Senior Program Officer, Immediate Impact and Grantmaking

Description

About Us

The Cleveland Foundation, established in 1914 as the world’s first community foundation, continues to shape the future of place-based philanthropy more than a century later. With $4.2 billion in assets and a legacy of bold leadership, we are driven by a commitment to improve the lives of everyone who calls Greater Cleveland home, today and for generations to come.

Joining our team means becoming part of a culture that blends history-making impact with forward-looking innovation. Our vision is a vibrant Northeast Ohio where no Clevelander is left behind. Every team member plays a key role in advancing this vision by tackling Cleveland’s most critical issues, championing opportunities for all, and helping unlock the full potential of our region.

Our headquarters in the heart of MidTown places us at the center of a historic neighborhood and growing district, surrounded by partners, community leaders and residents who are reimagining what’s possible for our city. Here, you’ll work in a dynamic, collaborative environment designed to spark creativity, deepen relationships, and accelerate change.

At the Cleveland Foundation, you can be part of building a stronger future for every Clevelander.

About You

You are passionate about making a difference in your community and excited by the opportunity to contribute to meaningful change. 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 under pressure. 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 business trends and integrate insights to inform 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.

Job Summary

The Senior Program Officer, Immediate Impact and Grantmaking plays a key role in strengthening the Foundation's grantmaking practice by bringing rigor, analysis, and clarity to grantmaking decisions. This role is responsible for managing a portfolio of grants, supporting day-to-day grantmaking processes, conducting due diligence, monitoring grant performance, and coordinating with colleagues across Grantmaking, Philanthropy, Finance, and other departments to advance effective grantmaking.

Reporting to the Vice President, Grantmaking, the Senior Program Officer serves as a trusted thought partner, helping translate strategy into grantmaking recommendations, navigate complex grant situations, identify emerging opportunities and challenges, and contribute to a culture of excellence, consistency, and learning across the Foundation's grantmaking work.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Foundation’s Immediate Impact grantmaking function, ensuring the investments are timely, rigorous, and aligned with the Impact Agenda and organizational priorities.
• Acts as a responsive, strategic, well-respected and public-facing partner to non-profits who are seeking grants, exercising excellent communication skills and relationship building.
• Delivers on key operational areas, including grant intake and portfolio assignments, reviewing grantmaking write-ups for rigor and clarity, ensures that grant reporting and metrics reporting is accurate and timely, and preparing board content in partnership with Grants Management. 
• Manages a portfolio of Immediate Impact grantees around a variety of issue areas and disciplines related to the Cleveland community’s wellbeing, critical needs and stabilization.
• Acts as a senior problem-solver for complex or sensitive grant requests, bringing structure, judgment, and clear framing to ambiguous, high-risk, or high-stakes decisions.
• Contributes to building a high-performing, disciplined, and learning-oriented grantmaking department by modeling strong judgment, thoughtful due diligence, resonant leadership, and respectful partner engagement.
• Interprets and synthesizes grantmaking activity across immediate and long-term portfolios to identify patterns, themes, lessons, and tensions that inform leadership judgment and future decision making (sensemaking).
• Partners with the Philanthropic Services team to introduce high-impact grantees to donors.
• Helps refine, document, and socialize grantmaking guidelines, thresholds, and decision frameworks to improve transparency, consistency, and internal alignment across the department.
• Prepare and present clear, compelling, and decision ready materials for foundation leadership, the Board and Board committees, including translating complex grantmaking information into concise narratives that support effective governance and strategic decision making.
• Collaborate and coordinate across the impact team (including program and philanthropy), along with finance, communications, and operations to align immediate impact investments with available tools and resources. 
• Other duties as assigned by the Vice President, Grantmaking.

Competencies & Behavioral Expectations

• Judgment
• Communication
• Commitment to Excellence
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Adaptability
• Problem-Solving
• Strategy
• Partnership

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 7 years of related experience in grantmaking or a similar role, including executive or senior leadership in the non-profit sector, demonstrating evidence of mastery of managing increasingly complex projects.
• Demonstrated passion and knowledge for Cleveland, philanthropy and community impact, with experience managing a portfolio of donors, clients, or customers.
• Proven ability to build strategic, lasting relationships with donors, community leaders, and professional advisors.
• Experience fostering teamwork and collaboration across departments and diverse communities.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with a high level of integrity and professionalism.
• Technical proficiency in CRM systems, Microsoft Office Suite, and online collaboration tools.
• Ability to analyze and organize complex data to guide strategic outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• A master’s degree in non-profit administration, business administration, public administration, urban planning, or other related advanced degrees and/or professional certifications.
• Experience managing or serving on non-profit boards or committees.

Work Environment

• The role is primarily office-based, involving frequent interaction with executives, staff, and external partners.
• The role is public facing, including frequent site visits to partner organizations.
• The position may require prolonged periods of sitting, as well as occasional lifting of light office supplies and materials.
• Occasional extended hours to meet deadlines or support special events.
• Occasional travel may be required for meetings, events, or conferences.