Strategic Philanthropy Through Grants and Social Investments: Expanding Equity and Opportunities in America's Cities

About the Organization

The Kresge Foundation is one of the top 20 private philanthropic foundations in the United States and the only one focused exclusively on expanding opportunities for people with low income in American cities. With an endowment of approximately $4 billion and a staff of over 100 employees, the foundation deploys grants and social investments across arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services and community development, nationally and in Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, and Fresno. The foundation's state-of-the-art headquarters maintains an array of energy-efficient, water-conserving and health-promoting systems. The foundation also operates an office in Detroit's Midtown district.

About the Position

The American Cities Program Officer is responsible for the implementation of a strategy to develop a future where currently under-resourced cities and neighborhoods across the country offer a high quality of life; provide easy-to-access pathways to wealth and economic mobility; celebrate unique cultures; and reflect the power, priorities, and preferences of their residents. The team leads the Foundation's long-standing efforts in cities such as Fresno, Memphis, and New Orleans, and its work is informed by the Foundation's place-based work in Detroit, the approaches of Kresge's discipline-based programs, and the insights of community partners.

The Program Officer will manage a portion of the team's portfolio of grants and social change efforts; represent the American Cities team and the Kresge Foundation; collaborate with partners at national and local levels; design and implement grantmaking initiatives; and lead select bodies of work associated with the program's strategic priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Grant Making

• Develop and manage place-based grantmaking strategies including work at the neighborhood, city, regional/county, and associated state levels.
• Develop grantmaking initiatives (i.e., external requests for proposals including RFP development, publication, proposal review and evaluation criteria).
• Structure, recommend, and manage a portfolio of grants related to multi-city initiatives, national community development, and thought leadership and convenings on cities.

External Relations

• Build and manage relationships with local nonprofits, government and community partners and assess opportunities for impact and collaboration with local funding partners through research, site visits and stakeholder meetings.
• Provide grantee and city partners with connections to other cities, communities of practice, and other non-financial resources.
• Represent the foundation publicly, sharing program approaches and grant making outcomes.

Organizational Development

• Act as a thought partner and identify opportunities for collaborative strategy development and grantmaking with other Kresge grantmaking program teams.
• Support the team's use of program-related investment (PRI) and innovative capital tools to achieve program objectives.
• Foster internal collaboration through working groups dedicated to cities, promoting co-learning, exchanging information, and implementing shared accountability structures.
• Contribute to and apply working knowledge of subject matter and field expertise to the development of the team's grantmaking strategy.
• Stay current with effective and equitable strategies in the urban development field.
• Maintain and develop a breadth of knowledge around emerging trends and innovations.

You will report to the Managing Director of the American Cities Program. You will frequently collaborate with two other American Cities Program Officer(s). Other team members include the Associate Program Officer and Program Officers and Fellows with various subject matter expertise.