Program Director, Connect Prosperity

Program Director, Connect People to Prosperity

Full-time

The Cleveland Foundation, established in 1914, is the world’s first and one of the largest community foundations, with assets exceeding $3 billion. Our mission is to enhance the lives of all residents of Greater Cleveland, now and for generations to come, by working together with our donors to build community endowment, address needs through grantmaking, and provide leadership on key community issues.

As we continue to grow and evolve, we are dedicated to building strong relationships and trust across our community, working collaboratively to create innovative, impactful, and internationally recognized contributions to the field of philanthropy.

You are a forward-thinking leader with a passion for driving meaningful community impact and a strong sense of organizational accountability to deliver results. Skilled in strategic decision-making, clean execution and collaborative problem-solving, you have a proven ability to lead with integrity, inclusiveness, and innovation. Recognized for excellent communication, you can listen actively, seek to understand different perspectives, and apply innovative ideas to drive change.

You possess a growth mindset, and an entrepreneurial approach that consistently delivers tangible social outcomes while upholding the values of transparency and collaboration.

The Program Director, People to Prosperity leads the strategic design, execution, and management of the Cleveland Foundation’s “Connect People to Prosperity” portfolio, a core pillar of the Foundation’s long-term impact agenda. This role drives economic stability and mobility at scale by accelerating access to quality education, eliminating barriers to family-sustaining wage jobs, and promoting wealth-building opportunities. The position is essential to achieving measurable community impact and advancing the Foundation’s mission through strategic partnerships, grantmaking, and community engagement.

The Program Director reports directly to the Chief Impact Officer.

• Deliver a strategic investment plan and drive the implementation of the "People to Prosperity" pillar of the Foundation’s Impact Agenda, ensuring adherence to its principles, goals, and strategies.
• Lead and convene a cross-departmental team of Program Officers, Philanthropic Advisors and others to drive measurable impact and to mobilize resources towards the strategic goals and objectives of the People to Prosperity pillar including, but not limited to grantmaking, policy, donor-engaged giving and other resources.
• Convene partners, drive cross-sector visioning and lead systems level change in Cleveland.
• Translate the Impact Agenda into actionable program initiatives, annual work plans, and measurable objectives.
• Assess the effectiveness of the strategies and recommend adjustments or refinements based on data, community feedback, and emerging best practices.
• Lead and manage the People to Prosperity portfolio, including partner selection, proposal development, stakeholder management, and evaluation in alignment with the Impact Agenda.
• Design and manage strategies and guidelines that advance the goals of People to Prosperity while conducting due diligence to ensure proposals align with priorities and philanthropic principles.
• Support and strengthen partners through capacity building, problem solving, site visits, and outcome tracking to ensure accountability and community impact.
• Identify and foster strategic partnerships that enhance the Foundation’s ability to execute the People to Prosperity pillar and achieve shared goals.
• Cultivate strong relationships with community leaders, grassroots organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Serve as a visible and trusted representative of the Foundation in the community.
• Work collaboratively with Impact team members to identify metrics and routinely measure the impact and effectiveness of initiatives and grants.
• Prepare compelling reports and presentations on program outcomes and impact for internal stakeholders, the Board of Directors, donors, and the broader community.
• Stay current…