Winston-Salem, NC

Strategic Initiatives Officer, The Winston-Salem Foundation

The Organization

ABOUT THE WINSTON-SALEM FOUNDATION

We are a nonprofit community foundation, comprised of over 1,600 funds, that assists people and organizations with their charitable giving, provides financial aid to college students, amplifies collective impact through our strategic initiatives, and makes grants and partnerships with nonprofits and community groups to strengthen Forsyth County. We are the oldest foundation in North Carolina, and we are one of the oldest community foundations in the country. Since 2018, we have deepened our understanding of and commitment to racial equity as both a priority in our work in the community and as a hallmark of our organizational culture.

Our vision:

A generous and trusting community where everyone is thriving.

Our mission:

We inspire giving and link resources to action, strengthening Forsyth County—now and forever.

Our values:

  • Inclusion – we practice and champion inclusion, honoring the strengths and experiences of all in our community.
  •  Accountability – we honor the intentions of our donors and partners and hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics, service, and stewardship.
  • Continuous Learning – we are committed to learning and evolving with our community and our partners.

The Foundation recently completed a strategic roadmap that highlights key areas of focus in the coming years. The strategic initiatives officer will play an integral role in working with others to implement the plan as we work to achieve the following strategic goals outlined in the roadmap:

  • A diverse and expanded group of people dedicated to making Forsyth County stronger and more equitable through the pooling of time, talent, and treasure
  • Greater investments of both financial and human capital to make Forsyth County stronger and more equitable
  • A sustainable and equity-focused operation that enables The Winston-Salem Foundation to effectively leverage our assets to support our community and our operations
  • A collaborative anti-racist workplace where all staff thrive

HYBRID WORK SCHEDULE

The Foundation offers a hybrid schedule where staff work in person for part of the week and have the option to work remotely on other days. Our offices are in downtown Winston-Salem.

Position Overview

The strategic initiatives officer will provide leadership over the grantmaking and community engagement functions for The Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem (WF) and the Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI). The strategic initiatives officer will work with various volunteer committees of both initiatives as well as develop relationships with potential and current nonprofit partners. The strategic initiatives officer will report to the director, strategic initiatives.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES

All staff work together to live out the Foundation’s mission, values, and equity commitment. Each person actively participates in education sessions, work groups, and other formal and informal opportunities to learn about, deepen, and operationalize our shared commitment to racial equity.

Programs, Events & Grantmaking:

  • Manage volunteer subcommittees focused on grantmaking and community engagement for BPI and WF
  • Work with the initiatives’ committees to coordinate and execute special events and programs including the WF annual luncheon and BPI annual event
  • Facilitate, along with the strategic initiatives manager, the annual grants processes for the initiatives, including working with the committees to review, revise, and distribute grant guidelines and requests for proposals, provide technical assistance to prospective applicants, and oversee the grant review and monitoring processes
  • Develop and maintain partnerships with initiative volunteers, nonprofits, individuals with lived experience, and other key decision makers to further the grantmaking and community engagement work of the initiatives
  • Engage actively with community members and organizations to ensure the initiatives are learning about and from their work
  •  Stay informed on community issues, as well as current events and public policy
  • Consult with prospective grantees and assist nonprofit organizations in their interactions with the Foundation
  • Research and review grant proposals by gathering and assessing relevant information, and interpreting it effectively to help the Grants Committees of the initiatives make more informed decisions
  • Build meaningful relationships with grantees and other groups that help BPI and WF better understand how to support work that aligns with their missions

Communications:

  • Support the production of written and other marketing materials, including newsletters, member/prospect mailings, collateral materials, special brochures, press releases, and other publications
  • Provide support in developing social media presence for BPI and WF
  • Provide support to the strategic initiatives manager and communications staff in coordinating the initiatives’ public relations efforts, including press releases and other types of correspondence to current and prospective initiative donors and the community-at-large
  • Represent the initiatives by making public presentations and participating in community councils, advisory committees, and other events as appropriate
  • Participate in meetings/events that support the missions of the initiatives and The Winston-Salem Foundation at-large

    Other Related Activities:

  • Actively participate as a member of the strategic initiatives department and strategy and culture team, attend regular meetings, and collaborate on special projects
  • Participate in the Foundation’s regular staff and internal meetings and collaborate with internal departments, as needed
  • Other assignments and special projects as needed

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Broad experience working in nonprofit or public organizations as well as planning and executing meetings and events
  • Proven skillful relationship-builder and communicator with the ability to build trust
  • Proven ability to interact respectfully with people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures
  • Deep understanding of racial and gender equity and experience in applying a racial and gender lens in paid or volunteer work
  • Strong strategic, problem-solving skills, flexibility, and a demonstrated ability to organize and manage multiple tasks at once and work to accomplish goals
  • Demonstrated ability to see the big picture while remaining grounded in the day-to-day execution of tasks and responsibilities
  • Demonstrated ability to understand power dynamics in relationships and to use inquiry to assess complex challenges
  • Proven ability to work independently and to be self-motivated
  • Commitment to the Foundation’s values and to being active in the Forsyth County community
  • Commitment to continuous learning, creativity, and experimentation
  • High-level of comfort with technology, ability to learn and adopt computer programs quickly, and ability to effectively integrate that technology into daily work

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary range starts at $65,000, commensurate with experience. Benefits include generous paid time off (PTO) and holidays. Health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, and parental leave begin the first of the month following 30 days of employment. Eligibility for the defined benefit retirement plan begins after one year of service. Other optional benefits include a flexible benefits plan, supplemental insurance with AFLAC, an employee supplemental retirement plan, a charitable match program, and tuition and fee reimbursement.

The Winston-Salem Foundation is committed to building a staff that reflects the community served by the Foundation’s mission and strategic priorities and we invite applicants that represent our diverse community.

How To Apply

To apply, please visit https://wsfoundation.org/careers.com The application deadline is 5:00pm on Monday, October 10.

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