Title:Program Communications Associate
Department:Communications and Program
Reports To:Denise Callaway (dotted line to Jim Marks)
Date Prepared/Revised:February 22, 2006
Purpose, Scope & Dimension of Job:
Under the supervision of the Director of Communications, the Program/Communications Assistant will assist the Program, Communications and Development Departments in developing the most effective presentations of GMF-funded programs, through written and electronic communication, for Foundation donors, other funders and the nonprofit community. The Program/Communications Associate will also assist with proposal review, grant evaluations, and investigation of model programs. This position will be shared between the Program and Communications Departments since some of the responsibilities overlap the two areas.
Essential Duties/Major Accountabilities:
1. Work with Communications and Program staff to create compelling co-investing documents to use in marketing and explaining co-investment opportunities to Foundation donors and other funders.
2. Interview Foundation grantees, identify success stories, and gather all other information needed to write and create co-investing documents.
3. Modify co-investing documents as needed for use in Foundation publications, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation website, Philanthropy Online, or other appropriate communications vehicles.
4. Work with Program to write descriptions of exemplary programs for use on Philanthropy Online (POL).
5. Follow-up with grantees to place details of their newly funded GMF programs on POL.
6. Work with the Center for Urban Initiatives and Research (CUIR) to update the Research page of POL with new research topic studies or other documents deemed appropriate by the Foundation.
7. Work with Program, Communications and Development staffs to develop materials and presentations explaining co-investment opportunities for Foundation donors and other funders.
8. Help coordinate informational sessions for Foundation Board and donors.
Marginal Job Functions:
1. Assist with letter of intent and proposal review as assigned.
2. Assist with the paper review of designated agencies and review of POL profiles
Supervisory Responsibility:
None
Supervision Received:
Receives guidance with respect to general objectives; in the majority of tasks and projects assigned, determine methods, work sequence, scheduling, and how to achieve objectives of assignments; operates within specific policy guidelines.
Minimum Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Education
Minimum of a B.A. Degree in Communications, English, Journalism or related field of study.
Experience
Minimum of three years of professional writing and editing content, including newsletter, presentation, and online materials, for both internal and external uses. Excellent understanding of print media as well as online media. Strong ability to communicate stories in a compelling way and adapt writing content toward a specific audience. Strong attention to detail as well as basic understanding of social research techniques and analysis. Strong MS Word and Powerpoint presentation creation capabilities.
Language Skills
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals and technical reports. Ability to interview individuals and to research, to dig for the real story. Ability to effectively communicate that story in a compelling way in written, presentation and internet formats.
Mathematical Skills
Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio and percent and to draw and interpret bar and other graphs.
Reasoning Ability
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Computer Skills
Strong personal computer skills including electronic mail, record keeping, routine database activity, Microsoft Office products (especially Powerpoint), as well as experience creating documents with Quark.
Planning / Organization
This position requires flexibility – the ability to manage different roles and responsibilities, projects and priorities, and work with individuals across departments.
Certificates, Licenses or Registrations
None
Additional Preferred Qualifications:
A graduate level degree and a basic understanding of Milwaukee’s nonprofit community is preferred.
Physical Requirements:
General
This position will spend less than a third of their time standing, walking and stooping, kneeling or crouching. Additionally, more than two-thirds of the time will be spent: sitting; using hands to finger, feel or handle items; reaching with hands and arms; and talking and listening.
Activity Level
Sedentary physical activity, performing non-strenuous daily activities of an administrative nature.
Manual Dexterity
This position requires manual dexterity sufficient to reach/handle items and work with the fingers.
Lifting Requirement
May be required to lift and carry up to 10 pounds, but only less than one-third of the time. This might include carrying reams of paper or boxes of presentation materials.
Vision Requirement
Clear close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less) to work at a desk and computer; as well as clear distance vision (20 feet or more) to view a screen during presentations. Additionally, this position requires good color vision in order to prepare print media materials.
Working Conditions:
General
This position will be working in a well-lighted, heated and air conditioned, indoor office setting with adequate ventilation.
Work Environment
This position is not exposed to adverse or dangerous working conditions, but is exposed to moderate noise as the work is performed in a business office with computers, printers and moderate traffic.
Tools and Equipment Used:
This position requires the use of a personal computer more than two-thirds of the time, and the use of a calculator and printer more than one-third of the time. Less than one-third of the time this position will be using a copy machine and fax machine.
Work Schedule \ Hours:
This is an exempt, full-time position working at least 40 hours per week, typically between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Travel:
This position will require less than 10% overnight travel.
Meetings and Events Outside Normal Working Hours:
While all exempt positions are expected to work whatever hours are necessary in order to achieve the performance standards and goals set for the position, scheduled meeting time and events outside of normal working hours will be minimal (no more than 2 hours per month).
Contacts:
Internal
This position will work interact with all departments including Program on a daily basis while reviewing work and for consultation; Development on a weekly basis; and Operations as needed when working with FIMS, our other computer systems, and the website.
External
This position will meet with grant recipients and organizations to obtain details about their programs and how grants from GMF have been utilized and what affect it has had on the organization.
Key Elements of Foundation Strategic Plan Applicable to Position:
This position exists to bring forth opportunities for co-investment to be presented to and discussed with potential donors and funders.
