About the position
The Program Officer at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation is a key role focused on advancing equity-focused initiatives through collaboration with community leaders and nonprofit organizations. This position involves participatory grantmaking, relationship management, and promoting a culture of learning and innovation within the Foundation. The successful candidate will work closely with the Director of Advocacy, Community Engagement, and Equity, and will play a vital role in aligning the Foundation's resources with community priorities.
Responsibilities
- Demonstrate core organizational values in all duties, recognizing that how we work is as important as what we achieve.
- Foster positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, aligning with the goals of the Foundation.
- Nurture and maintain mutual partnerships with grantees through participatory processes, community engagement, and community-informed grantmaking.
- Represent the Foundation's priorities by collaborating with nonprofits and philanthropic partners to promote and strengthen community interests.
- Stay informed on emerging trends, strategies, and best practices in the nonprofit sector and philanthropy.
- Serve as a resource and advocate for learning about community issues among staff, donors, board members, and grantee partners.
- Provide strategic partnership and leadership in community initiatives as needed.
- Collaborate with Community Impact leaders and the ACE Director to co-create engagement, facilitation, and participatory processes for the grantmaking platform.
- Review grant applications, track active grants, and provide clear guidance on grantmaking priorities to partners.
- Analyze and synthesize grant requests for board or staff action.
- Manage data related to grantee partners and projects within the organization’s grants management system.
- Develop and maintain effective communication with internal teams and external partners, sharing insights, opportunities, and stories.
- Lead participatory grantmaking committees and facilitate community engagement sessions.
- Support the Foundation's new grantmaking processes, ensuring that community voices are integral to decision-making.
- Partner with the ACE Director to advance equity and community-focused initiatives.
- Serve as a resource for the Foundation’s community learning efforts, sharing knowledge across staff, board members, and donors.
- Support leadership in preparing materials and insights for board meetings.
Requirements
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in nonprofit organizations, government, grantmaking, philanthropy, or community engagement.
- Practical experience with public policy, community organizing, and/or social change movement strategies.
- Experience coaching or assisting nonprofit organizations in capacity-building efforts.
- Experience leading or managing complex projects to achieve outcomes.
- Significant experience in one or more of the following: Minnesota’s Indigenous and Native communities, Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee communities, Rural community development.
Nice-to-haves
- Commitment to disrupting racism and oppression in philanthropy, building a more just and equitable Minnesota.
- Effective facilitation skills with knowledge of adult learning frameworks and group decision-making processes.
- Ability to build, wield, and share social and identity power at personal, institutional, and structural levels.
- Exceptional listening skills with the ability to synthesize information.
- Strong capacity to build mutual, trust-based relationships with community stakeholders.
- Excellent storytelling skills, including public speaking, community organizing, or writing reports, case studies, or blogs.
- Confidence in learning and using technology and systems to enhance organizational processes.
- Ability to collaborate effectively on multidisciplinary teams and with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Understanding of advancing community change in rural, urban, and suburban Minnesota.
