Program Officer, Power and Leadership
In 1951, our city’s (then) four largest financial institutions created the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. That year, the Community Foundation made $450,000 in grants to local nonprofits.
Today, the Community Foundation donates an estimated $140 million annually, making us one of the largest philanthropic service organizations in the Southeast.
Still, the needs in our community are pressing and we need to move with the urgency of now to address them. The Community Foundation has unequivocally embraced equity as the Foundation’s #1 priority. Named TogetherATL, this strategy provides a blueprint for how the Community Foundation will champion equity and lead boldly in collaboration with our community partners to work TOGETHER to secure prosperity for all throughout the region.
The TogetherATL strategy is focused on place-based, systems level change with an emphasis on four distinct yet overlapping issue areas: housing; equity in the arts sector; growing power and leadership among communities of color, and addressing income and wealth gaps that exist across race.
The Power and Leadership TogetherATL Fund seeks to ensure that everyone in Atlanta has a voice and is empowered to use it. Through get-out-the-vote efforts and community organizing, the Fund aims to increase civic engagement and voter participation rates in communities of color such that they are equal to or exceed the national average by 2026, thereby shifting power into the hands of the community.
Reporting to the Vice President, Community Impact, the Program Officer is responsible for managing the Power and Leadership portfolio of the Foundation’s TogetherATL strategy. The role represents a unique opportunity to foster the social justice and shared prosperity that support transformative change.
The Program Officer, Power and Leadership will be responsible for representing the organization externally; building and nurturing partnerships with nonprofit partners, public institutions, aligned funders, community collaborative networks, and movement leaders in civic engagement and democracy. They will also provide program leadership and coordination for the Foundation’s Vote Your Voice Initiative, a partnership between the Foundation and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The Program Officer, Power and Leadership will also:
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- manage and build the Power and Leadership grants portfolio by conducting extensive outreach and rigorous due diligence, including review of grantee budgets and financial statements, to identify, prepare recommendations for funding and then support grantees through on-going communications, site visits, progress monitoring and supporting adaptations to achieve desired impact;
- in partnership with the SPLC committee, design and co-manage an effective strategy for the Vote Your Voice 10-year grantmaking strategy, with an annual budget of approximately $10 million, inalignment with the Power and Leadership and TogetherATL goals and objectives;
- identify and establish partnerships within non-profit, policy and philanthropic sectors to inform grant-making;
- support program communications internally, with grantee partners, and the field more broadly by assisting with the preparation of relevant reports, such as monthly, bi- annual and annual reports and newsletters, and coordinating and/or leading webinars to share grantee efforts and promote learning;
- help plan and facilitate learning opportunities for grant recipients and support grant recipients to monitor and track the impact of projects funded;
- build honest and responsive relationships with current and potential grantees;
- use data and knowledge gathered in the field to inform learning and grantmaking;
- remain up-to-date on emerging issues, trends, and research related to portfolio and organizational goals and,
- as needed, supervise direct report(s) and consultants; including recruiting, hiring, orienting, coaching, and providing ongoing feedback; performance planning, evaluation, and professional development.
The Program Officer will be a key member of the Community team, collaborating with colleagues across the organization to help shape and lead the Foundation’s new strategic plan. Above all, you will have a track record that demonstrates your deep commitment to increasing the power, agency and resources of underrepresented communities. You approach your work with humility and curiosity, think creatively, and meet challenges with initiative and a range of solutions. You have a propensity for thoughtfully considered, well-planned risk-taking, you are an adept communicator and highly collaborative. While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications outlined below, successful candidates will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:
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- Six or more years of professional experience in civic engagement, voting rights or democracy work
- An asset-based view on community, and a perspective informed by both lived experience and professional engagement
- Experience with nonprofit organizations that encompasses programming, policy, budgeting, governance, leadership and management
- The ability to analyze data and research, and appropriately assess impact, scale trajectory, financial sustainability, leadership / team strength, and other key success factors of potential portfolio organizations
- The capacity to derive important insights from the analysis above, name strengths, weaknesses, and assumptions, and, ultimately, to make sound recommendations on investments
- Excellent written skills, as evidenced by the ability to write strong assessments and recommendations with appropriate supporting rationale
- Excellent oral communication skills, as evidenced by the ability to clearly and succinctly present perspectives with appropriate supporting rationale, and by the ability to be persuasive and influence others orally
- Excellent project management skills
- Flexibility, resourcefulness, creativity, sound judgment, self-awareness and emotional EQ
- The ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and competing priorities and to use data to strengthen decision-making
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word;
- A Bachelor’s degree
OTHER
All employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (medical and religious exemption accommodation possible) within 30 days of hire.
The Community Foundation operates in a hybrid working environment with staff working in-office three days per week and the opportunity to work remotely two days per week if in good standing.
COMPENSATION
To be determined based upon experience and qualifications within the anticipated salary range of $80,000-$90,000. This position is exempt and includes eligibility for the Foundation’s competitive health and benefits plan:
Paid time off:
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- Two weeks accrued paid vacation
- Two weeks accrued paid sick leave
- Four mental health days
- Two personal day
- Two floating holidays
- Ten holidays
Benefits:
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- All benefits effective on date of hire – no waiting period
- 100% employer-paid benefits (medical, dental, vision) for employee-only insurance plans o 100% employer-paid life insurance and AD&D
- 100% employer-paid short-term disability and long-term disability
- 100% employer-paid parking in downtown Atlanta or monthly MARTA card
- Affordable plans for legal insurance, critical illness, supplemental life, and more
- Employee Assistance Program
Retirement:
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- Immediate eligibility for employee contribution to 403b plan
- After two-year anniversary with organization, all employees receive an employer-paid contribution of 6% of their salary to a SEP-IRA plan regardless if the employee contributes to retirement
Culture and Development:
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- Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for each team member including trainings, resources, development opportunities, etc.
- Two wellness rooms for mental health with self-care items
- Fun monthly employee engagement activities
TO APPLY
We have engaged Promise54 to support the hiring process.
Review of applications will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. For best consideration, please follow these instructions to submit a cover letter and resume:
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- Visit the Opportunities section on Promise54’s website and click on the APPLY NOW tab within the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Program Officer, Power and Leadership position description
- Answer a brief set of questions about you
- Below the questions, you’ll be able to upload your resume as well as a cover letter
Finally, if you encounter any technical difficulties, please contact: admin@promise54.org.
The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta values diversity and inclusion; we honor the diverse needs, strengths, voices, and backgrounds of all individuals in our regional community.
Please complete the form below to submit your application:
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