Program Associate, Children, Family & Communities

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation; Los Altos (CA); On-site; USD 78,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation seeks a Program Associate for the Children, Family & Communities portfolio in California. The PA will be the primary contact for grantees, ensuring the grantmaking cycle is understood, effective, and streamlined, and will partner with the CFI team to align operations with Foundation goals.

This role emphasizes building trust, attention to detail, and systems improvement as the team develops the Child and Family Initiative to support equitable access to

Qualifications

• Experience working with grantees and nonprofit partners is a plus.
• Strong systems thinking and process improvement skills.
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and implement the operations for the Child and Family Initiative (CFI).
• Partner closely with CFI team and other staff to ensure effective portfolio implementation and a positive grantee experience.

Job description

Program Associate, Children, Family & Communities

ABOUT THE DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION

We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world. Over our nearly 60-year history, we have worked with thousands of organizations and leaders in the U.S. and worldwide to advance progress in the critical areas of science, ocean and land conservation, climate change, women’s reproductive health and rights, and the well-being of children, families, and communities. At a time of multiple, intertwined crises globally and here in the U.S., the Packard Foundation began in 2021 a long-planned review of our grantmaking strategies. The first step of our process was to rearticulate our vision and mission, reexamine our organizational values, and create a strategic framework that builds on and honors the Packard Foundation’s past while advancing justice and equity in all that we do.

OUR VISION: A just and equitable world where both people and nature flourish.

Our new vision embraces a future where both people and nature flourish in a more just and equitable world. We explicitly acknowledge that the fate of people and the natural environment are inextricably linked. Solutions to the complex challenges we face must account for this interconnectedness.

OUR MISSION: We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world.

Our new mission takes on the critical work of addressing root causes of the challenges we face and mobilizing people for collective action. In addition to building on approaches that have guided our philanthropy for decades — working in partnership, committing to issues over the long-term, and grounding our work in science, knowledge, and data – we focus on understanding the systems that either accelerate or impede progress. It is only through just and equitable systems that we can find and sustain solutions to some of the biggest challenges we face today.

OUR VALUES: Equity, Integrity, Belief in Individual Leadership, Thinking Big, Respect, and Effectiveness.

In addition to clarifying our long-held values, we added equity. We will champion equity by treating people with dignity, honoring a range of ideas and perspectives from those closest to the issues, creating inclusive processes, and funding people who have been historically excluded to spur progress for all. For more information, including our definitions of key concepts, please visit our website.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Program Associate (PA) is the lead point of contact for our grantees when it comes to ensuring the grantmaking cycle and process is understood, effective, and streamlined. Through partnership with the grantees, an understanding of their needs, and strong knowledge of our internal processes, the Program Associate works with many internal and external partners to contribute to Initiative and Foundation goals.

This role will be responsible for leading, developing, and implementing the operations for the Child and Family Initiative (CFI). CFI invests in strategies that prioritize the importance of children having a healthy start and seeks to improve the outcomes of children and overall family well-being in the U.S. Investments will support strengthening and increasing equitable access to well-connected systems of care that address the full range of needs children and families require to thrive. The initiative is currently under development, as part of our Invest in Families and Communities Goal, which partners with leaders and organizations to promote resilient and vibrant communities, presenting an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys rolling up their sleeves and are comfortable with a degree of uncertainty. This role will partner closely with CFI team and other staff across the Foundation to ensure effective implementation of our portfolio and a positive experience for our grantees. The successful candidate will be adept at building trust and growing respectful working relationships, has an eye for details and systems/process improvement, and is passionate about the Foundation’s mission, vision, and values. An interest in improving children and family outcomes is preferred.

COMPENSATION

$78,000-$101,000