate resilience.
• Strong background/understanding of Miami’s community economic development landscape, including housing & climate issues. 
• Demonstrated experience in project management and program design. 
• Attention to detail and demonstrated ability to perform complex work accurately, efficiently, and completely while meeting deadlines. 
• Strong customer service orientation that is rooted in curiosity, patience, and an eagerness to learn and act as a thought partner with funders and stakeholders. 
• Ability to appropriately handle confidential information. 
• ·Demonstrated ability to act both independently and as part of a collaborative team. 
• Excellent computer, communication, and project management skills. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 suite of products (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word; AI applications such as Perplexity and Claude, and creative and collaborative product design platforms such as Canva. 
• Multilingual, written and oral, in Spanish and/or Haitian Kreyol, is a plus. 

This list of essential functions is not intended to be exhaustive. The Miami Foundation reserves the right to revise this Fellowship description as needed. 

SPECIFICS

• Fellowship available: Immediately 
• Status: Full Time, exempt (one-year term) 
• Target range: $90,000 - $100,000. The final determination of the selected Fellow’s actual pay will be based on experience and qualifications. 

We offer a comprehensive and generous benefits package which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 403(b)-retirement plan, flex spending and dependent care accounts, professional development stipend, paid time off, cell phone stipend, gym reimbursement, and the opportunity to establish a Staff Donor-Advised Fund (DAF). 

Please reach out to hr@miamifoundation.org if you need any accommodation in applying. 

The Miami Foundation’s Anti-Discrimination Policy - The Miami Foundation does not discriminate based on race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include hiring and firing staff, selecting volunteers, selecting vendors, and providing services. 

The Miami Foundation practices and champions inclusiveness. We honor the diverse strengths, needs, voices, and backgrounds of all members of our community. Candidates from traditionally marginalized communities are especially encouraged to apply.