Do you want to join a team of passionate people dedicated to making life better in the Greater Denver community?

Director of Jewish Community Grants & Partnerships

Rose Community Foundation seeks a Director of Jewish Community Grants & Partnerships to develop and implement strategies around grantmaking, initiatives and partnership building to advance the Foundation’s Jewish Life portfolio, which seeks to support a dynamic and inclusive Jewish ecosystem that embraces a myriad of ways to be Jewish and builds enduring community infrastructure to sustain it.

ABOUT ROSE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Rose Community Foundation strives to advance inclusive, engaged and equitable Greater Denver communities through values-driven philanthropy. The Foundation envisions a thriving region strengthened by its diversity and generosity, and it utilizes the varied tools at its disposal – grantmaking, advocacy and philanthropic services – to advance this aspiration.

Since its founding in 1995, Rose Community Foundation has granted more than $354 million to nearly 2,000 nonprofit organizations and initiatives in the seven-county Greater Denver area. The Foundation has million in total assets under management, with annual grantmaking and distributions of nearly $20 million – roughly $10 million of which are the Foundation’s annual discretionary grantmaking dollars. Since 1995, the Foundation’s donor-advised funds have granted nearly $50 million to nonprofit organizations of their choosing around the state, country and world.

The Director of Jewish Community Grants & Partnerships is a member of the Community Impact team, which focuses on strategic deployment of those $10 million in discretionary grantmaking dollars as well as the other tools and mechanisms at our disposal to help drive strategic impact. Annually, the Foundation awards 25 percent of its discretionary dollars to support organizations focused on Jewish Life, dollars that are often augmented by donations, aligned-funding from donor-advised fundholders and partnerships with national funders.

The Director of Jewish Community Grants & Partnerships will work closely with the Vice President of Community Impact and community impact team, to implement integrated grantmaking and community impact strategies that – per our 2020 strategic plan – advance equity and justice, inclusion and engagement, and grow resources devoted to mission-aligned regional good.

The focus for this role is on the Foundation’s Jewish Life portfolio, which makes investments to (1) increase the strength and capacity of Jewish organizations, (2) support programs that are reflective of diverse Jewish communities and offer meaningful and relevant opportunities to engage in Jewish life, and (3) support Jewish efforts seeking to advance social justice by engaging Jewish people and using Jewish values and traditions to respond to key social and economic issues of our time.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ATTRIBUTES

The ideal candidate will have a good understanding of professional grantmaking in a foundation environment, strong working knowledge of Jewish communities and organizations, an understanding of nonprofit sector work, and a strong desire to work with and support Rose Community Foundation, its grantees and partners.  The ideal candidate will demonstrate humility, integrity, and flexibility to represent the Foundation in diverse forums and organizational relationships.  In addition, they will have a commitment to personal learning and development as well as openness to feedback.  The individual should also demonstrate excellent listening and communication skills.

The ideal candidate will thrive in a mission- and values-driven, fast-paced, multi-faceted work environment. They will bring strong organizational, coordination and project management skills and a positive, professional attitude to all aspects of their work. With their deep commitment to Greater Denver’s Jewish and broader communities, they will enjoy leading the Jewish Life portfolio while also collaborating with colleagues on the Community Impact team to advance all the Foundation’s strategic goals.

A strategic thinker and skilled executor, they will thrive both when designing and implementing strategies for Jewish Life. Their relationship-orientation will make them a relationship builder and connector, fostering both local and national partnerships. They will shine during the grant review process, leveraging their experience in the grantmaking realm and content expertise. Motivated, curious, and detail-oriented, they will find personal and professional alignment with our mission to advance inclusive, engaged and equitable Greater Denver communities.

They must be accountable and responsive, as well as effective at working independently and managing their own time. Self-awareness, humility and humor, empathy, and personal and professional integrity are key attributes of all members of our team, as are flexibility and the ability to thrive in an evolving organization. The Director of Jewish Community Grants & Partnerships will contribute to a positive work environment, consistently demonstrating the Foundation’s culture and values of equity, justice, diversity and inclusion, empathy, generosity, community, and transformation through collaboration.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Grantmaking

  • Manage grants and relationships within the Jewish Life portfolio, serving as the principal point of contact for grantees
  • Source potential grantees or partners, investigate grant ideas and field inquiry calls from applicants to inform recommendations around investment opportunities and their potential fit within the Foundation’s strategic priorities
  • Partner with the Community Impact and Grants teams to design and launch funding opportunities, including grant cycle announcements, application forms, educational webinars, reporting requirements, etc.
  • Review grant proposals and conduct due diligence, including assessing fit with strategic goals and funding priorities, analyzing organizational goals and project plans, interpreting budgets and financial data, and conducting site visits
  • Write and present grant proposal summaries and other documents related to Foundation grantmaking and initiatives to inform staff, committee and board decision-making
  • Serve as the staff lead for the Jewish Life Committee, ensuring it is positioned to be an engaging and high-functioning strategic advising and decision-making group, including maintaining strong working relationships with the chair and members, building agendas and facilitating meetings; partner with the President and CEO and Board Development Committee in identifying and vetting potential committee prospects
  • Support grantees during the grant period through ongoing technical assistance and general support and partnership
  • Review submitted grantee reports, provide feedback and conduct follow ups with grantees regarding report content, documenting and sharing learnings with staff and other key stakeholders

Community Engagement and Partnerships

  • Build and maintain ongoing trusted relationships with nonprofit organizations, local funders and partners, national funders, community leaders and experts that may lead to collaborations and partnerships to leverage our resources and increase our impact; this will ideally include bringing national funder dollars to Metro Denver in support of the local Jewish ecosystem’s needs and opportunities
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of strategies for strengthening and growing our community relationships, including respectful engagement with denominations, geographies, issues and organizations that may be less familiar to us
  • Continuously learn and share insights about community needs and opportunities, as well as trends in the regional and national philanthropic ecosystem, to inform the Foundation’s work
  • Identify and pursue ways to further the Foundation’s strategic goals through methods other than grantmaking, including convening, connecting organizations to each other and external funding opportunities, thought partnership, community-wide capacity building and professional development, lifting up community voice, thought leadership, serving on committees and task forces, etc.
  • Collaborate with the Philanthropic Services team to engage donor-advised funds around aligned giving opportunities related to Jewish Life
  • Serve as a Foundation ambassador, representing our mission, vision, values and work with grantees, partners and community through all general interactions, as well as by attending events and contributing to field knowledge through speaking engagements, online publications, etc.

Project and Resource Management

  • Design and implement strategies for fulfilling the goals of the Jewish Life portfolio in partnership with the VP of Community Impact, President and CEO and Jewish Life Committee
  • Design, lead and implement internal and external projects or initiatives to advance Jewish Life goals and respond to community needs and opportunities, including the design and management of work plans, project-managing fellow staff and consulting partners, producing reports and managing to project budgets
  • Manage the Jewish Life grantmaking budget and contribute to the management of departmental budgets
  • Source funding opportunities, steward relationships with funders, and apply to, manage and report on grants from national or local funders to support Jewish Life initiatives
  • Assist in the coordination of activities and events related to the Foundation’s funding priorities, initiatives, and mission

Evaluation and Learning

  • Remain well-informed of current research, activities, and trends in Jewish Life
  • Oversee the Greater Denver Area Jewish Community Study, conducted every 10 years
  • Actively support evaluation efforts, working with grantees and fellow staff to ensure these efforts result in learnings to inform Foundation and grantee strategy
  • Attend convenings, educational trainings, webinars and other relevant events
  • Engage in ongoing team learning, ensuring that relevant learnings from grant implementation are shared with colleagues and partners

General

  • Contribute to the accuracy, completeness and integrity of electronic grant and grantee files in the Foundation’s grants management system and CRM database
  • Other duties as assigned

SUPERVISOR RELATIONSHIP

The Director of Jewish Community Grants & Partnerships reports to the Vice President of Community Impact and works closely with the President and CEO. The Director of Jewish Community Grants & Partnerships does not have administrative support or direct reports.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Required

  • Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree or equivalent life and work experience
  • At least five years’ grantmaking experience
  • Strong working knowledge of organized Jewish communities
  • Ability to read and interpret nonprofit budgets and financial statements
  • Understanding of current philanthropic trends, grantmaking philosophies and approaches, including trust-based philanthropy, equitable grantmaking practices, participatory grantmaking, etc.
  • Excellent organizational, project, and time management skills with the ability to prioritize, communicate with team members, follow through and track against multiple deadlines and deliverables; detail-oriented and committed to accuracy
  • Ability to work autonomously to manage a body of work and collaborate as part of a team-player
  • Strong public speaking and written communication skills, including giving presentations and writing and editing reports, summary memoranda, correspondence, etc.
  • Technologically adept with strong proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook and SharePoint) and the ability and willingness to quickly learn new systems and technology, including CRM databases, grants management systems, etc.
  • Ability to remain sensitive to local community and nonprofit issues/needs and exemplify tact and humility in carrying out day-to-day Foundation and grantmaking duties
  • Proven track record of building trusted relationships and working effectively across different settings, communities and issues – with people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and cultures
  • Lived experiences and/or personal understanding and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and a commitment to incorporating them into internal and external work
  • Commitment to the Foundation’s core values and culture
  • Willingness to travel for work, primarily within the seven-county Greater Denver community and occasionally for conferences or other non-local events

Preferred

  • Experience working in Jewish communal organizations and/or philanthropic organizations
  • Knowledge of Greater Denver’s Jewish communities and nonprofits (but non-Denver applicants are welcome)
  • Knowledge of opportunities, challenges and trends in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors regionally and nationally
  • Experience with a diverse range of grantmaking processes, approaches, tools, and tactics, including traditional proposal review processes, participatory grantmaking, Program Related Investments (PRIs), etc.
  • Experience with quantitative and qualitative data analysis
  • Experience with various community engagement methods
  • Fluency (oral and written) in additional language(s)
  • Advanced degree or certifications in a relevant area of study

SALARY & BENEFITS

This full-time, exempt position’s hiring range is $85,000 – $95,000 annually. Offered salary is commensurate with internal equity, internal salary ranges, local and national sector benchmarks, and candidate’s relevant qualifications, experience and skills. Rose Community Foundation offers a competitive benefits package including employer-supported health, dental, vision, and life insurance; short- and long-term disability coverage, a 403(b)-retirement plan (including an annual employer contribution after one year of employment), flexible spending account, employee assistance program (EAP), generous paid time off including holidays, professional development opportunities and a matching gift program.

WORKPLACE

Brand-new office with a collaborative environment located in a building with a café, gym, secure indoor bike parking, covered employee parking and convenient access to parks and trails. We recently returned to in-office and in-community work with a structured hybrid model where staff work in the office/community three days per week and have the option to work remotely two days per week; however, it is possible that we could return to full-time in-office and in-community work at some point in the future. Please note that the Foundation expects all team members to be fully vaccinated (including boosters) against COVID-19.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your application, including a resume and cover letter, using the link below. Please upload your cover letter under “Other Documents.” Any questions about the position should be directed to search@rcfdenver.org. Applications are due by 9:00 p.m. on Monday, May 30.

Apply now

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Rose Community Foundation believes in the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The Foundation is committed to equal employment opportunities and prohibits the unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.