Program Officer; TWSF

The Winston-Salem Foundation is currently seeking a self-motivated individual with exceptional critical thinking and strategic analysis skills to fill the position of program officer. The program officer will be focused on Building an Inclusive Economy, including serving as the staff lead for the Foundation’s work in increasing access to efficient and affordable transportation. For more information about the Foundation’s focus area work, visit focus.wsfoundation.org

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We are a nonprofit community foundation, comprised of over 1,500 funds, that assists people and organizations with their charitable giving, provides financial aid to college students, and makes Community Grants to nonprofit organizations in Forsyth County. We are the oldest foundation in North Carolina, and we are one of the oldest community foundations in the country.

Our vision
A generous and trusting community where everyone is thriving.Our mission
We inspire giving and link resources to action, strengthening Forsyth County—now and forever.

Our values

• Inclusion – we practice and champion inclusion, honoring the strengths and experiences of all in our community.
• Accountability – we honor the intentions of our donors and partners and hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics, service and stewardship.
• Continuous Learning – we are committed to learning and evolving with our community and our partners.

• Develop and maintain strategic external partnerships with foundations, nonprofits, governmental agencies, individuals with lived experience, and other key decision-makers to further the Foundation’s work to Build an Inclusive Economy
• Engage actively with community members and organizations to ensure the Foundation is learning about and from their work
• Stay informed on community issues, as well as current events and public policy
• Communicate effectively with others in developing solutions to complex problems
• Proactively identify opportunities to advance the Foundation’s work
• Represent the Foundation by serving on community committees, boards, and attending community and grantee meetings to drive community improvement
• Consult with prospective grantees and assist nonprofit organizations in their interactions with the Foundation
• Research and review grant proposals by gathering and assessing relevant information, and interpret it effectively to develop well-reasoned conclusions/analyses of grant requests to Foundation staff and board
• Conduct visits and reviews of grants after completion in order to gauge community impact and lessons learned
• Keep the community and Foundation staff informed about community investments; make occasional presentations on grants-related topics
• Partner with WSF staff on tasks that concern the broad agenda of WSF’s work in order to ensure that decisions are made with diverse input to benefit the common good
• Spend a significant amount of time in the community to demonstrate support of community partners, both during the workday and also during evenings and weekends
• Participate in regular staff and other internal meetings
• Perform other duties as assigned

• Commitment to and understanding of racial equity
• Personal commitment to and active involvement in the Forsyth County community (strong preference for candidates who reside in Forsyth County)
• Professional experience in the Foundation’s focus area of Building an Inclusive Economy, for example with community development, transportation, mission-aligned investing, or other relevant areas
• Strategic analysis and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to see the big picture while remaining grounded in the day-to-day execution of tasks and responsibilities
• A strong relationship-builder who can clearly communicate across constituencies both verbally and in writing and who can interact respectfully with people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures
• Ability to understand power dynamics in relationships
• Ability to observe, navigate, and understand systems
• Ability to use inquiry to assess complex challenges
• Understanding of nonprofit organizations
• Well-developed research skills and the ability to…