The Organization
The Kresge Foundation is one of the top 20 largest private foundations in the U.S. Our staff of over 100 employees works to expand opportunities in America’s cities for people with low incomes. We do this through grantmaking and social investing nationally in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services and placed-based work in Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, and other parts of the country.
Our state-of-the-art headquarters maintains an array of energy-efficient, water-conserving and health-promoting features. The foundation also operates an office in Detroit’s Midtown district.
About the Detroit Program
We place our highest priority on neighborhood-based, resident-led organizations, seeking to join with them in strategies for tomorrow’s transformations. It is imperative that the city’s resurgence be broadly inclusive of neighborhoods and their residents, the city’s heart and soul.
We do so by investing our resources in these areas:
· Early Childhood Development
Along with our partners, we are reimagining the city’s neighborhoods by putting the essential building blocks in place that will support the healthy development of young children and prepare them for educational success.
· Robust Arts & Culture in the city and region
We support metro Detroit arts and culture at multiple levels, from operating support to organizations of various sizes, to support for neighborhood-based efforts and projects in the city of Detroit, to unrestricted financial support for individual creators. We actively promote the power of arts and culture to enhance identity, connectedness and opportunity.
· Community Development/Neighborhood Development
We support an array of activities and investments that make transformative changes to improve the conditions and prospects of residents. We particularly seek to bolster – through project and operating support – a range of community development organizations best positioned to involve the voice of residents in neighborhood-level change.
· Civic Capacity
We aim to build the beliefs, knowledge and skills necessary for residents, their nonprofit organizations and representative government bodies to work together to enhance the collective ability of Detroiters to self-direct their future. This includes support for citywide organization networks and intermediaries, the development of resident leaders and the elevation of community voice.
· Layered Support
Combining the right resources at the right time in the right place has proven catalytic possibilities when there is a strong neighborhood steward organization with deep connections to residents. Stewards are key in connecting these layered resources to amplify the strengths and enhance the unique character of the neighborhood. Today we seek to extend and adapt these lessons in Live6 (Livernois-McNichols), in Eastern Market, in Jefferson Chalmers and in the New Center and North End.
We deploy multiple forms of capital – grants, loans, deposits, equity and guarantees – to advance our goals. Further information about the Detroit Program’s work can be found on Kresge’s website.
About the position
The Fellow will support the Detroit Program in advancing its goal to promote and expand long-term, equitable opportunity in Kresge’s hometown for its residents. The fellow will gain experience and insight into place-base philanthropy, community development and strategies to incorporate racial equity into a philanthropic strategy. This position provides a valuable career development opportunity for an emerging professional as well as added capacity to both the Detroit Program and Place-based Practice (which includes the Detroit Program and the American Cities Program) to fulfill its commitment of providing resources to and elevating voices of Detroit residents, leaders, and nonprofit organizations.
The fellowship is a two-year appointment and is open to those who have completed a minimum of bachelor’s level training and at least two years of relevant experience.
Primary responsibilities
· Leading a body of work (such as strategic initiatives and/or refinement of investment strategies) during the term of the fellowship on a topic to be determined jointly by the fellow and the Detroit team.
· Providing operational support and contributing to the coordination and execution of team programmatic processes and projects, including facilitation of the team’s strategy and operational meetings to inform team strategy development, grantmaking initiatives, coordinating project management systems and processes, and tracking of strategic goals and objectives, etc.
· Providing project management support for special projects or initiatives undertaken by the team, including internal and external communications, tracking of progress and outcomes, developing materials etc.
· Supporting team members to coordinate with internal partners as well as nonprofit and philanthropic partners external to the foundation to align on practices and strategies that support the Detroit nonprofit ecosystem across a range of issue areas.
· Supporting the team’s iterative journey of embedding racial equity in its grantmaking processes.
· Assisting in the team’s review of grant requests and operational management of its portfolio of grants.
· Synthesizing reports from grantees to identify key lessons that should be highlighted, shared and applied to our strategies.
· Conducting research and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data to identify key lessons and practices that should be highlighted, shared and applied to the team’s strategies.
· Developing clear, concise written communications (including memos and briefs) for a range of internal and external audiences.
· Interface and work in partnership with American Cities Practice, communications and social investments colleagues that support the Detroit team.
Qualifications
· Minimum of bachelor’s degree equivalent.
· Minimum of two years of experience on relevant programmatic issues.
· Strong project-management skills that includes end-to-end project initiation, planning, development, and execution.
· An ability to operationalize team strategies.
· Ability to collaborate effectively with a range of partners internally and externally, from other Kresge program teams to Detroit community members to partner organization executives.
· A learning orientation that enables one to recognize patterns, identify key lessons and co-develop creative solutions in partnership with team members.
· Experience in synthesizing large amounts of information.
· Experience with data analysis, visualization and presentation. Familiarity and experience using PowerPoint and Excel.
· A demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
· Ability to manage and balance personal workflow.
· Strong written, oral and interpersonal communication skills.
How To Apply
Application deadline for this position is 11:59pm EST on April 11, 2021.
Please be sure to include:
· Resume or curriculum vitae
· Cover letter / essay describing:
o How your skills and experience would contribute to the success of the Detroit team.
o What you find compelling about this opportunity.
o How this fellowship would advance your career development plans.
· Two letters of recommendation
Kresge is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBT applicants. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
Please note: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all Kresge staff are working remotely, and our Troy and Detroit offices remain closed until further notice. Kresge staff will not be traveling or attending in-person meetings during this time. Thank you for your understanding.