About Community Foundation Sonoma County
Based in Santa Rosa, CA, CFSC has, for the last 39 years, leveraged its local knowledge and love of place to bring together community-minded donors and diverse nonprofit grantees to catalyze change in disaster response, health and human services, education, environment, arts and culture, and animal welfare.
Building on its legacy of community partnership and on the momentum of having raised over $15M Resilience Fund for disaster recovery, CFSC is moving toward a new philanthropic model focused on impact and characterized by transformational relationships with donors that are inspired to “invest with” rather than simply “giving through” the Foundation.
About the Opportunity
A primary liaison between CFSC and its surrounding community, the Community Impact Officer will play a key role in supporting CFSC’s impact-focused and trust-based model of grantmaking. Externally, the Community Impact Officer will play a key role internally and externally as a member of CFSC’s Community Impact Team. He/she/they will forge and steward relationships with current and prospective nonprofit grantees throughout the community to increase CFSC’s visibility and champion the county’s most critical causes. Internally, the Community Impact Officer will manage the full life cycle of grantmaking, including due diligence, approval and denial recommendations, and evaluation and reporting.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Community Engagement
- Builds relationships on behalf of CFSC with nonprofit leaders, sector groups, and other key stakeholders active in the specific fields of interest under the Community Impact Officer’s purview; delivers tactical presentations and memos to this end; represents CFSC in the community to increase its visibility and strengthen its brand, but also to learn about and serve as a messenger for the community’s specific, evolving needs
- Performs due diligence on organizations and grant proposals through site visits, review and analysis of financial data, and assessment of capacity and alignment with Foundation priorities; decisively makes or denies grants with a balance of humaneness, humility, and rigor
Portfolio Management and Resource Allocation
- Prepares proposal summaries and grant amount recommendations consistent with CFSC’s grantmaking guidelines for review and action
- Critically assesses community needs, donor intent, and budget constraints to best utilize resources, identifying opportunities to influence and leverage impact
- Analyzes CFSC’s bi-annual focus areas
- Proactively engages in continuous learning related to philanthropic giving
Foundation Communications
- Assists with preparing written information for CFSC communications including resource allocation acceptance/denials and website administration, as needed
- Addresses requests from the nonprofit community for information and resources through thoughtful and clear communications
- Assists with communication to and from senior leadership including the CEO/President, Board of Directors, and Community Investment Committee
Qualifications
- 5+ years of nonprofit or other relevant experience demonstrating commitment to community impact through professional and/or personal experience
- Strong internal and external customer service ethic, personal warmth, and sincerity
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively and effectively with individuals of diverse backgrounds
- Strong analytical and critical thinking ability
- Ability to manage several workstreams simultaneously and meet deadlines, while adapting to changing circumstances and adhering to high standards of personal and professional integrity; prior experience with complex project management
- Experience in policy work; diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; and/or Spanish language skills are a plus
- Prior relationships with nonprofit organizations in Sonoma County are a plus
All qualified applicants will receive consideration without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition, disability, or sexual orientation. As an equal opportunity employer, CFSC is committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds. People of color, differently-abled people, and LGBTQ+ persons are strongly encouraged to apply.
Please refrain from contacting CFSC directly; all applications should be submitted directly to Lynx Employer Resources through this listing.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
