Kansas City, MO

Program Officer- Kansas City Civic, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

The Organization

BACKGROUND

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the Kauffman Foundation is among the largest foundations in the United States with an asset base of approximately $2 billion.

The Foundation’s vision is to foster “a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens, contributing to the improvement of their communities.” In service of this vision, we focus our grant making and operations on two areas—education and entrepreneurship—which our founder, Ewing Kauffman, saw as two ends of a continuum. A quality education is the foundation for self-sufficiency, preparing young people for success in college and in life. Many young adults will work in businesses started by entrepreneurs. Some will become entrepreneurs themselves, providing jobs and wealth for society.

Our mission:

To help individuals attain economic independence by advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success, consistent with the aspirations of our founder, Ewing Marion Kauffman.

Position Overview

Specific Responsibilities include:

·       Identify quality afterschool enrichment programs consistent with our afterschool initiative and budget—and make recommendations for funding.

  • Review and respond to unsolicited grant requests and inquiries from both internal and external sources related to afterschool grantees and other prospects.
  • Have a wide range of content knowledge on all issues that are of interest to the department.  May be asked to support other work as needed to advance the KC Civic strategy.
  • Builds relationships to advance department and individual goals.
  • Represents the Foundation by attending meetings and/or accepting speaking engagements both locally and regionally.

Grant Making Responsibilities:

  • Rigorously evaluates potential grantees based on financial and organizational capacity, as well as strategic fit.
  • Identify program partners for implementation; review proposals, develop grants and present proposals for consideration.
  • Oversee grant portfolio with strong emphasis on programmatic impact, quality, and stewardship.
  • Review grant proposals submitted, and present grant write up for approval.  Ensure grants are aligned with program strategies and provide clear, concise, and insightful written analysis and recommendations for funding including drafting and editing proposal summaries and progress reports for existing grants for review.
  • Report clearly defined outcomes/metrics.
  • Manage and oversee assigned grant portfolio, including monitoring grantee spending and performance:

Monitor grantee performance through analysis of outcome data, grantee reports and site visits.

Establish goals, outcomes and metrics to be achieved with each grantee over the term of the

grant, documented in contract   .

Identify grantee challenges, develop recommendations for interventions.  Track effectiveness of

interventions

Manage forecast spending and budget planning on all grants; determine reporting requirements

and payment schedule – keep supervisor informed of budget related issues (over or

underspend).

  • Report grant status updates, assist with the preparation reports and information for board meetings, and collaborate with other areas in the Foundation.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Education: Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent years of experience in public administration, business administration or related field.

Work Experience: Minimum five years of relevant experience in philanthropy or related work experience.

Travel: This position may require up to 10% business travel.

QUALIFICATIONS

Qualified incumbents for this position must be highly motivated, capable of self-direction, detail oriented, and able to work collaboratively in a teamwork capacity.  Incumbents must exhibit a keen sense of responsibility and enjoy working with multiple demands, shifting priorities, and constant change.

  • Has a deep understanding and appreciation for the KC Civic strategy.
  • Has at least four years’ experience doing education work similarly aligned with the Foundation’s strategic education priorities.
  • Understands the Foundation and Donor Intent.
  • Proven excellent communications skills (written, verbal, presentation skills) with an emphasis on writing and proposal related research and due diligence.
  • Ability to work independently with a demonstrated understanding of the department’s strategy to explore investment ideas/initiatives without continuous supervisor by the director.
  • Proven organizational skills and the ability to successfully manage multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Has distinctive problem solving and analytical skills, combined with solid judgment and decision-making abilities with respect to grant-making.
  • Possesses a keen sense of responsibility to make sure all details have been covered and deadlines are met.
  • Should have a personal values system that encompasses the highest standards of humility, humor, stewardship, respect, excellence, openness and professional ethics reflective of the Kauffman Foundation.
  • Ability to adapt to new software including but not limited to: Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel and Fluxx).
  • Ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders to achieve desired results.
  • Has at least two years’ experience developing agreements with organizations, institutions, or individuals related to program implementation.
  • Demonstrates project management experience across a range of activities and contexts.

All of the statements in this position description are intended to describe the general nature of the work being performed, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. This document describes the position currently available.  The organization reserves the right to modify job duties or job descriptions at any time.

How To Apply

Apply here.

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