Senior Fellow, Community Safety & Harm Reduction

Organization Overview

 For over 50 years, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has ignited the power of philanthropy to respond to critical community needs and build a thriving region where every person prospers. The Community Foundation is a trusted advisor and navigator helping thousands of individuals, families, businesses, and government partners to identify impactful nonprofits and support the greater good in the communities we call home. As the region’s largest local funder, we have invested $1.7 billion to build equitable, just, and thriving communities across DC, Montgomery County, Northern Virginia, and Prince George’s County. To learn more, visit thecommunityfoundation.org.   

Position Summary

Staff at the Greater Washington Community Foundation first and foremost are community builders. With this value we are signaling the foundation’s fundamental belief: Relationships and networks matter. In fact, building and activating cross-racial, across socio-economic levels, and across jurisdictional relationships and networks stands as a unique ‘superpower’ and the fertile ground from which we create racially equitable and sustainable change. Community Investment team members at the Greater Washington Community Foundation plays a unique role in this effort, working with their colleagues and community partners to organize and deploy the broad spectrum of the foundation’s social, intellectual, financial, reputational, and moral capital in pursuit of the highest ambitions of our region’s people. 

The Senior Fellow will provide leadership for funders in the region and other partners intent on working in concert to create an aligned approach to violence prevention and community safety in the District of Columbia. This will include working with identified funders to organize and support the development of a community safety agenda that will align efforts and drive investments across the continuum – from prevention, to interruption, to safety and justice reform, and related factors that impact community. The role will work to build partnerships across philanthropy and with government such that we can address community safety, and root causes. The aim is strategic alignment for impact. This might be accomplished through grantmaking, collaboration, co-investment, and communications. The Senior Fellow will be responsible for program management and coordination, outreach, and public engagement, convening, reporting, drafting and shepherding a strategic plan for harm reduction and community safety. The candidate will bring subject matter expertise and offer a voice of experience in leading and advancing the cause for community improvement and for justice. The candidate should be familiar with data and a range of perspectives on the issues of community safety and have a commitment to advancing action that reflects a data-informed, human-centered approach. The role will work in partnership with other funders. 

In addition to the duties described in this position description, every role at The Community Foundation is expected to contribute to the organization’s overall success and its goals. Any additional tasks will be determined by the manager of this role in coordination with the leadership team. We expect any additional tasks will be 10% or less of the overall role. This role is a 3 year term, eligible for renewal. 

Primary Responsibilities

This role requires high-level program and administrative coordination. Below are the core areas of responsibility.

• Strategic Planning: The incumbent will have a proven ability to lead the development of a clear and actionable strategic plan in consultation with stakeholders (other funders, impacted communities, government) to shape the agenda and sector alignment. The strategic plan will provide a roadmap for the key priorities amongst partners: current grantmaking, ecosystem mapping, donor learning & outreach, and community engagement. The Senior Fellow will foster a working culture among the partners that is participatory, engaging, and action oriented; and will develop a values-aligned set of systems and processes to support work that is grounded in racial justice, fairness, and transparency.
• Communications: The incumbent should demonstrate authority on matters of community safety and harm reduction with a bias toward collaborative action along with strong written and verbal communications skills to support a variety of communications outreach that will engage volunteer committees. The incumbent will also build support for the work through data/research-driven contributions to blog posts, thought leadership articles, and newsletter updates. This position will also support the preparation of grant applications and/or regular reports.
• Coordination and Facilitation: Facilitate, schedule, and manage meetings and strategic planning sessions; communication with community partners, community organizations, and people in community.
• Partner Engagement & Management: Support recruitment and outreach to prospective philanthropic, government, and private sector partners locally and nationally; and create reports, analysis, and materials for partners, as needed. Support the development of grant proposals and reports, as needed.
• Grant program coordination: As appropriate and necessary, plan and execute grantmaking, which includes developing RFPs, preparing materials, and handling grant seeker inquiries; preparing distribution lists, leading webinars, reviewing proposals and/or RFI’s; managing grantee portfolio, reviewing grantee reports, and preparing summaries/lessons learned reports and analysis.
• Other Community Investment Team duties (as needed). The Senior Fellow will be asked to provide support from time to time on other departmental initiatives. With the collaborative as an evolving model, the Senior Fellow will look for ways to develop systems and processes that are applicable for Community Impact Initiatives across the region. 

Requirements

•  A minimum of 7 years of experience is required.
• Exceptional planning, project management, and organizational skills.
• Outstanding communication skills (written and verbal), interpersonal skills, the ability to work well with a wide range of colleagues, and the ability to interact respectfully with people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures.
• Deep understanding of community safety issues locally as well as familiarity with common strategies, programs, and best practices.
• Experience planning and leading meetings and events.
• The capacity and presence to engage and activate grass tops and grass roots leaders.
• Understanding and experience with policy advocacy efforts, and ability to help develop a policy agenda and mobilize stakeholders to action.
• Entrepreneurial spirit – the ability to shape and carry a unique body of work while working collaboratively with peers, colleagues, and partners.
• Working knowledge of concepts and demonstrated commitment to advancing racial equity and inclusion. 
• Keen conceptual, analytical, and critical thinking skills; an inquisitive nature; and an ability to synthesize complex issues and concepts on behalf of the greater good of the community.
• Technology fluency with managing calendars, appointments, and schedules; word processing, spreadsheet, and database development/maintenance; and development of presentation materials (preferably using Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and Power Point software); and electronic communications. Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge and Blackbaud Grantmaking are a plus.
• An understanding of philanthropy’s role in the community and a commitment to philanthropy and the mission of the foundation.
• Sound judgment; ability to manage time effectively; flexibility; self-discipline and initiative; ability to work with minimal supervision.

Salary Description

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications - starting at $120,000.00/annual.

The Community Foundation offers benefits and programs that inspire a culture of engagement and productivity. Hybrid work schedule, Summer Friday schedule; Staff events, professional development stipend, twelve paid holidays, Wellness holidays, and Paid Time Off (PTO). The benefits package includes company-paid health, vision, and dental insurance for employees; flexible spending accounts; retirement plan with employer contribution; Universal Life and Long-Term Care Insurance, AFLAC, and more.