The William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation
Program Officer (Washington, DC or New York City)
Job Description
2016
Background
The William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation (ONF) is a private family foundation based in Cleveland, OH. Founded in 1987 by Dorothy O’Neill and her son William J. O’Neill, Jr., the Foundation brings the O’Neill family together in service to their hometowns through their philanthropy.
The focus of our work is on the family, and four generations of the O’Neill family work in collaboration and partnership with organizations that share our desire to improve the quality of lives for families and communities.
Our vision is for strong communities where families thrive. Our mission is to partner with nonprofits to improve the quality of life for families and communities, in places where O’Neill family members live. While the ONF is based in Cleveland, OH, its mission driven grant making is currently active in 10 communities in the United States where O’Neill family members live, work and are active in the work of the ONF.
The ONF is governed by a Board of Trustees who are representatives of each of the six branches of the O’Neill family. Currently, the staff consists of the President and CEO, Vice President, and Program Assistant. The ONF currently seeks to expand its staff in order to more strategically deploy its investments in the communities we serve.
For more on the ONF history, board, staff, mission and vision as well as its grantmaking, please visit the website: www.oneill-foundation.org
Job Summary
The Program Officer will work directly with the President, Vice President, and O’Neill family members to manage a portfolio of grants, cultivate relationships with nonprofits, community stakeholders and colleague funders. The ONF seeks an individual with a commitment to the non-profit sector and experience with the dynamics between foundations and grantee organizations. The Program Officer should be a strategic thinker who thrives on working as part of a small collegial team. Experience working for a foundation, particularly a family foundation is highly desirable.
Although the ONF has its office in Cleveland, OH, this position will be based either in Washington, DC or New York City areas. No relocation assistance will be offered for this position. Regular travel to Cleveland will be necessary as will frequent travel between the East Coast cities where the ONF has a large grantee portfolio. The Program Officer will need to be an independent worker while serving as a collaborative and supportive member of the O’Neill Foundation team.
The Program Officer’s major responsibilities include the following:
Mission/Vision/Values
· Ensure that all grantmaking policies, procedures and practices reflect the mission/vision/values established by the board.
Grantmaking
· Ensure high quality execution of the ONFs grant making process across the locations it supports including conducting grant proposal reviews and site visits
· Provide support to grantseekers; including guidance on the proposal submission through reporting process
· Serve as a resource to grantees to address challenges and barriers
· Provide staff support to Grantmaking Committees, while serving as the lead staff for one of the committees including scheduling meetings, preparing materials for distribution, working with the committee chair to prepare for meetings, oriented new family members to the work of the committee; recording meeting minutes and ensuring that all follow-up work of the committee meetings are completed in a timely manner
· Work with the ONF board and staff to establish funding priorities that best help us meet our mission
Grant Monitoring, Management and Research
· Manage ongoing correspondence with existing grantees
· Track and review interim and final reports from grantees, addressing and analyzing grantee effectiveness
· Conduct periodic site visits to check grantee progress and identify areas of support and follow-up
· Provide research on trends and opportunities in the Foundation’s funding areas
· Respond to requests for information on the Foundation
· Write reports on past-funded projects
· Work with grantees to meet foundation evaluation requirements
· Develop and lead learning opportunities among grantees and O’Neill family members
· Research, develop and present ideas for strategic impact initiatives to leverage the ONF resources
Community Engagement
· Serve as the primary ONF staff representative in the communities of Vermont, New York, Washington, DC and Baltimore/Annapolis
· Participate in community activities around topics relevant to ONF grant making, including opportunities for collaborative grantmaking
· Seek opportunities to convene, leverage and jointly work with colleague foundations, non-profit organizations and policy makers that further the work of the ONF
Communication
· Contribute to all foundation communications efforts as such as facebook, website, and other social media
Formal Education
A Bachelor’s degree is required with a master’s degree in health administration, nonprofit administration, data analysis, social policy administration, public policy or a related field preferred.
Professional Qualifications
· Minimum of five-year’s experience in the public, philanthropic or non-profit sectors. Experience in foundation grantmaking is preferred.
· Knowledge of grantmaking and successfully managing projects to achieve goals and outcomes.
· Familiarity with community systems of nonprofits, funders and other stakeholders in any topical area in which the ONF funds: affordable housing, public health, mental health, parent-child relations, arts and/or education.
· Excellent interpersonal, presentation, verbal and written communication skills
· Commitment to flexibility and inclusion
· Demonstrated record of successfully working collaboratively with community partners.
· Solid understanding of nonprofits organizational structures and challenges.
· Proficient in Microsoft Office, Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Knowledge of electronic databases with knowledge of grantmaking software being highly desirable.
· Ability to work independently and to initiate projects.
· Good judgement, attention to detail and strong organizational skills that will allow you handle multiple projects simultaneously
· Ability to travel for site visits, to ONF office in Cleveland and to other regional and state-wide meetings (35-40%)
This position description is intended to serve as an overview and will evolve over time. The Program Officer may be assigned different or additional duties as needed.
Compensation
The position is full-time, competitive salary plus generous benefits
To Apply
Send your resume with cover letter, including salary requirements to:
Subject: Program Officer Position