Community Initiatives Manager

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES MANAGER

Reports to: Community Initiatives Director

ABOUT TULSA AREA UNITED WAY

Tulsa Area United Way (TAUW) unites people and resources to improve lives and strengthen communities. Since 1924, TAUW has raised and invested nearly $925 million to assist people in need in Creek, Okmulgee, Osage, Rogers, Wagoner, and Tulsa counties. TAUW, along with our Nonprofit Partners, community collaboration initiatives, social innovation grants, and support for the 160 programs within our nonprofit community, work to advance the common good by focusing on the four pillars of a better quality of life – healthy community, youth opportunities, financial security, and community resilience. Thousands of amazing volunteers, hundreds of companies, and area leaders partner with our great team to stay focused on the mission of uniting people and resources to improve lives and strengthen our communities.

Our team members enjoy a flexible work environment, built on transparency, trust, and community stewardship. We offer a competitive total rewards package. Visit our website at tauw.org to learn more.

ROLE OF THE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES MANAGER

The Community Initiatives Manager serves on the Community Impact Team and assumes a leadership role in community initiatives tied to the Community Impact department. The Community Impact (CI) department leads 211 of Eastern Oklahoma, Data and Research, and Grantmaking/Investments for nonprofit organizations and programs throughout TAUW’s eight county service areas. The CI team administers multiple funding streams: 1) Sustainability, the largest area of support, for partner nonprofits driving community solutions toward: healthier communities, financial security, youth opportunities, and community resilience; 2) Community Collaborations, funding annual partnerships across nonprofits and municipalities to address entrenched social problems; and 3) Social Innovations, an annual competitive pitch opportunity for nonprofits to receive support for new ways to address community challenges. In addition, the CI team administers the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) for Tulsa, Creek and Wagoner Counties. As part of its second century strategy, TAUW is launching a Working Families initiative.  

The Manager assumes administrative responsibility and management of a portfolio of annual TAUW investments, supporting evaluation and stewardship of new partnerships and funding opportunities. The Manager coordinates across community partners for new initiatives and provides thought leadership and strategic analysis support to the Community Initiatives Director and the Chief Community Impact Officer. 

The Manager portfolio comprises management and responsibility of Social Innovations and EFSP with the support of the Community Initiatives Director. The Manager will maintain at least one division in TAUW’s Sustainability process in coordination with other grantmaking team members to facilitate the annual investment process for partner nonprofits, working with dozens of community volunteers to steward the annual review of need across an eight-county service area. The Manager actively serves as primary relationship manager with volunteers serving in their investment portfolio, both retaining and recruiting new volunteers who are representative of diverse populations to steward TAUW investments.  

Additionally, the Manager will provide administrative support and work closely with the Community Initiatives Director as a thought partner, helping brainstorm approaches, scope work, analyze options, and refine plans to support effective and sustainable project execution for Community Collaborations, United for Working Families strategy, Tulsa Siemer programing and new community initiatives as they arise. 

The Community Initiatives Manager will conduct strategic education and outreach as it relates to their investment portfolio, representing TAUW in the community throughout the year, interacting directly with community partners and volunteers. The Manager assists the Community Initiatives Director and the Chief Community Impact Officer in day-to-day operations, as well as collaborates cross-functionally across TAUW departments to strengthen relationships and engage volunteers towards community-level and programmatic impact. 

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Direct and manage the Social Innovations process and related investments  

• Manage a portfolio of Sustainability partner investments in coordination with other CI team members  

• Administer the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) grants for Creek, Tulsa and Wagoner Counties  

• Provide administrative assistance and strategic thought partnership to the Community Initiatives Director in support of Community Collaborations, United for Working Families, Tulsa Siemer Programming and other new community initiatives.  

• Provide materials as requested and assigned on deadline with regularly scheduled TAUW meetings and events; e.g. Board Meetings, CI Cabinet Meetings, Committee meetings, Panel meetings 

• Set and maintain cadence around volunteer or committee member communications  

• Track and evaluate progress of investments, maintaining metrics to demonstrate quality, impact, effective use of resources, program benefits and outcomes/outputs of stated investments  

• Serve as an active member of Community Impact team, working independently and collaboratively to adhere to timelines, deliverables and meeting milestones for the department; making recommendations for quality improvements when needed  

• Establish and maintain high quality relationships with TAUW partner nonprofits, community leaders and other entities  

• Serve as an active representative of TAUW; includes some participation in TAUW or other community events across the nonprofit and private sector  

• Conduct community-based presentations or trainings as relevant to TAUW investments as needed.  

• May supervise seasonal staff or volunteers within the Community Impact department, directing activities of professional and/or technical staff members and volunteers, as needed  

• Work closely with other members of the Community Impact team to support relevant areas of work affecting partner nonprofit organizations.  

• May assist providing TAUW’s Living Wage, ALICE, ALICE @ Work, or other educational programs as a service for partners and volunteers; to include managing community calendar of events, directed trainings, and adjusting the presentation over time based on feedback from TAUW’s Director of Data and Research  

• Assist the Community Initiatives Director and the Chief Community Impact Officer to establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives or procedures  

• Assist the Community Initiatives Director and the Chief Community Impact Officer with vetting new partnership and funding opportunities, department strategy, and thought leadership  

• Assist the Community Initiatives Director and the Chief Community Impact Officer in other departmental activities as assigned. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or comparable professional experience demonstrating similar skills and competencies 


• Three-to-five years of related work experience 


• Experience working and engaging across various and diverse community groups, delivering mutually beneficial results on collaborative projects and initiatives for stakeholders  


• Exceptional attention to detail, responsiveness and high-quality customer service  


• Ability to prioritize needs and deadlines in fast-paced highly responsive environment 


• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain successful working relationships across the nonprofit community, public, donors, community volunteers, and colleagues  


• Ability to engage, lead, motivate and manage diverse staff, community partners, business leaders and volunteers  


• Excellent written communication and public speaking skills with the ability to engage and build rapport with diverse internal and external stakeholders, from community partners to C-suite executives  


• Experience is preferred in any of the following areas: project management, volunteer management, program evaluation, nonprofit management, and/or database management  


• Ability to plan, organize and facilitate meetings and presentations  


• Ability to take initiative, working independently or as part of a team  


• Knowledge of nonprofit partners and the community served by TAUW is highly preferred; might include knowledge of local nonprofit landscape of Creek, Delaware, Mayes, Okmulgee, Osage, Rogers, Tulsa or Wagoner counties  


• Familiarity with program and organizational budgets  


• Proficient use of Microsoft office suite (Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook, Excel)  


• Bilingual preferred 

Working Conditions

• Day-to-day work will be conducted in an office setting.


• Some travel required


• TAUW hosts multiple events throughout the year which are held in both indoor and outdoor locations.


• Working occasional evening and weekend hours is necessary due to after-hours and volunteer schedules; however, the regular workweek schedule at TAUW is 37.5 hours, taking this into consideration.


• Interactions beyond staff include communications with volunteers, donors, leaders and staff of nonprofit organizations, board, cabinet, and committee members, and the general public.

TULSA AREA UNITED WAY EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY POLICY

Tulsa Area United Way shall not engage in prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other prohibited discrimination based upon legally protected categories and/or characteristics.

This Policy applies to employment decisions including, but not limited to, recruitment and employment, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, selection for training, discipline, layoff, termination and other privileges and conditions of employment. Implicit in this policy is the commitment of Tulsa Area United Way to maintain a place of employment which is free from sexual and other types of harassment.