Program Officer Racial Equity Initiatives

PROGRAM OFFICER, RACIAL EQUITY INITIATIVES

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is seeking to hire a Program Officer, Racial Equity Initiatives.

The Program Officer, Racial Equity Initiatives (Evaluation Focus) plays a key role in advancing the Foundation’s racial equity agenda by integrating evaluation, learning, and data‑driven insights into strategy, programs, and community initiatives. Reporting to the Director, Racial Equity Initiatives (DREI), this position collaborates across internal teams and with external partners to ensure that racial equity efforts are effectively designed, implemented, measured, and communicated.

This role manages initiatives from inception through evaluation, coordinates internal resources and external consultants, and leads the development of metrics, dashboards, and learning frameworks that strengthen collective impact and accountability.

• Support racial equity projects and initiatives through research, analysis, and evaluation design.
• Coordinate with internal teams, external partners, and consultants to ensure projects align with the Foundation’s strategic goals and racial equity outcomes.
• Develop and manage project timelines, deliverables, and budgets, ensuring activities stay on track and meet quality standards.
• Organize and facilitate meetings, workshops, and events related to evaluation learning.
• Support and assist DREI with coordinating meetings, workshops, and events related to racial equity.

• Design and implement evaluation frameworks and logic models for racial equity initiatives, identifying key performance indicators and data collection strategies.
• Develop and maintain dashboards, metrics, and reporting systems that track progress toward racial equity goals.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis to assess the effectiveness and impact of Foundation‐supported programs and partnerships.
• Synthesize and present findings in accessible, actionable ways for internal teams, leadership, and external partners.
• Work collaboratively with Foundation colleagues to integrate learning and evaluation into planning, decision‑making, and grantmaking.

• Maintain and grow a strong network across diverse community sectors, including nonprofit, government, business, and philanthropy.
• Support and assist DREI to facilitate collaborative efforts among stakeholders to create shared agendas, common measures, and sustainability strategies.
• Support partners in building their capacity to collect, analyze, and use data in ways that advance racial equity.
• Attend community meetings and learning exchanges focused on equity and evaluation.

• Work with the DREI to communicate key findings, stories of impact, and lessons learned.
• Develop written and visual materials—including reports, presentations, and data summaries—to share insights and elevate the Foundation’s role as a learning organization.
• Contribute to a culture of transparency, curiosity, and continuous improvement within the Foundation and among partners.

• All other duties as assigned.

• None (may oversee consultants or evaluation contractors).

• Minimal travel may be required for professional development or learning exchanges within the eight counties of Western New York.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required; advanced degree preferred in public administration, public policy, sociology, planning, evaluation, or related disciplines.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in philanthropy, community engagement, evaluation, research, or program management.
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing evaluations for complex community or systems‑change initiatives.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods.
• Demonstrated excellence in written communication, including the ability to produce clear, compelling, and error‑free content.
• Familiarity with collective impact frameworks, racial equity…