Funders for Housing and Opportunity (FHO) is a national funder collaborative focused on ensuring that all renters, regardless of income or race, can afford a safe, stable home in a community with amenities supporting better health, economic mobility, and educational achievement. This is accomplished primarily through grant making and learning exchanges in FHO’s three priority areas: policy, advocacy, and organizing; narrative change; and local cross-sector housing collaboratives. FHO has prioritized racial equity in its work, and seeks to change housing policies, practices, and institutions that have perpetuated a system of discrimination in housing and harm communities of color. More information can be found on our website, www.housingisopportunity.org.
POSITION TITLE: Program Officer
LOCATION: Remote, work from home. Preference for candidates living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. This position is not eligible for relocation assistance.
REPORTS TO: Project Director
STATUS: Full-time, Exempt
POSITION SUMMARY: Funders for Housing and Opportunity (FHO) seeks a skilled manager and strategic thought partner knowledgeable about affordable housing and grantmaking to fill its Program Officer position. The Program Officer, in consultation with the Project Director, is responsible for managing the grants cycle for both existing and prospective grantees in FHO’s three funding priority areas and for leading and facilitating the periodic convening of FHO grantees. The Program Officer is also responsible for maintaining FHO’s website and social medial presence. FHO has a small but mighty team (currently 1.5 FTEs) and is looking for a self-motivated team player to fill this critical role.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Grants Management
- Manages a portfolio of grants that are focused on FHO’s funding priorities of policy advocacy and organizing; narrative change; and local cross-sector housing collaboratives.
- Manages on-going relationships with grantees – from initial contact and receipt of grant proposal to grant close.
- Represents FHO with grantees during the grantmaking process and serves as the point of contact for grantees on administrative questions.
- Manages grants database and grantee portal, ensuring that documentation is complete, accurate data is entered, and that information is updated as necessary.
- Leads annual portfolio review and assists in the development of strategies for each of the three funding priorities.
- Staffs monthly committee meetings for each of the three funding priority areas – including developing agendas, preparing advance materials, facilitating the calls, and initiating follow-up activities.
- Coordinates grant review and recommendation process, including drafting grant applications, processes, and timelines, and incorporating feedback from committees.
- Identifies potential applicants and solicits proposals.
- Screens applications for completeness and fulfillment of minimum requirements.
- Creates application review criteria and guides for reviewers. Facilitates grant review meetings.
- Prepares proposal analysis, including written summaries and recommendations, and conducts site visits when appropriate. Presents committee recommendations to Project Director and full Steering Committee.
- Ensures grant agreements are executed in a timely manner.
- Ensures grantee reports are submitted in a timely manner.
- Summarizes grantee reports for committee members and works with FHO’s evaluation consultants to aggregate data and determine/communicate impact.
- Manages grant disbursement calendar, ensuring all requirements are met prior to disbursement release and initiating disbursements with New Venture Fund
- Monitors and tracks grants to ensure compliance with all financial, legal and other NVF requirements.
Grantee Learning Community Facilitation
- Establishes relationships with grantees, works with them to set goals and agendas for grantee meetings so that meetings are meaningful to grantees and allows them opportunities to network, learn from one another, collaborate, and leverage strengths.
- Plans, coordinates, facilitates, and provides logistical support to grantee convenings/meetings, in close coordination with the Project Director and the Executive Assistant. Initiates follow-up activities between meetings.
Grant Prospect Research and Strategy Development
- Stays up to date on trends, opportunities, and emerging issues in FHO’s priority areas, across existing grantees, and in the field. Communicates these issues to Project Director and committees and uses this knowledge to inform grantmaking.
- Researches and meets with potential grantees to learn about their organizations and projects. Documents prospective funding opportunities and presents these to the relevant grant committee, as appropriate.
- Periodically assesses the field, explores new areas of interest, identifies possible new strategies, and prepares background research.
External Engagement & Partnership
- Represents FHO at meetings and convenings with current and potential grantees and members.
- Develops and maintains relationships with other grant-makers and philanthropic peers.
- Manages FHO’s social media and website presence.
- Assumes other related responsibilities and special projects as assigned.
REQUIRED AND PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of training or experience.
- 5-7 years of experience in the affordable housing and/or homelessness field is required.
- Experience with grant-making and managing relationships with grantees is strongly preferred.
- Understanding of the affordable housing and homelessness systems, infrastructure, organizations/key players, and related fields.
- Knowledge of the causes of inequitable and racially segregated housing in our country, understanding of the relationship between housing discrimination and access to opportunity, and a drive to find systemic solutions.
- Ability to analyze organizational capacity and health, including financial skills to evaluate program budgets.
- Proven ability to define program objectives, evaluate progress, and independently manage multiple projects through a complete lifestyle with strong attention to detail.
- Highly cooperative team-player with the ability to also be effective independently and meet deadlines.
- Maintains professional demeanor in all situations and proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
- Ability to work in a mission/results-driven environment.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills with ability to summarize and present to various audiences.
- Flexible and able to work well with all levels of internal and external leadership and management as well as outside constituents.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (including Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point), Ability to learn to use Slack, Box, and Zoom.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
- Candidate must have the ability to travel up to 20% of the time.
- Candidate must be able to provide a home environment conducive to remote working, including a quiet and distraction-free working space, an internet connection that’s adequate for the job and capable of videoconferencing, and full attention to their job duties during working hours.
- FHO is a project of the New Venture Fund (NVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant making programs. NVF is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding, and enables each of us to realize our potential. We seek to recruit the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. NVF’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state I which you are working.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
- Salary range is $80,000 - $100,000, depending upon experience and location.
- This position provides full benefits (health, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off)
TO APPLY
Please email a pdf version of a resume and cover letter with salary requirement to info@housingisopportunity.org on or before 5pm Eastern on Friday, February 7th. The subject line should read: Program Officer, INSERT YOUR NAME.
Due to high volume, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.
