Senior Program Officer, Education

Job Summary: California Community Foundation’s education program strategy builds on the belief that improving positive youth outcomes from cradle to career will increase economic productivity and vitality in the region. Our unified vision for a thriving public education system enhances the life course success of local youth by addressing root causes of structural inequities. Los Angeles County accounts for a full twenty-five percent of California’s school-age youth. Our goal is to advance increased opportunities for young people from early care to TK-12 to postsecondary education and career to facilitate their meaningful participation in learning, work, and community.

Current education priority areas include:

• Young Learners - Increase access to high-quality early care and education for children from communities with limited access to affordable and quality care resources. 
• English Learners - Advance a multi-lingual, multi-cultural public education system that improves the outcomes for English Learners. 
• Resource Equity - Champion equitable funding and resource allocation to TK-12 schools and community colleges. 
• Youth Development - Promote a positive youth development system that utilizes a strengths-based approach to support the development and wellbeing of young people. 
• Postsecondary - Improve postsecondary access and success for low-income, first-generation, and historically underrepresented students.

CCF is committed to education solutions driven by racial equity, parent/family engagement, strategic leveraging of public/private funds, and meaningful policy change. This position requires experience and leadership skills which will enable CCF to carry out its work in an effective, fair, and thoughtful manner.

Strategies and activities include, but are not limited to:

1 - Grantmaking

Incorporate comprehensive youth development approaches to advance opportunities for underserved populations in education. Focus on increasing student outcomes with an intersectional, racial equity lens. Focus on geographic areas ripe for increased non-profit sector capacity-building relative to other areas in Los Angeles County.

2 - Evaluation and Communication

Share project activities, impact, and lessons learned through reports, briefs, and digital materials detailing the work of grant recipients and foundation partners to support systemic responsiveness.

3 - Stakeholder and Community Engagement

Capture and share promising practices to inform and influence key stakeholders and policymakers for efforts and impacts at scale.

As key role in CCF’s Education portfolio, this position leads, executes, consults, and collaborates with internal and external partners on designated education initiatives and/or special projects with heavy emphasis on strategic grantmaking; policy and legislative analysis; fundraising and donor relations; and high impact communications. Most importantly, the position ensures the success of the California Thriving Youth Initiative (CTYI), as well as other aligned collaboratives, networks, or partnerships, such as Community Foundations Teacher Workforce project, respectively.

About California Thriving Youth Initiative: Initiated in June 2024, CTYI is a collective effort to promote the learning, leadership, and well-being of adolescents in California and beyond. The initiative engages philanthropic partners who share a commitment to advancing equitable public education systems that provide young people – particularly those furthest from opportunity – with the conditions, climate, opportunities, and supports they need to succeed and thrive. Seeded by Stuart Foundation and housed at CCF, CTYI was established to leverage significant equity-focused investments in California and to respond to the increasingly polarized education debates in many communities by offering an informed, positive vision for our public education system. Activities conducted by CTYI include strategic grantmaking, convening partners, narrative and storytelling, and collective learning from innovations that can shape systems-level transformations.

About Community Foundations Teacher Workforce Project: A partnership between San Diego Foundation (SDF), Inland Empire Community Foundation, and California Community Foundation (CCF), this project works with local and state stakeholders to build awareness of TK-12 teacher workforce issues, including emerging data assessing teacher quality, assignments, and vacancies. This project aims to inform district leaders, policymakers, and community members about the status of California’s teacher workforce at the state, region, and school levels in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties.

This role works directly with foundation partners, consultants, and various constituency groups, including local school districts or charter school organizations, community-based service providers, policy and advocacy organizations. Successful candidates will have considerable experience and wide established networks in the Los Angeles region education landscape.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Portfolio Management: Manages a set of high-profile, special grantmaking initiatives and projects. Develops portfolio grantmaking guidelines and timelines, including Request for Proposal (RFP), Peer Review/Due Diligence, and Reporting protocols. Oversees executed grants and maintains ongoing communication with grant partners. Works to strengthen organizational capacity of grantees and sector. Serves as a thought-partner and content expert to aligned practice networks, advocacy coalitions, community-based organizations, and local education systems.

Strategy Development and Implementation: With guidance and approval from Director of Education, utilizes their own demonstrated education content expertise, as well as engages youth, families, educators/practitioners, systems leaders, action researchers, and CCF leadership to design and implement special initiatives strategy objectives. Collaborates with internal and external partners to achieve related activities and assumes primary responsibility for communicating results to multiple audiences. Maintains depth and expertise in the Foundation’s areas of interest, major education policy reform efforts, and initiatives that impact education issues in Los Angeles County, the State of California, and the United States. Supports systems change and overall portfolio desire to catalyze cradle to career public education with equitable outcomes for communities impacted by racial and economic discrimination.

Grantmaking and Monitoring: Ensures that CCF’s grants are strategically aligned and invested to achieve maximum impact for underserved communities most proximate to needed education systems change and supports. Conducts due diligence including review and analysis of grant proposals, written materials, financial information, site visits and interviews with other funders and relevant agencies. Makes funding recommendations to CCF executive leadership and board of directors (Board). Produces grant agreement data, reviews progress reports and payment requests, and maintains ongoing communications with grantees. Works with grant partners to report results by using effective outcome measures to assist CCF to better assess the impact of its grants and special initiatives. Prepares and presents written and oral analyses of grant requests, issue briefs, and portfolio reports for CCF staff, Leadership, Board, committees and/or donors.

Designated Special Initiatives: Works in concert with donors and fundholders with the intent of assisting them to design and implement the mission, goals, and definition of successful fund impact for the California Thriving Youth Initiative, Community Foundations Teacher Workforce Project, and other designated special initiatives. This includes setting budgets, executing timelines, and providing financial reports to fund advisors and/or fund committees. Serves as the primary point of contact and coordinator of Los Angeles region special initiative activities, local grantees, and builds long term relationships in support of each respective fund’s objective. Collaborates with Program Operations, Development and Donor Relations, and Funder Relations team on special initiatives administrative tasks and other duties as assigned.

Resource Development and Fundraising: With advisement from Director of Education, pursues and brings in additional funding resources, prepares funding proposals, and completes required reports as appropriate. Develops and maintains relationships with local/national funders and seeks opportunities to leverage additional resources in the form of gifts, awards, scholarships and/or job opportunities for youth. In partnership with Development and Donor Relations (DDR), prepares information for donors and/or meets with donors to discuss related giving preferences and appeal for support for postsecondary opportunities for underserved youth. Presents donor fundholders with grant recommendations through written communications and presentations.

Research and Special Projects: Conducts, proposes, and monitors research in support of education strategy learning and advocacy. Uses research process and products to guide strategies and inform advocacy partners. Builds on research projects to identify systems change issues and solutions related to educational improvement. Ensures that research is disseminated and presented to appropriate stakeholders. Designs, manages, and facilitates special projects for CCF by ensuring timely preparation and coordination of key activities and materials.

Community Engagement and Partner Relations: Works directly with foundation partners, consultants, and various constituency groups, including community-based service providers, policy and advocacy organizations, government agencies, local and state-level elected policymakers, civic and business leaders. Represents CCF at special events and on relevant committees, commissions, and boards. Works directly with community members and prospective grant seekers to provide clarification of CCF priorities, direction regarding application procedures, and feedback on proposals.

Communications: Communicates (e.g., in-person updates, e-blasts, blogs, annual reports) with Foundation partners and stakeholder groups to provide information about education priorities, activities, and progress. Responds to external requests for information. Works in partnership with Education team, DDR, Marketing and Communications, and Presidents’ Office staff to produce relevant materials for distribution to key stakeholders. Manages key activities including organizing and speaking at outreach meetings, preparing written materials for the CCF Board, grant partners, and other audiences. Collaborates with Development, Donor Relations, and Communications staff to strategize on messaging, fund development, and impact analysis for discretionary funds. Prepares information for donors and/or meets with donors to refine their giving preferences. May also staff one-time, periodic, or ongoing grantmaking processes associated with donor-advised funds and supporting organizations.

Convening: Strategically convenes stakeholders to develop and accomplish a shared agenda that moves work towards CCF goals. Plans and coordinates meetings with stakeholders and uses opportunities to engage CCF donors, grantees, staff, board, and community. Develops CCF brand as a cross-sector convener and collaborator. As necessary, represents the donor fundholders and stakeholders at community events and meetings with foundation partners, constituencies, and stakeholder groups. Plans and supports events as needed with Presidents’ Office, DDR, and Programs staff.

Integration of Work: Integrates the functions and skills of civic engagement, marketing and communications, and development/donor relations into portfolio to increase opportunity for systemic change. Contracts and coordinates work of external vendors and/or consultants, as necessary. Identifies and pursues opportunities for internal integration of work across functions and departments to leverage strengths and efforts across CCF.

General: Assists other Education team members, supports SCPI departments, and serves on interdepartmental teams across the organization to ensure the effective and efficient CCF operations. At all times, demonstrates cooperative behavior with supervisors and coworkers. Other duties as assigned, dependent on organizational needs and employee skills.

Job Qualifications

• Education: 
  • Bachelor's degree required.
  • Master’s level degree in a field related to the primary funding areas of the foundation is preferred.
• Work Experience: 
  • At least ten (10) years of demonstrated education content expertise, related program design, program implementation, grantmaking and/or management experience is required.
  • A minimum of three (3) years working in the nonprofit, public, and/or philanthropic sector required.
  • Experience in managing consultants and project working teams to achieve results is essential.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

Technical Knowledge: Existing knowledge of and experience in education policy and practice, particularly in the context of Los Angeles and California. Understanding and grasp of the field’s research, leadership, and opportunities ripe for impact and/or leverage, especially education systems change, project-based pedagogy, teacher workforce, youth development, postsecondary access and success, community schools, civic engagement and democratic pluralism. Demonstrated analytical capabilities and substantive knowledge of best practices in fields of interest to the Foundation, including human development, teaching and learning, education governance and accountability, student access and success, non-profit finance, public policy and legislative process, public and private funding streams related to the Foundation’s domains of work, and a working understanding of outcome measures and evaluation methodologies aimed at assessing program effectiveness

Community Knowledge: Knowledge of the Los Angeles County public education and nonprofit community, familiarity with the geography and diverse neighborhoods throughout the region, and experience in working effectively with diverse and broad-based community constituencies.

Convening and Facilitation Skills: Able to facilitate meetings and group processes for the purposes of fact-finding, decision-making, peer learning and problem solving.

Fundraising Skills: Working knowledge of raising funds from individual donors, foundations and/or the public sector. Solid grant writing skills are essential. Background in prospecting and solicitation preferred.

Communication Skills: Excellent writing skills with the ability to write clear, concise analyses and narratives. Superior interpersonal and proven client services skills, including experience in writing clear policy and procedure documents. Ability to prepare and give presentations, and to comfortably interact with diverse audiences including donors, Board members, civic leaders, and nonprofit and community groups. Multilingual competency is desired.

Leadership Skills: Ability to make well-reasoned decisions in the best interests of the organization for the present and future, and the ability to work collaboratively and effectively with individuals of diverse backgrounds. Good meeting management skills and understanding of political processes.

Technology Skills: Internet competency and strong computer proficiency, including mastery of the Microsoft Office software suite and a familiarity with database software, is required. A willingness and ability to learn appropriate database, spreadsheet, and other computer programs.

Project Management Skills: Excellent organizational skills and mindfulness to detail. Ability to lead and manage projects, prioritize work effectively and adjust to multiple demands, with consistent attention to timelines. Experience managing large-scale government grants and/or public-private partnerships preferred.

Team & General Skills: Ability to work well independently and as team member. Ability to take initiative and follow tasks through to completion. Ability to lead a team toward CCF's goals, leveraging each team member's skill set.

Working Conditions: 

• Requires the ability to sit and work at a desk for several hours at a time.
• Requires the ability to travel and attend meetings, presentations and events outside the office, which may require occasional use of a motor vehicle for transportation to other locations. Due to the nature of external appointments and/or responsibilities requiring travel to locations not easily accessible by public transportation, driving is an essential job responsibility for this position. 
• This position is required to be available to speak with clients and/or others while away from the office and/or with clients and/or others located in other time zones outside Foundation business hours. 
• Work may require weekends and/or extended workday.
• Punctuality and satisfactory attendance are essential functions of the job.