Position Summary:

The Senior Grants Program Officer is responsible for implementing the strategic priority of community wealth building through a combination of grantmaking and community outreach. The Community Wealth Building strategy builds the rural bases of knowledge, money, workforce, entrepreneurship, and investment across communities, regions, and systems and keeps those powerful resources close to home. This position reviews and evaluates grant proposals, writes funding recommendations, monitors grant performance, and fosters grantee and community relationships to promote mutual accountability to ensure alignment with the Foundation’s mission, strategic direction, and annual workplans. 

The Senior Grants Program Officer identifies fundable programs and community leaders who can champion programs after funding. The position requires collaboration with colleagues, peers in the field of philanthropy, and partners such as public funders, proactively seeking opportunities to inform and improve the Foundation’s grantmaking practices to carry out the Foundation’s mission, vision, and strategies.

Essential Accountabilities:

1. Grantmaking
2. Manages a portfolio of grants to further the foundation’s strategic outcomes around the 5 pillars of Community Wealth Building.
3. Reviews and analyzes grant proposals.
4. Develops and synthesizes additional data and information regarding proposals through site visits, interviews, financial reviews, and other means, as needed.
5. Prepares grant funding recommendations to staff and Board.
6. Communicates funding decisions to grant applicants.
7. Monitors assigned grants’ performance and impact and collaborates with internal teams to ensure integrated programming and alignment with the Foundation’s mission, vision, and strategies.
8. Serves as primary contact for assigned grantees and fosters grantee and community relationships to promote mutual accountability to the Foundation’s mission, vision, and strategies.

1. Community Outreach
2. Identifies and participates in opportunities within communities to promote community planning and development that aligns with Community Wealth Building principles.
3. Shares portfolio expertise with stakeholders and media when appropriate. Represents the Foundation at conferences and community meetings and events, with occasional speaking roles, as appropriate.
4. Identifies fundable programs and community leaders who can champion programs after funding.
5. Develops and executes plans to identify and partner with community leaders and influencers.
6. Builds and enhances relationships and partnerships within communities.
7. Promotes and facilitates coalition building to support systems change initiatives.

1. Continuous Quality Improvement
2. Monitors, evaluates, and reports on the progress of grantee organizations, impacts of grants, and integrates knowledge into program activities for continuous quality improvement.
3. Keeps accurate records of grantee interactions in grants management database.
4. Participates and collaborates with others in the field of philanthropy and public funders to carry out the Foundation’s Mission and strategies.
5. Stays open and flexible to new ways of working with communities, organizations, and other funders.
6. Works collaboratively across the Foundation functions and seeks ways to strategically integrate programming.
7. Keeps current on best practices and developments in the field.