Program Officer

Brooklyn Org is a champion for Brooklyn. We celebrate Brooklyn’s brilliance and resilience, its incomparable culture and uncompromising grit – and we demand more for our communities.

Over our 15-year history, we have reimagined the role of philanthropy and provided immeasurable support to communities and nonprofit partners that are leading transformational change for Brooklyn. With a new model for community philanthropy, we are bringing together Brooklynites, Brooklyn backers, businesses, and broader believers in equity and justice to make Brooklyn a beacon for the world.

We are a platform for galvanizing giving. We are here to ensure that ideas are met with resources, challenges are met with solutions, and inequity is met with justice.

To further Brooklyn Org’s strategic priorities, the Program Officer (PO) develops relationships and works closely with community residents, nonprofit leaders, and other external partners. The PO is responsible for managing grantmaking portfolios with a participatory grantmaking approach and maintaining the integrity of grant information.

The successful candidate will possess excellent communication and analytical skills, a clear commitment to racial justice, in-depth knowledge of the Brooklyn nonprofit sector, a learning orientation and humility, and will be a team player capable of putting the common good first.

This is a full-time exempt position, and reports to the Director of Programs and is a member of the Programs Team, which also includes Brooklyn Org’s Capacity Building Program, led by the VP of Programs. It is located in Brooklyn, NY and will require some early morning, evening, and weekend work. There is a need to travel within NYC via public transportation for visits with community partners.

• Manage assigned grantmaking processes, including recruiting and launching community advisory councils, preparing Requests for Proposals, proposal review, due diligence, site visits, grant recommendations, monitoring grantee progress and outcomes. Topic areas for portfolios may change and/or expand due to discrete initiatives and internal collaboration.
• Prepare docket materials that summarize recommendations for consideration by the Board of Directors and other appropriate stakeholders.
• Support additional grantmaking programs through new partnerships and funding, as opportunities arise.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to share information and key learnings
• Conduct field scan research, convenings, and interviews.
• Actively participate and represent Brooklyn Org in learning and philanthropic spaces.
• Building and maintaining relationships with grantee partners; fielding questions and conducting inquiry calls with prospective grantees.

• Work closely with Programs support staff and Operations team to facilitate processing of grants.
• Maintain the accuracy and integrity of the grants management platform and additional databases/file systems to meet legal, auditing, and foundation requirements.
• Work externally with applicants and grantees, and internally with Programs and Operations teams to ensure compliance with regulations and meet deliverable expectations for assigned grants.

• Lead grantee convenings for their respective grant dockets, with the support of the Programs Team.
• Partner with the Programs Team to support Brooklyn Org initiatives.
• Help organize workshops and convenings, develop agenda, identify speakers, and manage logistics.

• Collaborate with Programs Team to inform and implement Brooklyn Org’s Capacity Building program, including working with consultants.
• Collaborate with Communications to increase the visibility of the grantees, the needs of the Brooklyn nonprofit sector, and community‑led solutions.
• Support Development in fundraising efforts, providing information and attending events.
• Participate as an active member in organization-wide activities.

• Exceptional interpersonal communication skills: especially the ability to listen well, establish and maintain authentic and professional relationships, and exercise effective and inclusive leadership in…