Hybrid Program Specialist, Critical

Overview

The Critical Needs team works towards a future with a strengthened safety net of essential services across Chicago and Cook County that enhances individual and community stability and economic security by supporting nonprofits and initiatives that increase access to housing, food, and other fundamental human services. The Trust responds with funding to unanticipated and ongoing crises affecting the region (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic, community safety) and often in partnership with other philanthropic, government, corporate, and civic actors.

The Critical Needs team is situated within the People, Power and Policy Team and works in close collaboration with the Trust's Policy Change and Collective Power teams.

The Program Specialist reports to the Director, Critical Needs. The Program Specialist is primarily responsible for informing strategy and executing grantmaking that responds to community- identified and unanticipated emerging needs. The Program Specialist facilitates the Trust's process to make these grants and deploy both the Trust's unrestricted and restricted funds to achieve the Trust's charitable mission and to honor donor intent.

The Program Specialist also supports the development of projects including pilot efforts, and engages cohorts of grant recipients, often in collaboration with other Community Impact teams on topics such as housing stability, human services, health and well-being. Key tasks include research; relationship management, managing grant processes; and project management. The Program Specialist must be able to prioritize multiple tasks, be a strong communicator and able to engage diverse internal and external stakeholders, including direct service providers, donors and philanthropic partners.

• Researches organizations that match the intended use of restricted funds to consider them for invite-only grants
• Manages applicant intake, data entry, and ongoing tracking to ensure timely and accurate processing of submissions
• Collaborates with the Learning and Impact team to develop impact frameworks for funding opportunities, grant level outcomes, and measures of progress
• Works closely with the Trust's Learning and Impact and Grants Management team to gain approval for funding opportunities
• Plans, coordinates, and participates in meetings with applicants and internal teams to support due diligence, relationship building, and informed decision-making
• Reviews individual grants including conducting financial and organizational due diligence
• Drafts grant recommendations for review and submission through the Trust's grant approval process
• Monitors key milestones, deadlines, and review cycles according to the Trust approval guidelines and process
• Communicates directly with grant applicants to provide clarity and guidance on the Trust's application, review and approval processes
• Works with Grants Management to provide support to grant applicants and recipients navigating the Trust's grants management system
• Maintains calendars, workflows, and shared project management tools
• Reviews grant reports and works with Learning and Impact to collect, synthesize and share learnings from funding opportunities, pilots or other initiatives to inform future strategy
• Helps develop, plan and execute on the logistics for grant partner convenings

• Serves as primary point of contact for grant applicants and partners, and as relationship manager as requested.
• Supports and develops relationships with potential restricted fund grant applicants to determine if organization is in alignment with donor intent and identifies opportunities to align funds with the values and strategic priorities of the Trust
• Demonstrates responsiveness and professionalism in all partner interactions, ensuring positive experiences for grant recipients and collaborators

• Coordinates, schedules, and facilitates regular meetings for responsive grantmaking including creating agendas developed with input from the Director and Senior Director of Critical Needs and Associate Vice President of Community Impact
• Develops a systematic approach to responsive grantmaking internally that enables collaboration and cooperation with Grants Management and Learning and Impact so that both the Trust's and grant recipients' needs are incorporated
• Supports the development and creation of reports and presentations for internal and external audiences
• Shares program content and stories with Strategic Communications team to highlight the work
• Maintains and tracks the Responsive & Restricted Fund Grantmaking budgets and reports on expended and remaining funds.
• Partners with the other People, Power and Policy Impact Coordinators & Program Specialists on administrative budgets and other special projects
• Serves as a connector between internal teams, grant recipient partners, and philanthropic collaborators to ensure transparent…