Social Impact Associate (MF)

MacArthur Foundation; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

MacArthur Foundation in Chicago seeks a Social Impact Associate to support the Vice President, Social Impact and the Lever for Change team. The role offers a dynamic environment to strengthen programs and help philanthropic opportunities scale with impact.

You will help source and vet social change opportunities, draft memos and reports, and assist in designing initiatives to improve grantees’ effectiveness. Excellent communication and organizational skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Two years of professional experience
• BA/BS in Education, International Affairs/Development, Human Rights/Social Justice, Multicultural Communication, Anthropology, Social Work, Psychology, Law, Public Health or related field
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills
• Positive attitude and willingness to do what is necessary to get the job done
• Well-developed organizational skills and attention to detail
• Able to manage multiple tasks and projects under tight deadlines
• Able to take initiative and work proactively; strong cross-cultural diplomacy skills
• English fluency (spoken and written) required
• Demonstrated competency in public speaking

Responsibilities

• Support the sourcing and due diligence of social change organizations through competition processes, including analysis of proposals, budgets, and work-plans
• Undertake background research on core sectors and issues to support nonprofit grantees and applicants
• Draft program-related memos, reports, materials, and presentations
• Assist in designing new initiatives to support grantees and top applicants
• Monitor the performance of grants and the implementation of grant strategies
• Manage a caseload of active grants and maintain accurate records and supportive contact with grantees
• Identify opportunities and help organize meetings of top applicants, grantees, and program advisors

Skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Interpersonal skills

Public speaking

Multi-tasking

Tech-savvy

Education

BA/BS in Education/Intl Affairs/Development

Job description

Building off the success of 100&Change, the MacArthur Foundation’s breakthrough

$100 million competition, Lever for Change (LFC) helps philanthropists source vetted, high-impact philanthropic opportunities and connects those opportunities to significant amounts of philanthropic capital. LFC does this through either managing customized competitions or by matching philanthropists with the top vetted proposals from such competitions in a searchable online database of solutions.

The Social Impact Associate will provide a wide range of support to the Vice President, Social Impact and the LFC team. This is an exciting opportunity for a creative, hard-working professional to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment and to directly support the organizational strengthening and programmatic activities of a philanthropic start-up.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the sourcing and due diligence of highly effective social change organizations through competition processes including critical analysis of proposals, budgets, work-plans, strengths/weaknesses etc.
• Undertake background research on core sectors and issues of work including research on learning opportunities, tools, workshops, conferences, and resources that can support nonprofit grantees and applicants
• Thoughtfully develop, draft, and prepare program-related memos, reports, materials, and presentations
• Assist in the design of new initiatives to provide support to grantees and top applicants focused on improving program/project effectiveness and strengthen organizational capabilities
• Monitor the performance of grants and the implementation of grant strategies
• Manage a caseload of active grants, review reports and maintain accurate records and constructive/supportive contact with grantees
• Identify opportunities and support the organization of various meetings of top applicants, grantees, program advisors and others in relevant fields for a variety of strategic purposes

Learning

• Support the documenting and promotion of learning opportunities and learning cycles
• Foster and promote cross-partner and sector learning, knowledge curation and continuous improvement
• Support the design and implementation of learning priorities across top performing applicants

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Keep abreast of current events, developments and issues in the field of philanthropy in order to maintain a balanced and objective perspective to support grantees and top performing applicants
• Write extensively for internal purposes
• Perform other duties as assigned

This position is based in Chicago, Illinois.

The work environment is an office setting. Intermittent physical activities will include bending, reaching, sitting, and walking during working hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a person with physical disabilities to perform the job.

Qualifications

• Two years of professional experience
• Minimum of a BA/BS in Education, International Affairs/Development, Human Rights/Social Justice, Multicultural Communication, Anthropology, Social Work, Psychology, Law, Public Health or related field
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills
• Positive “can-do” attitude and a willingness to do what is necessary to get the job done
• Well-developed organizational skills and attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to follow tasks through to completion in a timely manner
• Able to manage multiple tasks and projects under tight deadlines
• Able to take initiative and work proactivelyExcellent and effective interpersonal skills in working with colleagues at all levels; able to use discretion and maintain confidentiality; cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work diplomatically with diverse constituencies
• Technologically savvy
• English fluency (spoken and written) required
• Demonstrated competency in public speaking

Preferred Qualifications

Prior experience supporting philanthropic programming; facilitating program design; working with diverse cultures and socio-economic conditions; and demonstrated understanding of grantmaking. Experience managing large scale grants and/or contracts a plus

About Us

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. MacArthur is placing a few big bets that truly significant progress is possible on some of the world’s most pressing social challenges, including over-incarceration , global climate change , nuclear risk , and significantly increasing financial capital for the social sector . In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program , the Foundation continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsible and responsive democracy, as well as the strength and vitality of our headquarters city, Chicago .

MacArthur is one of the nation's largest independent foundations. Organizations supported by the Foundation work in about 50 countries. In addition to Chicago, MacArthur has offices in India , Mexico , and Nigeria .