Position Description: 

About the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation:

The Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation seeks to promote access to educational opportunities and to improve the quality of life in the North Shore communities of Cook, Lake, and southern St. Louis Counties through grantmaking in the areas of arts and culture, community and economic development, education, the environment, and social welfare programs to qualified organizations.

Since establishing formal operations in 2007, the Foundation has awarded over $15M in grants and nearly $900k in scholarships.

Position Summary:

The Program Officer reports to the Executive Director and supports the grantmaking activities of the foundation. Grantmaking activities are conducted through cultivating and stewarding relationships with community members and organizations, analyzing and identifying grantmaking opportunities, and collaborating with staff and board members to meet the mission of the foundation.

This is a full time, 32-hour a week position.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Community Relationships

• Maintain open lines of communication with nonprofit organizations across the foundation’s service area, both initiating contact and responding to requests for dialogue and information.
• Be knowledgeable about issues and trends in the community that impact the work of the foundation. Identify emerging trends in the service area to inform the board of community needs and potential granting opportunities.
• Build and steward strong professional relationships with past and current grantees.
• Convene grantees as appropriate for listening sessions, networking opportunities, and/or professional development opportunities.
• Seek out and participate in community meetings and events throughout the foundation’s service area related to Program Officer job responsibilities that inform and promote the foundation’s philanthropic interests.
• Be responsive and accessible to organizations and other stakeholders that can demonstrate a connection to the foundation’s grantmaking priorities and provide technical assistance and referrals to other resources as appropriate.
• Work with the Executive Director to explore and take advantage of opportunities to share the foundation’s work with a larger audience through communications, workshop and conference presentations, panel discussions, etc., and engage other staff and board members in these efforts as appropriate.

Grantmaking Activities

• Communicate grant round information (full grant and short form) to potential grantees, and advise them as to eligibility, and application process.
• Field inquiry conversation requests from potential grantees at the beginning of each grant round and conduct initial screening for eligibility. Schedule and conduct inquiry conversations with grantees. Document inquiry conversations for foundation records.
• Consult with the Executive Director on inquiry conversations as to encouragement or discouragement for grant round, and requested amount. Document decision for foundation records and communicate decision and next steps to applicant.
• Serve as primary point of contact for applicants throughout grant cycle, advising as to inclusion of supporting documents, answering questions about grant content, and assisting with technical issues.
• Ensure timely and complete submission of full applications for each grant cycle. Collaborate with Administrative Support Specialist to ensure due diligence completed on all applications.
• Review all full applications and prepare for distribution to board members in advance of site visits.
• Coordinate with applicants and board members to schedule and conduct site visits, gathering supplemental information to grantee application to further inform board granting decision. Debrief with board member in attendance post-site visit.
• Draft Staff Report and work with Executive Director on recommendations for dissemination to board of directors in preparation for board meeting and board granting decision for each grant round.
• Communicate final grant awards to grantees. Work with Executive Director to prepare and send grant agreements, collect and process returned signed grant agreements and distribute grant checks.
• Serve as main point of contact for requests of grant extensions from grantees, work in consultation with Executive Director to approve, and process appropriate paperwork and communications with grantee.
• In coordination with Administrative Support Specialist, communicate with grantees regarding deadlines for grant final reports. Review submitted final reports and budgets. Communicate with grantees regarding any inconsistencies, or any unspent funds needed to be returned. Draft close out reports for foundation records and distribution to board of directors. Work with Executive Director to send closing letter and Administrative Support Specialist to distribute final reports to board on quarterly basis.
• On continual basis, manage abbreviated grants process for short form grant applications. Field, screen and conduct inquiry conversation with grantees. Consult and advise Executive Director as to encouragement or discouragement. Draft Staff Report for Executive Director and board review. Inform grantee of final award decision, and work with Executive Director to prepare and send grant agreements, collect and process signed grant agreements and distribute grant checks.

Grants Management

• Coordinate with Administrative Support Specialist to optimize use of database as a tool for both foundation and applicants, and to maintain ongoing integrity of database.
• Working with Executive Director, support board of directors in their grantmaking capacity, identifying opportunities for education, engagement, and process adjustment.
• In partnership with Executive Director, review foundation funding priorities including: remaining apprised of best practices in foundation grantmaking, working with board to clarify and amplify foundation values, and regular dialogue and tools to ensure that the foundation’s resources are being used for the greatest community impact.
• Maintain and track data on grantmaking to support organization learning and understanding of impact of grants.

Key Qualifications:

Broad understanding of nonprofits and their work in our region: opportunities, challenges, trends, management structures, fundraising approaches, etc.

• Familiarity with and appreciation for the strengths, challenges, and unique qualities of the counties served by the foundation: Southern Saint Louis, Lake, and Cook.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to listen carefully and build connections with diverse communities with cultural humility and a willingness to learn.
• Ability to think creatively and strategically about the broad goals of the foundation while remaining focused on the detail-oriented work and follow-through required in this position.
• Strong analytical skills, and the ability to understand the feasibility, possibility, and challenges of a wide range of grant proposals.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, and both formal and informal.
• Ability to plan, organize, and accurately follow through on grant management activities.
• Past experience working in the nonprofit sector within the interest areas of the Foundation.

Jobs Data:

Classification:  Exempt, Full Time (32 hours/week)

Starting Salary:   $55,000/year

Benefits:   We offer retirement contributions to a company-sponsored SIMPLE IRA plan; vacation, sick, and holiday leave; and cover 80% of the cost of the premium for an individual health plan. 

Location:   This position is remote/hybrid based. The successful candidate should be based within the service area of the foundation, have access to reliable broadband service.

Schedule:   The position is for 32 hours a week and will require flexibility with the schedule. Evening and weekend work may be required on occasion. The position will involve significant regional travel.

 

To Apply:

Send a cover letter, resume, and three or more professional references to etorch@lloydkjohnsonfoundation.org with Program Officer in the subject line.

Applications are due Friday July 7^th by 4:00 pm.