Program Director - Vibrant Neighborhoods
Cleveland Foundation
Date: 1 day ago
City: Cleveland, OH
Contract type: Full time
Description
About Us
The Cleveland Foundation, established in 1914, is the world's first and one of the largest community foundations, with assets exceeding $3 billion. Our mission is to enhance the lives of all residents of Greater Cleveland, now and for generations to come, by working together with our donors to build community endowment, addressing needs through grantmaking, and providing leadership on key community issues.
Guided by our core values of stewardship, equity, integrity, partnership, innovation, anti-racism, and leadership, we strive to make Greater Cleveland a great and global American city. We are committed to diversity and inclusion in all our endeavors, ensuring that every individual has the tools and support they need to pursue their greatest dreams.
As we continue to grow and evolve, we are dedicated to building strong relationships and trust across our community, working collaboratively to create innovative, impactful, and internationally recognized contributions to the field of philanthropy.
About You
You are passionate about making a difference in your community and excited by the opportunity to contribute to meaningful change. You manage and drive forward multiple responsibilities, and you thrive when working collaboratively with diverse groups to solve complex challenges, and you have a proven ability to lead with integrity, foster inclusiveness, and innovate. You bring a forward-thinking mindset and a commitment to equity to everything you do, always ensuring your work drives social impact and results in tangible, positive outcomes.
Your best results come from thinking strategically while staying grounded in practical, results-oriented action. You analyze sector trends and integrate insights into decision-making, identifying long-term opportunities and developing plans to seize them. As an excellent communicator and trusted partner, you can listen actively, seek to understand different perspectives, and apply innovative ideas to drive change. You possess a growth mindset, excel in team dynamics, and have a track record of applying entrepreneurial spirit to problem-solving, all while upholding the values of transparency, accountability, and collaboration.
About The Cleveland Foundation’s Impact Agenda
The Cleveland Foundation's impact agenda focuses on driving significant progress in Greater Cleveland by focusing our resources on both immediate and long-term impact. In Immediate Impact, we support the immediate needs and priorities of communities and residents in Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga Counties. In Long-term Impact, we focus on long-term change that addresses the negative impact of historic disinvestment and inequity. The long-term priorities include growing the region's economy, investing in vibrant neighborhoods, and connecting people to prosperity. Our community endowment allows us to make big changes to big things, focusing on complex, consequential community challenges that could result in defined, measurable impact at scale.
Position Summary
The Program Director for Investing Vibrant Neighborhoods is a key leadership role responsible for the strategic design, execution and management of the Cleveland Foundation’s "Invest in Vibrant Neighborhoods" portfolio, one of the Foundation’s long-term impact priorities. The primary goal of the Vibrant Neighborhoods pillar is to ensure all Clevelanders live in asset-rich neighborhoods, and the Program Director’s charge is to make visible progress and curate targeted investment across five priority neighborhoods to achieve the following outcomes:
Reports to: Vice President of Grantmaking. The Chief Impact Officer will provide direction to the Program Director on design strategy, organize and deploy resources, identify partners, and maintain energy across all areas of the Impact Agenda.
Key Responsibilities
Framework Design, Execution & Strategic Leadership (40%)
Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in urban planning, public policy, community development, social work, or a related field strongly preferred.
Experience
About Us
The Cleveland Foundation, established in 1914, is the world's first and one of the largest community foundations, with assets exceeding $3 billion. Our mission is to enhance the lives of all residents of Greater Cleveland, now and for generations to come, by working together with our donors to build community endowment, addressing needs through grantmaking, and providing leadership on key community issues.
Guided by our core values of stewardship, equity, integrity, partnership, innovation, anti-racism, and leadership, we strive to make Greater Cleveland a great and global American city. We are committed to diversity and inclusion in all our endeavors, ensuring that every individual has the tools and support they need to pursue their greatest dreams.
As we continue to grow and evolve, we are dedicated to building strong relationships and trust across our community, working collaboratively to create innovative, impactful, and internationally recognized contributions to the field of philanthropy.
About You
You are passionate about making a difference in your community and excited by the opportunity to contribute to meaningful change. You manage and drive forward multiple responsibilities, and you thrive when working collaboratively with diverse groups to solve complex challenges, and you have a proven ability to lead with integrity, foster inclusiveness, and innovate. You bring a forward-thinking mindset and a commitment to equity to everything you do, always ensuring your work drives social impact and results in tangible, positive outcomes.
Your best results come from thinking strategically while staying grounded in practical, results-oriented action. You analyze sector trends and integrate insights into decision-making, identifying long-term opportunities and developing plans to seize them. As an excellent communicator and trusted partner, you can listen actively, seek to understand different perspectives, and apply innovative ideas to drive change. You possess a growth mindset, excel in team dynamics, and have a track record of applying entrepreneurial spirit to problem-solving, all while upholding the values of transparency, accountability, and collaboration.
About The Cleveland Foundation’s Impact Agenda
The Cleveland Foundation's impact agenda focuses on driving significant progress in Greater Cleveland by focusing our resources on both immediate and long-term impact. In Immediate Impact, we support the immediate needs and priorities of communities and residents in Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga Counties. In Long-term Impact, we focus on long-term change that addresses the negative impact of historic disinvestment and inequity. The long-term priorities include growing the region's economy, investing in vibrant neighborhoods, and connecting people to prosperity. Our community endowment allows us to make big changes to big things, focusing on complex, consequential community challenges that could result in defined, measurable impact at scale.
Position Summary
The Program Director for Investing Vibrant Neighborhoods is a key leadership role responsible for the strategic design, execution and management of the Cleveland Foundation’s "Invest in Vibrant Neighborhoods" portfolio, one of the Foundation’s long-term impact priorities. The primary goal of the Vibrant Neighborhoods pillar is to ensure all Clevelanders live in asset-rich neighborhoods, and the Program Director’s charge is to make visible progress and curate targeted investment across five priority neighborhoods to achieve the following outcomes:
- Promote wholistic community wellbeing using our portfolio of resources.
- Prevent displacement, welcome new residents and build wealth for underinvested neighborhoods.
- Maximize the use and development of land to drive community impact and preserve cultural legacy.
Reports to: Vice President of Grantmaking. The Chief Impact Officer will provide direction to the Program Director on design strategy, organize and deploy resources, identify partners, and maintain energy across all areas of the Impact Agenda.
Key Responsibilities
Framework Design, Execution & Strategic Leadership (40%)
- Lead and drive the comprehensive development and implementation of the "Invest in Vibrant Neighborhoods" pillar of the Foundation’s Impact Agenda, ensuring adherence to its principles, goals, and strategies.
- Translate the framework into actionable program initiatives, annual work plans, and measurable objectives.
- Assess and influence the deployment of the Foundation's resources and tools, including, but not limited to grantmaking, social impact investments (e.g. Program Related Investments), and land development to drive measurable impact in the Invest in Vibrant Neighborhoods pillar of the Impact Agenda.
- Convene and drive cross-sector visioning and design for the future of neighborhood development in Cleveland.
- Work collaboratively with other program officers and departments to ensure alignment and integration of neighborhood-focused work across the Foundation's portfolio.
- Assess the effectiveness of the framework and recommend adjustments or refinements based on data, community feedback, and emerging best practices.
- Lead the full grantmaking cycle for the Invest in Vibrant Neighborhoods portfolio, including proposal development, review, grantee selection, monitoring, and evaluation in alignment with the Impact Agenda.
- Design and manage strategies and guidelines that advance the Vibrant Neighborhoods Framework and connect with other pillars, while conducting due diligence to ensure proposals align with priorities and philanthropic principles.
- Support and strengthen grantees through technical assistance, capacity building, site visits, and outcome tracking to ensure accountability and neighborhood-level impact.
- Identify and foster strategic partnerships that enhance the Foundation’s ability to execute the Vibrant Neighborhoods pillar and achieve shared goals.
- Cultivate strong relationships with neighborhood residents, community leaders, grassroots organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
- Act as a visible and trusted representative of the Foundation in the community, actively listening to neighborhood needs and aspirations.
- Work collaboratively with Impact team members to identify metrics and routinely measure the impact and effectiveness of initiatives and grants.
- Prepare compelling reports and presentations on program outcomes and impact for internal stakeholders, the Board of Directors, donors, and the broader community.
- Stay current with best practices, research, and emerging trends in community development, urban planning, and neighborhood revitalization, using insights to inform program adjustments and future strategies.
- Manage program budgets and investment performance with rigor and transparency, ensuring resources are allocated responsibly, strategically, and in ways that maximize philanthropic impact for the communities served.
- Provide mentorship to program officers, associates or support staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment.
- Contribute to the Foundation’s overall strategic planning and organizational development.
- Assess and assure the teams required skills and tools to deliver impact in strategic and timely fashion.
Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in urban planning, public policy, community development, social work, or a related field strongly preferred.
Experience
- Minimum of 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in community and/or economic development, urban planning, neighborhood revitalization, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience in program design, implementation, and evaluation, particularly within a framework-driven approach.
- Significant experience in grantmaking, philanthropy, community development, or non-profit management is highly desirable.
- Proven track record of successfully engaging diverse community stakeholders and building effective partnerships.
- Experience working in or with community foundations is a plus.
- Deep understanding of the principles of equitable community development, asset-based community development, and collective impact.
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously.
- Demonstrated expertise in nonprofit finance and budget management, including the ability to analyze financial statements, assess organizational sustainability, and align resource allocation with philanthropic goals.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and presentation abilities.
- Demonstrated analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to use data to inform decision-making.
- Proficiency in relevant software, including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and grant management systems.
- Cultural competence and the ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
- Action-Orientation and Impact Focus
- Strategic Thinking
- Leadership & Influence
- Collaboration & Partnership
- Community Engagement & Empathy
- Place-Based and Community-driven Lens
- Adaptability & Learning
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