Program Officer for Northern Willamette Valley
Location: Salem, OR
Hybrid Eligibility: Hybrid
Salary: $76,000 to $90,000 DOE
Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Application Deadline: 10/10/3024
About Us:
Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) was founded in 1973 with a big mission: to improve the lives of all Oregonians through the power of philanthropy. In partnership with donors and volunteers, OCF works to strengthen communities in every county in Oregon through research, grantmaking, and scholarships. OCF is one of the largest community foundations in the country with over $3 billion in assets under management. In 2023, OCF distributed more than $200 million in grants and scholarships.
OCF is an Equal Opportunity Employer with five offices throughout Oregon in Bend, Eugene, Medford, Portland, and Salem. Our cultural values include effective communication, respect, accountability, innovation, proactivity, and equity.
Come join our team. To learn more, please visit www.oregoncf.org
About You:
- Knowledgeable: You have extensive knowledge of the Northern Willamette Valley region and strong interest in or knowledge of philanthropy.
- Relational: You have excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop and maintain relationships, and you have the cultural agility skills necessary to work with diverse people, teams, and communities.
- Team Coordinator: You have experience coordinating team efforts within an organization or community involving staff, volunteers, and/or community members.
- Analytical and Critical Thinker: Able to analyze, think critically, and clearly explain alternatives.
- Adaptable: You are comfortable navigating ambiguous and complex situations and can work independently and take initiative as needed.
- Communicator: Outstanding oral and written communication skills, including public speaking and meeting facilitator.
- Organized: Strong project and time management skills, able to prioritize and manage several projects concurrently, organized, and efficiently.
- Collaborative Leader: You are collaborative, capable of addressing conflicting needs, assigning tasks appropriately and diplomatically, and partnering across departments.
Job Summary and Responsibilities:
The Program Officer for the Northern Willamette Valley, in coordination with the Senior Program Officer Statewide (SPOS) and other program staff, leads a portfolio of community engagement and volunteerism activities and programs, including the Community Grants Program, based in the Salem OCF office. This position furthers the Foundation’s engagement of Oregonians from the Northern Willamette Valley region (Marion, Polk, Yamhill Counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde), representing diverse communities in implementing solutions to locally identified needs, and coordinates involvement of community members as OCF volunteers and advisors.
Community Engagement, Partnerships, and Collaboration (55%):
- Act as a public representative for OCF's programming related to the Northern Willamette Valley region; deliver community presentations and meetings with other foundations; communicate with Board, Leadership Councils, staff and external partners in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
- Represent OCF at meetings with public agencies, policy makers and other key stakeholders, and at local and national conferences and events in order to share OCF’s work and impact; serve on statewide or regional committees or task forces.
- Conduct outreach, communicate with, and develop relationships with grant seekers and other constituents statewide about foundation priorities, guidelines, grant opportunities and grant decisions.
- Plan, implement and evaluate community engagement strategies to strengthen relationships and establish trust, build capacity, and provide meaningful opportunities for community involvement in OCF's community impact work.
- Identify opportunities for volunteer engagement; participate in volunteer engagement trainings; adhere to volunteer management practices/policies to ensure alignment across OCF.
- Collaborate with staff to support current and prospective donors, provide high quality donor stewardship, support donor and Leadership Council engagement, communications, materials, meetings, and special projects statewide.
- Assist Donor Relations Officers in providing research and analysis about community issues, nonprofits, and grant applications.
- Collaborate with staff to develop and execute communications that increase stakeholder awareness and engagement about the Northern Willamette Valley region.
- Create reports to externally communicate progress, successes, challenges, and future directions, as applicable.
Program Management (35%):
- Lead the design and implementation of community problem-solving grant programs as assigned, including grant program development, collaboration with key stakeholders, and community engagement, as well as development and coordination of committees.
- Oversee proactive community problem-solving and engagement grantmaking, including development of program guidelines and criteria, application processes, proposal review, and development of grant recommendations.
- Serve as part of the Community Grants team including proposal review, site visits, and development of grant recommendations.
- Collaborate and engage with program staff across the state to maintain high quality programs that address regional needs and collaborate with staff to fulfill the broader, overarching mission and goals of the Foundation.
- Serve as primary contact for potential grantees. Respond to inquiries for grants, manage application processes, communicate with grantees, and conduct site visits and nonprofit outreach, primarily within the Northern Willamette Valley region.
- Apply equitable grantmaking practices to ensure accessibility, reach, and distribution of funding based on population or community need and intended impact..
- Develop knowledge and expertise about organizations, people, and issues in the Northern Willamette Valley region while building relationships with diverse communities and leaders.
- Serve as a resource for OCF Board members, Leadership Council members, donors and prospective donors, and other stakeholders who have broad informational needs related to nonprofit and community needs in the Northern Willamette Valley region.
- Manage a portfolio of community-based grant and/or scholarship programs and funds, including program design and implementation, volunteer advisory committee management, and associated administration.
Program Strategy (10%):
- In collaboration with the SPOS, identify opportunities for OCF’s grantmaking to deepen impact in Oregon’s communities statewide.
- Collaborate with senior program staff with setting strategic direction, planning and development of strategies and investments for the Community Grants Program.
- Conduct analysis of opportunities for OCF to have strategic impact and recommend well-reasoned options for action to the Chief Community Engagement and Equity Officer, the Community Engagement Committee. and Board to consider.
- Collaborate with others to develop strategies using the breadth of tools available, including grantmaking, advocacy/policy, and community engagement.
Other Duties:
- Lead or participate in statewide efforts to advance branch and department priorities as appropriate.
Qualifications:
Education and Experience:
- Six or more years’ experience with the nonprofit and/or public sector, grantmaking, and/or program planning and management.
- Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience in place of a degree.
- Requires valid driver’s license and personal vehicle.
Travel (15%):
- Travel is required with this position, most frequently within the Northern Willamette Valley and Metro regions, with some statewide travel, often includes overnight stays. Travel is higher in some months than others. A valid driver’s license is required.
Working Conditions & Safety:
- Comfortable office environment.
- Minimal physical effort, occasional lifting to 25 lbs. pounds.
Compensation and Benefits:
- Salary: $76,000 to $90,000 DOE.
- Salary offers are determined in conjunction with an internal pay equity assessment.
- This is a full-time, exempt position.
- Benefits include paid time off, medical, dental, vision, 401k, disability and life insurance, employee assistance plan, volunteer leave, and professional development opportunities.
Encouragement to Apply:
Studies show that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet all the qualifications. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. We encourage you to think broadly about your background and qualifications and apply.
How to Apply:
OCF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Submit a cover letter and resume online at oregoncf.org/about/careers.
For the full job description, please visit OCF - Program Officer for Northern Willamette Valley