Organization

Baltimore Community Foundation is a philanthropic foundation created by and for the people of Greater Baltimore, where many donors join together to make the region they love a better place, today and for future generations. Our mission is to inspire donors to achieve their charitable goals from generation to generation and to improve the quality of life in the Baltimore region through grantmaking, enlightened civic leadership and strategic investments. BCF’s vision is of a Baltimore that boasts a growing economy where all have the opportunity to thrive. Our action agenda organizes grants, initiatives and advocacy around this vision. The values that guide our work are trustworthiness, inclusion, and entrepreneurialism.

With assets over $255 million comprised of nearly 900 charitable funds, BCF has granted over $600 million since its inception in 1972 and is one of the Baltimore region’s top grantmaking foundations. BCF makes charitable contributions to support a wide range of issues affecting the Baltimore region, currently with a focus on investments in two interest areas: Neighborhoods and Education. BCF also serves as the fiscal sponsor for major program initiatives and is affiliated with multiple supporting organizations. BCF undergoes a vigorous accreditation every year and is certified under the Council on Foundation’s National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.

BCF operates from the knowledge that profound disparities in opportunity exist between people of color and their white counterparts; and we acknowledge the historic and ongoing role that structural racism plays in creating and perpetuating those disparities. That is why we are committed to reducing racial disparities, identifying and combating structural racism, and fostering more equity and inclusion through our grantmaking, initiatives, and advocacy.
 

Position
Reporting to the Vice President of Community Impact, the Program Officer works with foundation staff, trustees, grant seekers, and partners to implement BCF’s strategic agenda for Baltimore. BCF makes charitable contributions to support a wide range of issues affecting the Baltimore region. We do this through strategic, place-based grant making and higher-level systems change investments. In this capacity, the program officer helps identify and evaluate funding opportunities and make recommendations to colleagues and the appropriate oversight committees. The program officer builds relationships across the civic landscape, from the grassroots community level to institutional actors, to position BCF to leverage its grantmaking, advocacy, and impact investing resources for maximum impact on a focused set of issues.

Responsibilities

• Perform grantmaking duties associated with the foundation’s discretionary grantmaking in support of BCF’s strategic direction, including engaging in preliminary inquiry conversations with prospective grantees, conducting any needed due diligence including site visits, writing grant recommendations, preparing for committee meetings, notifying grantees of funding decisions, establishing reporting requirements, and reviewing reports for awarded grantees
• Provide input to the Development & Donor Services department in support of donor-advised funds and family foundations, including information about nonprofit organizations in Baltimore that meet donors’ charitable giving goals
• Provide technical assistance and strategic advice to grantees and other nonprofit organizations as needed, both for applications to BCF for funding when appropriate, and helping to facilitate connections to other funding sources where applicable
• Support BCF’s Impact Investing strategy with information on nonprofit organizations or potentially impactful projects on the horizon in Baltimore
• Contribute to program evaluation methodologies to assess and improve BCF’s community investments
• Work in collaboration with the Community Investment team to continually evaluate and improve grant making processes to further BCF’s service to Baltimore
• Maintain relationships with a vast stakeholder network to stay current on issues, knowledgeable of resources, and connected to the people and organizations most capable of assisting with the foundation’s mission and interests.
• Represent the foundation on external committees and working groups related to BCF’s priorities, including at the city and state level, as well as in Maryland Philanthropy Network
• Cultivate and maintain a productive and positive working relationship with program committee chairs and other trustees and volunteers
• Work with the program administrator to ensure that all grant making files on grantees are up-to-date and information accessible to all staff through the use of BCF’s information management systems
• Provide input into BCF’s communications strategy and work collaboratively with the Communications Department to ensure accurate and timely information is shared in support of BCF’s strategic communications goals
• Stay current with best practices in the field, including occasional travel to conferences to represent BCF and for professional development purposes
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ nonprofit experience with increasing responsibilities as a member of a team of professionals;
• Knowledge of Baltimore civic and community stakeholders and issues and an understanding of nonprofit management;
• Knowledge of the profound disparities in opportunity that exist between people of color and their white counterparts in the Baltimore region, and a commitment to fostering more equity and inclusion through grant making and impact investing;
• Demonstrated ability to work comfortably and effectively with diverse constituencies, e.g. community and nonprofit leaders, donors, trustees, volunteers and elected and other public officials;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Strong organizational skills, ability to work independently, and attention to detail;
• Familiarity and comfort with grants management software, customer relationship management systems, or similar information technology a plus