Scholarship Program Assistant

Organization Overview

The Community Foundation Alliance was incorporated in March 1991 after Lilly Endowment announced its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) Initiative in the summer of 1990. From the beginning, the Alliance was designed to be a regional structure serving counties throughout southwestern Indiana.

Alliance organizers believed that the regional structure would allow centralized, cost-effective administration and governance of the organization. Alliance leadership also believed that the best organization would serve willing partners. Rather than creating a separate charitable non-profit corporation, a county could choose to join the Alliance by becoming an affiliate, through the creation of a named Foundation fund to serve its community.

Each county affiliate is guided by local volunteers focused on impactful grantmaking, asset development, and community leadership.

Today, the Community Foundation Alliance holds more than 1,300 named funds established by individuals, families, businesses, civic groups, and agencies to improve the quality of life in their local communities, with charitable assets over $180 million.

Position Summary

The Community Foundation Alliance (Alliance) 501(c)(3) philanthropic institution, network of affiliate community foundations serving counties in southwestern Indiana, offering donors a variety of ways to achieve charitable goals and improve quality of life in their communities. We are currently seeking a Scholarship Program Assistant to serve all counties as part of our Alliance team.

This position reports directly to the Chief Program Officer and works closely with regional program staff.

Position Specifics

• Assist with various administrative functions of the foundation’s scholarship program, including eligibility review, applicant communications, maintenance of scholarship applications and follow-up forms in the scholarship management system, preparation and maintenance of award ceremony scripts and award certificates, and social media posts.
• Update and maintain scholarship lists and ensure scholarship descriptions, criteria, award amounts, and deadlines are current on the foundation’s website.
• Assist with scholarship committee coordination, including meeting preparation, distribution of digital scoring access, communication with committee members, and development and maintenance of training materials and videos.
• Administer scholarship payment procedures, including processing scholarship acceptance and college selection forms, verifying recipient enrollment prior to disbursement, and coordinating scholarship disbursements with the accounting department.
• Monitor and process returned scholarship funds, communicate with colleges and students regarding reallocations, track refunds in database, and work with the accounting department to reallocate or return unused scholarships to funds.
• Serve as a secondary point of contact for applicants, parents, and school counselors; assist with scholarship events, information sessions, workshops, and applicant technical support related to the scholarship management system.
• Track, maintain, and report recipient information to ensure compliance with fund agreements, internal policies, and IRS guidelines.
• Support process improvement initiatives by identifying opportunities to streamline workflows within the scholarship management system and scholarship administration practices.
• Assist in developing impact reports for scholarship funds and maintain accurate documentation for compliance, auditing, and internal reporting.
• Perform general administrative duties such as data entry, correspondence, photocopying, recordkeeping, and other tasks as needed.
• Additional duties as required and/or assigned.

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; associate or bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) in education, nonprofit work, business administration, or a related field preferred. Experience with scholarship or grant programs is a plus.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to plan work, meet deadlines, and maximize available resources.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Aptitude for learning new technologies and utilizing systems that improve efficiency. Proficiency in Foundant Scholarship Lifecycle Manager and Foundant CSuite (or similar scholarship management and database software) is a plus.
• Ability to effectively interact and communicate with applicants, families, school personnel, committee members, and colleagues.
• Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, and database management.
• Nonprofit experience preferred.

Salary & Benefits

• Compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• Paid parental leave.
• Health insurance available; employees contribute a portion of the premium.
• Dental insurance available; employees are responsible for full premium.
• Life insurance.
• Short- and long-term disability.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match.
• Mileage reimbursement for business-related travel.
• Stipend for personal cell phone use.
• Some partial remote work is possible.

How to Apply

No phone calls, please. Cover letter and resume must be sent electronically, directly by email to  Chief Program Officer, Melinda Waldroup, mwaldroup@communityfoundationalliance.org.

It is the Community Foundation Alliance's policy that, as required by law, equal employment opportunities be available to all persons without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other category protected under state or local law.

Link to Apply