Community Leadership Officer- This position serves as the primary liaison with grant seekers, grant recipients, nonprofits, and community-based organizations, facilitating interactions with applicants, grantees, and internal stakeholders.
About us:
The Indianapolis Foundation was one of the very first community foundations in the United States. It was created by Fletcher Savings and Trust Company president Evans Woolen and two other banks in 1916, received its first gift in 1920, and made its first grant in 1924. In the years and decades that followed, the Indianapolis Foundation became a force for good in the community as it sought to achieve the goal articulated by its first executive director, Eugene Foster: “To help in making Indianapolis not the biggest city, but rather, the best city in the land.”
In 1997, the Indianapolis Foundation partnered with Hamilton County Community Foundation, then known as the Legacy Fund, to form Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). Central Indiana Community Foundation, the Indianapolis Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana are a $1 billion collective of philanthropic organizations committed to making Central Indiana a community where all individuals have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential – no matter place, race or identity. Our values include anti-racism, authentic relationships, inclusivity, leadership, effectiveness and sustainability.
What We’re Looking For:
The Community Leadership Officer (CLO) will support and administer the grantmaking activities of the Indianapolis Foundation, providing generalist expertise in various subjects matters, conducting due diligence of grant proposals and making funding recommendations aligned with the strategic priorities of the Foundation. This position serves as the primary liaison with grant seekers, grant recipients, nonprofits, and community-based organizations, facilitating interactions with applicants, grantees, and internal stakeholders. The ideal candidate will be detail oriented, have strong analytical skills, and have a passion for community leadership and philanthropy.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
The following are the essential responsibilities and requirements necessary for a person to do this job:
Grant Making and Analysis:
- Review and analyze grant proposals, assessing the alignment with the Foundation’s rubric developed on the equity priorities, housing, health, economic, and environment.
- Conduct due diligence on potential grantees.
- Prepare summaries and recommendations for grant proposals to assist senior staff in a decision-making process.
- Provide leadership, direction, and management of special funds such as The Library Fund or the Summer Youth Program Fund.
Subject Matter Expertise:
- Maintain a generalist understanding of various subject areas relevant to equity priorities.
- A background in youth development, i.e., teaching, literacy, experiential learning, and equity related program development and/or grant making.
- Assist in the development of funding priorities and strategies based on research and analysis of community needs and racial equity.
Communication and Relationship Management:
- Serve as a primary point of contact for grant applicants and grantees in the assigned portfolio. Provide timely information on the grantmaking process, application requirements, and reporting expectations.
- Foster positive relationships with grantees, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, ensuring effective communications and support throughout the grant.
- Coordinate and facilitate communication between internal teams and external stakeholders, including community organizations, funders, and partners.
Support for Grantmaking Process:
- Assist in the development and refinement of grant application materials, guidelines, and evaluation.
- Track and manage grant application submissions, ensuring timely processing, notifications, and adherence to deadlines.
- Participate in grant review meetings, providing insights and recommendations based on thorough analysis of proposals.
Reporting and Documentation:
- Assist in the preparation of reports and presentations on grantmaking activities, outcomes, and impact for internal and external stakeholders.
- Maintain accurate records of grant applications, decisions, and correspondence in the foundation’s database.
- Support the evaluation of funded projects, collecting data and feedback to inform future grant making strategies.
Special Fund Support:
- Manage the grantmaking process for special funds.
- Convene stakeholders of special funds and maintain partnerships in advancing goals and impact of such funds.
Donor Support:
- Assist in supporting the development of materials and presentations that are compelling for donors advised fund holders.
- Provide due diligence and recommendations for applications to family foundations and funds.
Requirements
The following are the qualifications and minimum requirements necessary for a person to do this job:
- Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields (social work, nonprofit management, public administration, liberal arts, or related)
- Minimum of two years in the not-for-profit or public sector with experience in grantmaking, project management, and task group management preferred.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to discuss multiple concepts with others.
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team and work independently with moderate supervision.
- Ability to organize, facilitate, and manage projects and meetings in an efficient and effective manner.
- Excellent organizational and workload prioritizing skills.
- Working knowledge of general office equipment, including computer-based word processing and spreadsheet packages, proficiency with MS Office products preferred. Experience working on the Internet and with integrated database software preferred.
- Ability to work evenings and weekends, as necessary.
- Ability to travel and attend off-site events, such as community events and meetings.
WORKING CONDITIONS: Open office environment. Monday and Friday are remote, however, onsite meetings or in person interactions with organizations as needed scheduled as needed.
What You Get:
- $71,667 salary plus generous benefits, including:
- Employer-provided health, dental, vision
- 7% percent employer discretionary 403b contribution
- 10.5 paid holidays, including MLK Day and Juneteenth
- Flexible, hybrid work arrangement - Work from home on Mondays and Fridays
- Homebase–Downtown, Indianapolis
- An opportunity to do meaningful, results-driven work with a passionate, diverse team, supporting organizations that are committed to building and maintaining a strong, equitable and supportive culture for our team of changemakers.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT:
Central Indiana Community Foundation, The Indianapolis Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana are equal opportunity employers that seek to recruit persons of diverse backgrounds and to support their retention and advancement. We are committed to fostering a workplace culture where employees and applicants are to be provided a full and fair opportunity for employment, career advancement and access to programs without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, disability (physical or mental), sex, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or parental status.
Our mission is to mobilize people, ideas and investments to make Central Indiana a community where all individuals have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential—no matter place, race or identity.