Program Officer

Woods Fund is a grantmaking foundation that finds and funds projects that draw on the power of communities to fight the brutality of structural racism and economic injustice. It promotes social, economic, and racial justice through the support of community organizing and public policy advocacy that engages people that are most impacted. Visit woodsfund.org for more information.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Woods Fund Chicago (WFC) seeks an experienced organizer interested in exploring how philanthropy can serve community organizing while navigating the tension that comes with the work of disrupting harmful practices that occur inside institutions. The Program Officer reports directly to the Chief Impact Officer and will work with the Program Team to proactively meet Chicagoland organizing groups’ needs while bolstering the organizing ecosystems’ infrastructure and advancing strategies that increase resourcing local organizing. The Program Officer will work independently while coordinating with the Program Team to contribute with assessing the organizing field and funders, analyzing challenges and opportunities, identifying strategies for change, and creating opportunities for shared learning. They will build relationships with grantee partners and seek out new grantees, manage grants, and serve as a partner for grantee needs and requests working collaboratively to create convening spaces, joint strategizing, or organizational and leadership development opportunities. The Program Officer will also support WFC’s priorities in funder organizing. By utilizing their knowledge of current organizing trends and dynamics, they will help guide the development of funder learning opportunities and initiatives. The Program Officer will continuously cultivate relationships staying connected to the local organizing and movement ecosystem and keep abreast of emerging trends to synthesize information and learnings internally and with partners to inform strategy.

The ideal candidate will draw from their organizing experience navigating internal and external tensions leading teams advancing issue campaigns to understand the multiple factors affecting WFC grantee partners. Their familiarity with the dynamics, culture, language, and pacing within the organizing field will offer perspective, grace and facility troubleshooting with organizers. The ideal candidate will bring at least five years of experience in community organizing, issue campaigns, and coalition-building, including grassroots field experience with base building and member leadership development, preferably within the Chicago organizing field. Of the five years organizing experience, at least two (2) of those years will have been directly managing and leading staff organizers in that work. They will bring a nuanced understanding of organizing strategy and organizational infrastructure and have proven leadership working independently with multiple stakeholders to create a common vision, building and nurturing alliances with community partners. The position will require experience leading collaborative program development and coordination, and demonstrated ability to assess, initiate, plan and coordinate strategic gatherings and/or trainings strengthening the capacity of organizations and leaders in the organizing field. The candidate will possess a critical eye paired with a generative mindset, ideally having demonstrated leadership navigating internal organizational conflict as well as addressing structural organizational needs and gaps. While previous philanthropic experience is not required, the ideal candidate will have experienced the community perspective in the grantmaking process such as research, grant writing, preparing for and attending site visits, and producing reports. A high premium will be placed on having trusting relationships with local grassroots organizers and a deep commitment to social justice and power building.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Grantee Support, Program Development, and Implementation (approximately 70% of the position)

• Lead all aspects of WFC’s grantmaking and programmatic work with an intersectional racial justice lens.
• Work collaboratively with the Program Team (Chief Impact Officer, Strategic Initiatives Director, and Program Officers) on overarching grantmaking strategies, processes, documents, and evaluation procedures.
• Diligently manage grant programs with high quality report generation, grant review and evaluation, and proactively work with the team to continually reimagine these grantmaking elements.
• Build and cultivate relationships with current and potential grantee partners, continuously learning and understanding needs and trends, including organizers’ insights, on the field of power building.
• Maintain timely knowledge on grantee partners’ community organizing and policy issues and stay up to date on trends, threats, and opportunities internally and externally to inform continued improvement and refinement of WFC strategies.
• Contribute to the Program Team’s development of a critical analysis of WFC portfolio and the Chicagoland power building and movement ecosystem to identify gaps and define areas appropriate for the Foundation to address.
• Support grantee partners’ utilization of WFC responsive funds to address grantee partner requests and needs that develop their power building capacities and strengthen their organizational infrastructure.
• Research and examine resources, best practices and program models that strengthen organizing practice and power building strategies, capacity building, and supporting BIPOC leadership, for referrals to share with grantee partners or for potential implementation.
• Identify and support opportunities for peer learning among grantee partners, which may include peer skill shares, convening spaces, strategic conversations, political education sessions, organizing trainings and capacity building opportunities, when appropriate and directed by grantee partners.
• Design and implement all capacity building and organizing support opportunities with the guidance and direction of grantee partners (without putting the burden of work on them.)
• Develop and support workgroups or other appropriate governance structures to guide and support the Foundation’s programs.
• Coordinate to ensure grantee partner support opportunities integrate with other WFC program areas.
• Root all programming with grantee partners in the spirit of transparency, accountability, rigor, vulnerability, and belonging, grounded in immediate needs with an eye to the horizon.

Funder Organizing (approximately 15%)

• Support WFC’s goal to influence peer funders to increase resourcing power building organizations and addressing inequitable grantmaking practices.
• Utilize assessment of the organizing field to work with field leaders and other funders to analyze challenges and opportunities, identify strategies for supporting the organizing ecosystem, and create opportunities for shared learning and funding.
• Foster relationships with funder colleagues, learning trends and opportunities within the philanthropic field’s relationships to and understanding of power building to inform continued improvement and refinement of WFC strategies. This can include participation and engagement on funder tables.
• Identify strategies to engage other funders across a range of issue areas to make introductions to support the work and strategies of WFC grantee partners.

Building Strong Organization (approximately 15%)

• Cultivate relationships with current and potential grantees, funders and partners guided by the WFC mission, vision, and values.
• Attend relevant trainings and conferences, representing WFC at public events.
• Attend and present at board and committee meetings and provide support with the preparation, including materials and documents.
• Assist with the development of WFC documents and materials, such as newsletters and annual reports, and contribute to the Foundation’s communication’s strategy.
• Participate in the design and ongoing review of the Foundation’s strategic plan, program priorities and policy initiatives.
• Maintain and generate notes and orderly documentation for shared record keeping files and multiple tracking systems.
• Attend and provide logistical support to WFC events as needed.
• Special projects as assigned by the Chief Impact Officer.
• Actively contribute to the WFC team growth and alignment and support connections to foster a healthy and effective team culture.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS and COMPETENCIES

While no one candidate will possess every quality outlined for this position, a successful candidate will bring many of the following professional and personal attributes and experiences:

• Minimum five years of experience in community organizing, campaigns, and coalition-building, including grassroots field experience with base building and member leadership development, preferably in Chicago. Of the five years organizing experience, a minimum of two (2) of those years directly managing and leading staff organizers in that work.
• Strong racial, gender, economic, and social justice analysis. You have personal experience with and/or genuine empathy with the issues confronting our grantee partners’ communities.
• Comprehensive understanding of movement and power building strategy and a solid conception of the Chicagoland organizing landscape. This includes historical context, current landscape, relevant partners, political terrain, key challenges, and strategies for change. You have a long-term view towards social and civic change work.
• Passionate about power building, disrupting the philanthropic sector, and eager to challenge how to serve the movement sector from within the institution of philanthropy.
• Experience training organizers and creating and facilitating dynamic learning and community building spaces for social justice leaders.
• Strong people skills with the ability to build relationships and communicate effectively and professionally with a diverse range of people.
• Proven leadership and history collaborating with multiple stakeholders aligning people and resources to create a common vision and building and nurturing alliances with community partners.
• Strategic thinker and analytical skills with experience utilizing research and data, developing evidence-based tactical plans, and shaping and managing sustainable and scalable projects.
• Strong program coordination skills with attention to detail, multiple deadlines, and advancing overall goals.
• Facility taking initiative, working independently and effectively managing multiple projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, comfortable presenting information publicly and representing WFC at events and conferences.
• Familiarity with building organizational infrastructure and processes having supported organizations in times of instability and emergence, whether internal or external.
• Experience leading and managing a team, using a collaborative approach to achieve a shared goal as well as reflection and evaluation.
• Willing to build trusting and accountable relationships grounded in values and integrity and be adaptable working collaboratively with a team.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office platforms (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel) and the ability to learn other computer software systems like Asana and video conferencing.

COMPENSATION

• Salary is in the $120,000-$130,000 range, commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive benefits package includes employer-paid medical insurance, employer-matched contribution to a retirement plan, and generous paid leave.

TO APPLY

• Please submit resume and cover letter expressing your interest in WFC and this position to: hr@woodsfund.org
• The deadline to apply for this position is August 11, 2025. The target start date is October 1, 2025. Only those selected for further discussion will be contacted. Please, no phone calls.