Seattle, WA

The Organization

THE STOLTE FAMILY FOUNDATION

Located in Seattle, Washington, the Stolte Family Foundation is a private foundation founded by Chris and Heidi Stolte. With a small team and annual grantmaking reaching $4 million in 2018, the Foundation encourages a culture of listening, empowerment, collaborative engagement, entrepreneurial spirit, and innovative approaches to problem-solving.

The Stolte Family Foundation (SFF) believes in creating a sustainable future where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. To that end, we invest in organizations that champion systemic changes in education, and environmental policy and practice. To ensure the greatest impact, we take a holistic approach—listening and learning about why things are the way they are and building and leveraging relationships in the community to identify and implement the most effective solutions possible.

SFF is committed to diversity and racial equity, and we believe in empowering the community and working as partners to bring about positive change. We understand the urgent nature of this work while recognizing that complex challenges and empowerment take time. We aim to build trust, and we assume personal responsibility so that we show up as trustworthy. We challenge our assumptions and welcome feedback.

To learn more about the foundation, please visit www.stoltefamilyfoundation.org.

SFF’S COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION & EARLY LEARNING

SFF’s education strategies focus on narrowing achievement and opportunity gaps in King County, WA.

We believe education is a key lever for breaking the cycle of poverty. Starting strong and addressing social and racial inequities early is crucial to narrowing gaps. Our goal is to significantly increase the number of students who are on track to earn a postsecondary credential. Ultimately, we strive to provide children with more opportunities to reach their full potential.

Priority outcomes

• Achieve equity in kindergarten readiness
• Erase summer learning loss
• Increase social and emotional development
• Educate, engage, and support parents and caregivers
• Advance opportunities for innovation, research, and system-building

Position Overview

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EDUCATION PROGRAM OFFICER

Our vision for this position

We are looking for an experienced leader and strategic thinker who demonstrates a personal and professional commitment to community change and education equity. The candidate understands the importance of building community relationships, demonstrates compassion and openness, and is excited to explore innovative approaches to strengthening education systems in King County and Washington State. The candidate brings credibility and experience working with communities of color, community organizations and other key stakeholders in the education system (policymakers, education funders, school district leaders, etc.). Given our commitment to diversity and racial equity, the candidate must also be committed to advancing this issue and possess knowledge, skills, and experience that would enhance our work. The ideal candidate can thrive in small teams, working independently as well as collaboratively, demonstrating nimbleness in work environments.

The program officer, working under the guidance of the Executive Director and closely with SFF Trustees, will be responsible for the strategy and administration of SFF’s education grantmaking process and investments. In addition, the program officer will assist with the development, management, and evaluation of SFF’s strategic initiatives, and be empowered to shape the direction of SFF’s Education Theory of Change. The program officer will be given the opportunity to identify the most promising opportunities for SFF to impact the education system at scale.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary officer of the SFF education portfolio. Work with the Executive Director and SFF Board to develop, evaluate, and refine funding guidelines, goals, and strategic plans for all education programs. Partner with communities of color and People of Color (POC)-led organizations, along with other community stakeholders to develop and implement new education initiatives and innovative ways to serve the needs of the community.
• Work with grantees on all aspects of the grant-making process, including reviewing potential grantee organizations, developing realistic grant proposals that are within their capacity to deliver and within SFF’s current funding plans, and developing strategies for new initiatives aimed at SFF’s focus areas.
• Day-to-day management of grants, including reviewing letters of inquiry and applications, conducting due diligence, going on-site visits, and monitoring the status of grants. Also, ongoing maintenance of the grants database, grant files, and other grant-related records.
• Identify education funding measures of success and regularly assess progress. Prepare impact reports for the Executive Director and Board focused on SFF’s impact.
• Attend, support, and lead education topics at quarterly Board meetings and retreats. Distill relevant information on a regular basis to keep the SFF team informed on key issues. Research relevant topics as determined by the Board and Executive Director.
• Represent SFF goals and values at local collaborative funding circles, community events and convenings, meetings, forums, and public presentations. Attend regional and national learning opportunities, as appropriate, and speak on behalf of SFF at public events, when invited.
• Advance SFF as a leader in grantmaking with racial equity and social justice lens that narrows the opportunity and achievement gap.
• Leverage insights from community leaders, researchers, educators, funders, students, and families to inform SFF program outcomes and drive positive results.
• Monitor local, regional, and national needs and trends. Stay current on public policies and new research and maintain a knowledge base for relevant education program areas.
• Identify and facilitate partnership and co-funding opportunities to advance SFF’s strategies.
• Participate in the general administration of SFF. Assist with writing, editing, and proofreading a variety of materials. Attend staff meetings as needed or requested. Participate in SFF special events or projects as needed or requested.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to the field of education, including work to narrow the opportunity and achievement gaps.
• Understanding of community-based and community-led approaches to direct service and a positive reputation as an effective collaborator with key stakeholder groups in this field.
• Experience in complex systems and sectors, translating research into practice and a passion for including the perspectives of students, families, and practitioners throughout the work.
• Experience in advancing racial equity and social justice in an organization or communities.
• Solid understanding of service delivery, funding, advocacy, and system-wide issues in the interest areas of the SFF education programs.
• Experience in building strategy, evaluating impact, tracking data, and short- and long-term visioning for education results.
• Established relationships with the local education community, including service providers, funders, leaders, and key public policy employees positioned as decision-makers for education improvement.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to effectively manage time, meet multiple competing deadlines, develop thoughtfully written materials, maintain a positive attitude under pressure, and manage budgets. Experience as a user of grant-management or customer service software and tracking systems is a plus.\

Skills and Strengths

• Ability to “think big” at the strategic level while also being able to focus and prioritize tactical goals.
• Ability to analyze, research, and review grant proposals and initiatives with creativity and mature judgment.
• Ability to synthesize research findings and identify implications for SFF’s strategy, as well as the broader education field.
• Innovative and strategic thinker, able to create dynamic presentations and evolve SFF’s Education Theory of Change for education outcomes.
• Ability to work effectively in a start-up culture with a small collaborative team and limited administrative support. Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Professional yet approachable demeanor with strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills that effectively lead to building rapport and trust.
• Ability to work collaboratively with partner organizations and build a network of advisors and relationships to inform SFF.
• Open, flexible, and culturally competent when working with POC-led community-based organizations.
• Strong writing and oral presentation skills and the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively with diverse stakeholders such as practitioners, nonprofit organizations, teachers, researchers, and Trustees.
• Highly experienced computer skills: proficiency with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Unwavering commitment to confidentiality.

Education and Experience

• Preferably 8-10 years of relevant experience, and a minimum of 6 years of experience in program management and with complex environments with multiple stakeholders from different disciplines preferably in the education arena.
• Demonstrated strong skills in program development, strategy, and evaluation.
• Previous grantmaking experience is not required, but valued, along with a demonstrated track-record of effective relationships with POC-led community organizations and local funders.

Field Work

30-40% of the time is spent in the field. Candidate must have access to reliable transportation for field work; mileage will be reimbursed.

The above statements are not intended to encompass all functions and qualifications of the position; rather, they are intended to provide a general framework of the requirements of the position. The candidate may be required to perform other functions not specifically addressed in this description.

The Stolte Family Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We value and encourage a culture of diversity and celebrate our employees’ differences in age, color, race and ethnicity, gender identity or expression, language, physical ability, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and veteran status. We strongly encourage candidates of color and other underrepresented groups to apply.

Compensation

This position is .80 FTE. Salary range is $100,000 – $130,000 (1.0 FTE). Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Benefits package is highly competitive with other private foundations and includes 401K match and matching grants. Target start date is June 1, 2018. Candidates are required to sign a confidentiality agreement.