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.
Position Overview
About the position
The American Cities Fellow will support the American Cities Program in scaling effective community and economic development practices that advance racial and economic equity in cities. The Fellow will gain experience and insight into institutional and place-based philanthropy, cross-sector collaboration, community and economic development systems, policy and advocacy, and strategies to incorporate equity firmly in community and economic development practice.
The fellowship is a limited-term appointment of two-to-three years and is open to those who have completed a bachelor’s degree. We are most interested in candidates whose education, work or lived experience have brought them knowledge of urban systems, nonprofits, social justice, public policy, economic development or government, and who are committed to racial equity.
This position provides a career development opportunity for an emerging professional as well as added capacity to the American Cities Program.
Primary responsibilities
· Provides project management support to the Kresge staff who manage the team’s grantmaking initiatives, including project planning, facilitating meetings, collaborating on internal and external communications, and tracking goals.
· Assists in the team’s review of grant requests, preparation of grant recommendations, and management of its portfolio of grants.
· Leads special projects as needed.
· Conducts research and analysis to support the American Cities team strategy, including identifying lessons learned, and determining practices that should be amplified to the field.
· Prepares materials for internal and external presentations and meetings.
· Travels to conferences, convenings, and site visits with grantees and funding partners as needed and once coronavirus safety measures allow.
· Supports the team in embedding racial equity and justice in its grantmaking processes.
Qualifications
· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
· At least two years of experience on relevant issues.
· Strong written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
· Strong end-to-end project-management skills that include project initiation, planning, development, and execution.
· Ability to synthesize large amounts of information.
· Strong team orientation, including the ability to collaborate effectively within and across teams and departments to reach common goals.
· A learning orientation that enables one to recognize patterns, identify key lessons and develop creative solutions.
· A demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
· High level of facility with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Application deadline for this position is 11:59pm EST on April 18, 2021.
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.
How To Apply
Please click the link below to apply: