Organizational Overview

The Greater New Orleans Foundation has been a trusted philanthropic leader in the 13-parish Greater New Orleans region for 100 years. Our vision is to create an economically and culturally vibrant, sustainable, and just region for all, and our mission is to champion charitable giving, strengthen nonprofits, and lead civic initiatives in the Greater New Orleans region. As a community foundation, our resources are comprised of more than 1000 charitable funds established by individuals, businesses, and organizations with a passion for charitable giving and a deep commitment to the Greater New Orleans region. As a civic leader, we bring together passionate people from nonprofits, business, government, and philanthropy to address our region’s greatest challenges.

The Foundation is an inspiring, engaging, challenging, thought-provoking, diverse, and dynamic place to work and advance your career. We pride ourselves on investing in high-quality staff members and encouraging success by allowing individuals the opportunity to both contribute and enhance their skills and talents as well as to share their unique perspectives as we address community challenges. Our workplace environment nurtures a diverse team and results in a broad base of staff knowledge and talent.

Position Overview

The Senior Program Associate for Nonprofit Leadership & Effectiveness supports the Programs Department’s Nonprofit Leadership & Effectiveness Programs, ensuring efficient workshop delivery and coordination with nonprofit representatives. This position is essential in providing nonprofits with the support they need to maximize impact and build capacity by developing content, promoting initiatives to external audiences, and supporting convenings. The Senior Program Associate for NLE reports to the Director of NLE, supporting coordination with internal and external stakeholders and acting as a representative and ambassador of the Foundation.

Principal Duties

Project Management

● Ensures coordination and organization of the Foundation’s various leadership development and training projects.

● Collects and analyzes data and presents results to the Director of NLE.

● Manages workshop and convening calendaring, ensuring effective program delivery, and developing timelines and budgets for workshop execution.

● Works with the Program Assistant to help schedule convenings and manage workshop and convening logistics, including arrangements for food/drink and room set-up.

● Captures notes and next steps, summarizing and developing an understanding of how specific meetings fit within the context of the overall work.

● Monitors programming budgets, tracks spending, and communicates trends to the Director of NLE.

● Manages CRM data updates, including adding contacts and ensuring adequate follow-up.

● Manages convening registration and reminders, coordinating with the Communications team to develop emails and convening materials.

Nonprofit Support and Resource Management

● Communicates NLE’s offerings with nonprofit representatives, acting as an ambassador, responding to inquiries, and seeking opportunities to connect them with services.

● Acts as the first point of contact for NLE with nonprofit representatives, managing low to medium-complexity requests. 

● Updates and maintains a database of contacts interested in NLE programming and manages notifications for upcoming workshops.

● Networks with nonprofit representatives during workshops, building relationships and gathering informal feedback about nonprofit needs and workshop effectiveness.

● Acts as the representative of GiveNOLA Day, sharing information with nonprofit representatives, coordinating training events as needed, and supporting the due diligence and coordination with participating organizations.

● Collects and manages materials for the nonprofit resource folder aligned with NLE priority areas.

Relationship Management and Communication

● Supports the development of trusting relationships with various stakeholders.

● Coordinates with consultants to support NLE projects and activities and manages related administration, including reviewing proposals, preparing contracts, and processing invoices.

● Maintains and updates records for external consultants, including contact information, biographies, and relevant credentials to support messaging for upcoming workshops and initiatives.

● Manages content development for convening communications - including social media posts, web copy, blogs, newsletters, e-blasts, Foundation collateral, and meeting materials - with the Director of NLE and the Foundation Communications team.

● Manages incoming requests and communications related to nonprofit representatives’ access to the grant database, including troubleshooting, training, and overall awareness- building.

External and Internal Convening Support

● Supports convening agenda development process, proposing content and activities to guide participants toward desired outcomes, ensures stakeholder alignment with the convening approach, and acts as a thought partner with the Director of NLE to design convenings.

● Facilitates meetings and workshops within the NLE priority areas, leading discussions, answering questions, and guiding participants.

Grantwriting and Reporting Support

● Conducts research and tracks data to contribute to the grant writing and reporting processes in support of the Director for NLE and Strategic Partnerships Officer.

Cross-Program and Cross-Departmental Collaboration

● Supports additional programmatic efforts as funding dictates.

● Seeks opportunities for creating synergies and collaborations between areas, avoiding the isolation of working in a silo.

● As a Foundation’s Programs Department member, provides occasional support for special projects and initiatives in other program areas or departments.

Remain Flexible about Work Assignments

Because of the fluid and evolving nature of work at the Foundation, the Senior Program Associate

for NLE may occasionally be asked to take on other assignments not covered in this position description, including filling in for the front desk at the Foundation. The Senior Program Associate for NLE is expected to demonstrate openness and flexibility when asked to take on these new assignments.

Required Qualifications

● Expertise in managing requests and providing basic capacity-building support for nonprofits.

● Has a deep understanding of the NLE priority areas (e.g., capacity-building, governance, leadership development, resource-sharing, and external support needs for nonprofits).

● The ability to coordinate and execute effective and engaging convenings.

● The ability to facilitate small groups (e.g., 5-6 people), conduct one-on-one meetings with stakeholders to align on convening strategy, and adapt to dynamic shifts during the facilitation.

● Expertise in managing and analyzing budgets.

● Excellent oral and written communication skills, including simplifying and effectively communicating complex topics.

● Ability to work with diverse stakeholders, including vendors, nonprofits, board members, and foundation partners.

● Demonstrated ability to effectively manage time and resources to complete daily tasks and projects and make clear and timely decisions.

● Excellent computer skills, including proficiency in MS Office, experience with data management, the ability to quickly learn and utilize new technology, and an enthusiasm for working in a tech-enabled organization.

● A preference for a quick pace of work while maintaining high levels of detail orientation and accuracy.

● Receptiveness to feedback and course correction and willingness to learn.

Experience & Education

● Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience).

● 3-5 years experience working in a professional office setting (non-profit or philanthropy- related field preferred).

● Familiarity with project management best practices, including tools like Asana.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary commensurate with experience; salary range starts at $65,000. This position is exempt, and the employee will be eligible for the Foundation’s competitive health and benefits plan including paid leave and employer-paid retirement.

Application Instructions and Additional Information:

Please submit your resume and cover letter to careers@gnof.org. For more information, you may reach out to the email provided above. Only complete applications will be considered.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.