Foundation Summary
The Robert R. McCormick Foundation envisions a Chicagoland comprised of thriving communities where all individuals have the resources and opportunities to succeed, without regard to income, race, ethnicity, gender, or ZIP code. We invest in people and organizations across the region to develop educated, informed, and engaged communities.
The Foundation was established in 1955, upon the death of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The Foundation’s philanthropic investments of more than $1.8 billion to date, are currently focused on Chicago's South and West Sides and the following issues: early childhood education, public safety, community development, veterans, and journalism.
The Foundation’s Board also oversees Cantigny, Col. McCormick's 500-acre estate in Wheaton, Illinois, which encompasses a park, formal gardens, a museum dedicated to the 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, and a 27-hole public golf facility. Learn more at mccormickfoundation.org, cantigny.org, fdmuseum.org, and cantignygolf.com.
Position Summary
The Foundation seeks someone to support our grantmaking partnerships to deepen the positive impact we have on Chicago’s South and West sides. The Grantmaking Portfolio Associate will support the Foundation’s relationships with diverse individuals and organizations, collect and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data related to our Focus Areas (Thriving Communities, Early Childhood Education, Journalism, and Military & Veterans) and place-based communities (Englewood, Little Village, and the United Way Neighborhood Network), and craft persuasive, data-driven recommendations to inform Foundation actions in pursuit of its mission.
Success in this job requires a collaborative, team-centered approach. The team member is comfortable wrestling with complex social, political, and economic questions; is an active listener who seeks input from colleagues and community stakeholders; is confident developing and acting on shared goals; sets benchmarks and strategically assesses progress; and will learn from and communicate mistakes to improve future approaches. This is a developmental role, time limited to one to two years with a career development component and evaluated on an annual basis.
Essential Functions
Engage and Convene
· Deepen our understanding of people, trends, issues, and geographies related to the Foundation’s grantmaking partnerships. Support Grantmaking staff with grantee relationship management and facilitate connections between citywide grantmaking partners and our community partners.
· Develop programs and convenings in partnership with Grantmaking staff and community partners to support deeper learning, enhanced collaboration, data collection and augmented funding to achieve more meaningful progress towards Foundation goals.
Analyze and Strategize
· Research and synthesize topics that are in alignment with our grantmaking.
· Investigate and evaluation investment opportunities by supporting Grantmaking staff with site visits and vetting of application materials, including financial statements, workplans, budgets, qualitative and quantitative data collected partners and other relevant information.
· Monitor and report on the performance of investments in collaboration with Grantmaking staff. Capitalize on knowledge gained through evaluation to identify and recommend avenues for augmenting impact.
Communicate and Influence
· Clearly, concisely, and coherently synthesize and relay information in writing and in person for the Foundation’s Board, leadership, colleagues, and external partners. This information might include grant pitches and recommendations, lessons from the field, and analyses of data to show trends.
· Support efforts to leverage research, relationships, and technology to positively change the behaviors of stakeholders in McCormick’s areas of investment to align them with established best practices for achieving our shared goals.
· Represent the Foundation at meetings, forums, and public presentations, as appropriate, to advance our work.
· Perform other miscellaneous duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor’s Degree required
Experience: 4-6 years in non-profit, public policy, urban planning or other related field
Salary Range: $63,000- $71,000
Skills:
Communication:
Clarity
· Outstanding active listening skills
· Concise and coherent speaking, writing, and presenting
Organization:
Reliability
· Strong planning and time management skills
· Focuses on multiple diverse tasks and meets deadlines
· Flexible
· Thrives in a dynamic environment
Collaboration:
Respected and Respectful Engagement
· Actively contributes to the grantmaking team
· Advances inclusiveness through the work
· Strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills
Effectiveness:
Innovative and Results-Oriented
· Develop and implement successful strategies with clearly articulated goals, metrics, benchmarks and data-driven reports on progress and impact
· Ability to work with ambiguity
· Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, impact-oriented environment
· Comfort with existing technology and enthusiasm to embrace new technology to enhance efficiency and impact
Working Conditions:
Full-time position. The Foundation is headquartered in downtown Chicago and most work is performed in a typical office environment (depending on COVID-19 restrictions). The Grantmaking Portfolio Associate will also spend time in Englewood, Little Village, and other communities in which the Foundation works. Regular travel to community organizations across Chicago and the region is required and the Grantmaking Portfolio Associate will meet with community stakeholders at their offices and in the community as needed. Requires some weekend and evening work. This is a developmental role, time limited to one to two years with a career development component and evaluated on an annual basis.
Benefits
The McCormick Foundation offers industry-leading benefits that reflect the Foundation's mission and support a healthy and productive culture.
Healthcare and Paid Time Off:
In addition to our high-caliber and comprehensive medical, dental, and vision care, we provide:
· Paid time off and paid sick leave
· 11 employer-paid holidays
· Disability insurance and life insurance at no cost to employees.
· Other benefits to support our employees include health club reimbursement, a hybrid work schedule, and an employee and dependent educational assistance program.
Retirement: To assist employees in saving towards their retirement, we offer:
· A generous pension plan with a Foundation-paid contribution of 8% of an employee's salary.
· We also offer a 403(b) Salary Deferral Plan with a $1 for $1 Foundation-paid matching contribution of 6% of an employee’s salary.
Giving Back to Community: The Foundation supports our employees' personal philanthropy by:
· Matching two-for-one every dollar of qualified charitable contributions an employee makes, up to $75,000.
· Offering four Foundation-paid service days and a contribution of $500 per service day donated by the Foundation to the 501(c)(3) organization with which the employee volunteered on the service day.
· Donating $500 for every 5 years of employment to a 501(c)(3) organization of the employee’s choosing.
Vaccination Requirement
The Robert R. McCormick Foundation requires as a condition of employment that all employees are fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) or have been approved for an accommodation based on a medical condition or conflicting religious belief.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Cantigny Park and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, individuals with disabilities, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital and housing status.
