Moraga, CA

Program Officer for Economic Security, Y & H Soda Foundation

The Organization

The Y & H Soda Foundation is a private family foundation based in Moraga, California whose mission is to support nonprofit and Catholic organizations committed to the full participation and prosperity of low-income individuals and families in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.  The Foundation has three primary funding priorities: Family Economic Success (improving the economic security of low-income people through employment and job training, asset building, and community economic development); Grassroots Community Organizing (lifting up the voices and strengthening the leadership of low-income community members to participate in the public policy discussions that affect their lives and communities); and Immigration Legal Services (helping eligible community members adjust their legal status so they can participate more fully in community life).  The Foundation will distribute $5 million in total grants in 2018; approximately $2.5 million in the Family Economic Success portfolio.

Position Overview

Position Responsibilities:

·       Solicit and review grant proposals. Conduct thorough due diligence and assessment of requests, including site visits when appropriate.

·       Analyze financial statements and determine financial health of applicant organizations.

·       Prepare written proposal summaries and make oral presentations to the Board of Directors, including funding recommendations.

·       Monitor progress of grantees to assist in their success in achieving key objectives. Serve as primary contact in negotiating and resolving issues for the grantees.

·       Under the supervision of the CEO, develop collaborative projects in cooperation with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other funders where the project has a shared interest with the Foundation’s mission and programmatic priorities.

·       Initiate community outreach and serve as a liaison between the Foundation and grant seekers.

·       Provide coaching, support, and technical assistance to grantees, as needed.

·       Participate as an active member of the Program team, providing collegial support to other team members and collaborating in cross-program area projects and initiatives.

·       Stay up to date on issues and trends in workforce development and asset building, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector.  Maintain a working knowledge and professional working relationships in the Family Economic Success program area.

·       Assess changing community needs that pertain to the Foundation’s grants program, and prepare periodic policy issue reports for presentation to and discussion with the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

·       Represent the Foundation in relevant local funder collaboratives, including Bay Area Workforce Funders Collaborative and Bay Area Asset Funders Network.

·       Represent the Foundation on external committees, panels, and affinity groups, as needed, and remain professionally linked with other local and national developments in the economic security field.

 

Education and Experience:

·       A Bachelor’s degree is required.  An advanced degree in a relevant discipline is strongly preferred.  A minimum of ten years of professional experience as a practitioner and/or grantmaker in the field of economic security is required.

·       A strong knowledge of economic security strategies and practice is required.

·       Knowledge of workforce and asset building programs and efforts in Alameda and Contra Costa (both nonprofit and public); recent practitioner or grantmaking experience in the East Bay is strongly preferred.

·       Knowledge of “best practice” strategies and strong local practitioners in workforce development, job creation, microenterprise, and asset building.

·       Knowledge of national, state, and local public policy issues and opportunities related to Family Economic Success strategies.

·       Familiarity with public sector workforce development system and funding streams, including public benefits, WIOA, community college system.

·       Familiarity with community economic development models and principles.

·       Knowledge of theories and research on root causes of poverty and poverty alleviation strategies.

·       Experience in nonprofit capacity building; including organizational development, program design, leadership development, and fund development.

·       Experience with program evaluation and knowledge of effective approaches for assessing grantee performance and grantmaking impact.

·       Knowledge of racial equity concepts and practices and commitment to racial justice.

·       Demonstrated leadership in bringing diverse constituents together to achieve a common agenda.

·       Experience that demonstrates the ability to conceptualize, administer, evaluate, and communicate with Family Economic Success programs is essential. Candidates must be interdisciplinary thinkers and knowledgeable of the complex issues and factors that produce and shape poverty in the East Bay.

Desired Skills:

·       Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills.

·       Excellent written communications skills; ability to adapt writing to different audiences.

·       Excellent verbal skills including public speaking and presentation skills.

·       Facilitation skills, including knowledge of group process, consensus building, and team-building strategies.

·       Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations and communities.

·       Strong diplomatic skills and cultural fluency: ability to effectively and comfortably represent the Foundation across a wide variety of settings from grassroots neighborhood meetings to corporate boardrooms.

·       Appreciation of the power dynamics that shape grantmaking relationships and a commitment to building trust, two-way accountability, and mutual respect with grantees.

·       Strong knowledge, expertise and experience working and partnering with nonprofits, government, and business sectors, ideally in the East Bay.

·       Ability to take both the leader and follower roles as the situation requires.

·       High integrity, honesty, and a commitment to quality.

·       Strong emotional intelligence.

·       Flexibility, adaptability, comfort with ambiguity.

·       Excellent organizational skills: ability to multi-task, track multiple projects, meet deadlines and set priorities.

·       Ability to work independently, and with others in a small, collaborative staff environment with an emphasis on learning and continuous improvement.

·       Ability to read and effectively analyze nonprofit financial reports and budgets.

·       Computer Literacy: proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

·       Experience with database management software; Salesforce a plus.

·       A demonstrated commitment to racial, social, and economic equity and a sincere dedication to the mission of the Y & H Soda Foundation and an alignment with our organizational values.

How To Apply

Compensation:

The Foundation provides competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package, including: medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, and retirement benefits.

How to apply:

Please send your resume and a short cover letter about your interest in the role to: program-assistant@yhsodafoundation.org.  Please use “Program Officer Application” as the subject line.  Although all applications will be considered, we are unable to respond to individual inquiries.  The application deadline is Thursday, February 15, 2018; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis so early submission is encouraged.

The Y & H Soda Foundation is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment and our organizational policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, military service, legally protected medical condition or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state or local laws. 

www.yhsodafoundation.org

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