Director, Impact Investments

The Director, Impact Investments role encompasses all aspects of mission-aligned investing at The Chicago Community Trust, ranging from ESG investing to catalytic capital. The Director, Impact Investment will report to the AVP/Chief of Investments and will work closely with the Trust’s Finance, Community Impact, and Philanthropic Services teams, as well as interface extensively with external partners.

CCT Impact Investing Overview:

At The Chicago Community Trust, we believe that impact investing, with its ability to generate social returns alongside investment gains, amplifies the transformative power of the philanthropic capital entrusted to our organization. Reflecting this philosophy, we currently have four primary expressions of impact within our $4 billion investment portfolio:

• Investment Manager Diversity: We believe it is important to consider racial and gender diversity in the management of our investment portfolio, and we are committed to retaining a diverse pool of investment managers while achieving our investment objectives. We also engage with our investment managers to advocate for strong & effective diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) practices.
• Investment in Benefit Chicago: Our pooled portfolio for donor-advised funds is invested in Benefit Chicago, a $100mm place-based impact investment fund launched by The Chicago Community Trust, The MacArthur Foundation, and Calvert Impact Capital. The goal of Benefit Chicago is to create jobs, build wealth, and tackle other social and economic challenges, with a special focus on communities of color, low-income households, and historically marginalized communities.
• Impact Investing Platform for Donor-Advised Funds: We offer an impact investing platform for our donor-advised fund holders. Using this platform, donors can access a curated list of impact investment options and if so inclined, request that their donor-advised fund be invested for impact in one or more of our pre-selected investment options. We offer a range of impact investment options including ESG-focused equity funds and loans to local CDFIs.
• Custom Impact Strategies for Advisor-Managed Funds: We work in collaboration with a select number of donors and their advisors to approve and implement custom impact investment strategies for funds held at the Chicago Community Trust.

Position Responsibilities:

Strategic Direction and Governance

• Assist with setting the strategic direction of the Trust’s impact investing effort, informed by our organizational mission, the impact investment opportunity set, financial & structural constraints of various Trust investment portfolios & our discretionary grant budget, and an understanding of our partner organizations.
• Lead & coordinate the effort to deepen our presence and evolve our impact investment approach across two priorities:
  • Impact investing to achieve the Trust’s strategic mission
  • Impact investing to attract & engage donors
• Prepare meeting agendas and materials for our Impact-First Ad Hoc committee; work with the Senior Director of Investments to refine the governance approach for impact-first investing and approve individual investment ideas.
• Work closely with Trust leadership to select the optimal impact investing approach(es) for various Trust portfolios; collectively determine prioritization of impact investment projects.
• Communicate impact investment strategy and outcomes to Trust staff, leadership and the Trust’s Investment Committee & Executive Committee. Generate buy-in for our impact investing strategy.
• Liaison extensively with our Community Impact team to foster an environment of mutual learning; explore ways to align our impact investing effort more closely with our grant-making. Share feedback on community-sourced impact investment ideas and offer guidance on new grant-supported impact investment approaches.

Impact Investment Selection & Monitoring

• Cultivate relationships with impact investment managers and other mission-driven institutional investors. Serve as Trust’s representative at all Chicago-focused impact investing gatherings & discussions.
• Build upon existing investment due diligence process to emphasize impact criteria for investment selection and monitoring; develop a framework for ongoing evaluation of new impact investment ideas. Create a process to monitor outcomes for impact investments and develop an approach to report impact and financial performance.
• Partner with Trust leadership & our external investment consultant to launch a new impact-focused pool for donor advised funds. Support the search and selection process for new additions to our impact investment lineup across portfolios.
• Evaluate and internally approve impact investment ideas for advisor-managed donor advised funds.
• Determine how investment capital can enhance the Trust’s community impact initiatives.

Donor and Financial Partner Outreach

• Work expansively with our Philanthropic Services team to connect with donors interested in impact investing; serve as the primary point of contact regarding our impact investing offering.
• Articulate the Trust’s impact investment strategy and vision to internal stakeholders; support preparation of meeting materials and deliverables for our Executive Committee and Investment Committee. Serve as an additional public voice for the Trust’s impact investing effort and articulate how our investment portfolio aligns with our organizational mission.
• Create compelling prospective donor materials and develop a strategy for ongoing communication with our donors.

Liaison with external partners - including our investment consultant, Trustee banks, and wealth advisors - to implement impact investment strategies.

Experience and Skills:

Position Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance or related field; Masters degree preferred.
• Experience working in the investment management or financial services industry; prior experience with an endowment, foundation, or family office is preferred.
• Interest in and knowledge of impact investing.
• Strong quantitative skills.
• Commitment to the Chicago community and not-for-profit sector.
• Ability to analyze data, synthesize findings, provide practical, actionable insights, and create clear summary reports.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills to successfully interact with groups inside and outside of the Trust.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and through written communication.
• Ability to prioritize and meet work deadlines consistently.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software programs.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are fundamental to achieving our impact

The Chicago Community Trust’s vision is a Chicago region where equity, opportunity, and prosperity abound. We acknowledge the specific role discrimination and systemic barriers based on race, ethnicity, and other varied identities and differences have played in limiting opportunities for too many. A commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is at the core of who we are, the decisions we make, and the actions we take in our work to strengthen the communities we serve and advance our strategic focus to close the racial and ethnic wealth gap.