WHO WE ARE
United Way of Greater Los Angeles (UWGLA) is home to the change makers and justice seekers. We're individuals from various walks of life making collective steps towards a better future for our community. Our focus is on bringing about real and sustainable change by unleashing the collective power of people to open minds, unite diverse communities, and convert compassion into action for a more just, inclusive, and thriving L.A. County. Together, we make tangible impact on some of our toughest community issues including poverty, homelessness, housing, community college success, and creating pathways to propserity & ownership. For us, being 'united' isn't just in reference to our organization but to our hope for the future of Los Angeles. Regardless of race, gender, orientation, or self-identification - we do our part as one by making room for all.
WHAT WE DO
Our Community Impact department advances UWGLA’s mission by generating advocacy, awareness, and accessibility in support of LA’s most vulnerable populations. We’re equally as passionate as we are efficient – tackling poverty at its root and leveraging our collective creative talents to innovate impactful solutions where others see insurmountable odds. We’re the people’s ‘people’, building influential coalitions across communities, industries, and political coalitions that allow us to expand the realm of possibilities for those who have historically been marginalized.
WHY WE NEED YOU
We are inviting inspirational and innovative leaders with a passion for creating new pathways out poverty for Los Angeles’ most vulnerable residents to apply for our Vice President, Community Impact role.
You will drive progress toward addressing inequities in housing, education and economic prosperity in Los Angeles County by successfully leading ground-breaking programs and initiatives that test innovative community impact concepts and have the potential to scale regionally and nationally.
You will have the unique opportunity to work with both institutional leaders from business, philanthropy, labor and the public sector, as well as with community leaders from non-profits, neighborhoods and advocacy groups to co-create solutions that disrupt cycles of poverty and help individuals, families and communities thrive.
HOW YOU’LL CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE
- Strategic Leadership
o Oversee the Community Impact department, a team of 20-25 positions and a community investment budget of $25M+.
o Partner with the President & CEO on expansion of UWGLA model within the United Way Worldwide network.
o As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, provide a united, visible, and strong leadership presence across the organization.
o Work with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Community Impact Cabinet to oversee impact strategies, program design, inform policy development and grantmaking
o Work with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Community Impact Cabinet to host quarterly board committee meetings, propose ballot measure endorsements, and grow membership by 3-5 members annually
o Support the mission orientation of new board members and advise on the execution of the Board education series
o Align program initiatives with broader organizational objectives and strategic plans
o Participate as a member of the executive leadership team contributing to the overall development, strategic planning, service delivery, and management of the organization across departments
- Program Development, Management & Evaluation
o Lead overarching programmatic development and implementation for the organization, aligned with strategic priorities and with a commitment to equity throughout.
o Develop, implement, and lead high-impact programs that support the organization’s mission to alleviate poverty.
o Identify gaps in current programs and areas of potential growth, adjusting strategies to meet evolving community needs.
o Establish measurable, achievable program area goals and objectives on an annual basis and monitor progress
o Develop and foster a high-performance, inclusive, and accountability culture throughout impact teams, aligned with core values and organization commitments to equity and inclusion
o Work with department Directors to establish approaches and methods for evaluating program outcomes and leverage internal and/or external resources to inform program results
o Stay abreast of developments in the external environment of the nonprofit sector and the nonprofit
o Lead the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess program outcomes and impact
o Utilize data-driven insights to refine and adapt programs, optimizing resources to maximize reach and impact
o Ensure all program activities comply with grant requirements, policies, and standards
- Partnerships & Community Engagement
o Represent UWGLA in key strategic partnerships, coalition, and media events to advance the mission of UWGLA
o Represent the organization at public events, conferences, and forums to build awareness of poverty-related issues and the organization’s role in addressing them
o Establish and maintain relationships with government agencies, local organizations, and community stakeholders to expand program reach and impact
o Identify and pursue partnerships and funding opportunities to support programmatic initiatives and sustainable growth
o Partner with marketing and strategic partnerships departments to infuse mission and impact results and objectives into key campaigns and events, including the annual WalkUnited event
- Financial Management, Fundraising & Communication
o Support stewardship of foundation and government relationships to secure key grants to support the mission-based work
o Work across departments to reach revenue goals for organizational and programmatic support from corporate, private, and government funders
o In partnership with the Finance Business Services department, manage program budgets, monitor expenditures, and ensure financial accountability/return-on-investment of each initiative
o Support the development team by contributing to grant proposals, reports, and donor communications that showcase program impact
o Actively participate in fundraising efforts and donor engagements to secure financial resources for program expansion
- Department Management & Team Development
o Lead annual budgeting process with CI Directors around all planned strategic investments in order to propose a Community Investments budget for the CI Cabinet & Board of Directors
o Lead organization and department annual goal setting (OKR) process for the department
o Map an optimal rhythm of meeting between departmental bi-annual retreats, bi-weekly meetings, weekly staff and leadership huddles, and 1:1 check-in's.
o Mentor and coach a diverse team of impact professionals to grow skillsets, support individual professional development goals, and inspire team members to both lead and follow.
o Provide direct but respectful constructive feedback in real-time and during formal review periods to elevate team performance, maintain accountability, and reach goals.
o Build capacity within program teams, encouraging professional growth and skills development.
o Promote a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and innovation within the programs division.
WHAT 1 YEAR OF SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
- Work with the Executive Team, particularly our VP of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships to complete a public facing strategic framework that publicly defines our new strategies and projects Create Community Wealth Building demonstrations that test innovative community impact concepts and have the potential to scale across the neighborhoods in our Community Prosperity Initiative
o Engage 1,000+ residents across 10 neighborhoods to create membership network to maximize hyperlocal spending and investment
o Strengthen 100+ businesses and community enterprises that aim to generate $1M+ in annual sales and community benefit.
o Assemble an alliance of civic, government and corporate anchors that make a multi-year $
2.5M pledge in hyperlocal spending and hiring in order to begin building a targeted pipeline of jobs and small businesses for our Prosperity Network
- Begin scaling and focusing our Community College Success Initiative by assisting 500 students in successfully navigating community college pathways with at least 4 community colleges and establishing pipelines to least 5+ employers
- Strengthen & stabilize our Crisis Solutions strategy by supporting 10,000+ LA County residents experiencing homelessness by targeted investments in key service providers and improvements in shelters and centers that provide daytime services
- Administer safety net resources that support 50,000+ LA County residents in utilities, rental and food assistance.
- Apply for a lender’s license to formalize our operations for the Affordable Housing Initiative & structure Fund III.
- Lead intersectional demonstration for department, supporting Community Prosperity Manager in planning VITA day for 50 residents, students, and people experiencing homelessness at a community marketplace in March.
- Lead departmental efforts on WalkUnited fundraising and walker turnout for signature May event.
- Guide the Impact Data Manager in finalizing the logic model for the Community Prosperity Initiative & organizational impact metrics.
SKILLS YOU’LL NEED TO SUCCEED (The Must-Haves)
- Education & Experience:
o Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in social work, public policy, nonprofit management or related field is a plus
o Minimum 10 years of relevant programmatic or policy experience in progressive leadership roles
o Minimum 3 years of experience supervising and developing direct reports
o Demonstrated capacity to develop and lead strategic partnerships with opinion leaders and change-makers across the community, philanthropic, business and government sectors
- Personal Qualities:
o You enjoy a hybrid environment that includes both in-person and remote work styles and are able to work from our DTLA office on Tuesdays and Thursdays
o You are able to provide documentation of your status as fully vaccinated with primary series of COVID-19 vaccine upon being hired.
o You understand the value of racial equity as an organizational operating principle and are committed to continued learning on issues related to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
o You don’t mind flexing your schedule to meet partners where they are at for late night, early morning, or weekend meetings and events
o You understand the social, economic and political landscape of the Greater Los Angeles area and can navigate the terrain with ease.
o You enjoy working across the aisle to bring diverse and sometimes opposing interests, communities, and stakeholders together around common goals.
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE A FIT (The Nice-to-Haves)
- Your visionary mindset can see the potential in any objective and make it a reality for those around you to experience as well.
- You are a strategic planner who can successfully transform thoughts to action and goals to success with a well-crafted play-by-play strategy.
- You have a results-oriented mindset, utilizing planning and problem-solving skills to get the job done with the greatest ROI.
- You can light a spark in the dimmest of rooms with your energy and enthusiasm for the work you do.
- You're compelling when speaking to thoughts, ideas and data - keeping your audience engaged to every word.
- You can communicate the complexities of impact work in an authentic and engaging manner that solidifies commitment from prospective partners and donors.
- You have good judgment and trust yourself to make the right call when decisions are tough.
- You can adapt and pivot quickly without so much as feeling dizzy.
- You keep your priorities straight but also know when it's time to re-prioritize your work assignments based on business needs.
- You know how to build a plane while you fly it and thrive in the face of ambiguous situations.
- Your strong work ethic gets going when the going gets tough during late nights, early mornings or weekend assignments.
- You work well with others - stakeholders and colleagues alike would agree that you are the quintessential “Team Player”
- You know how to manage a team in a way that holds everyone accountable while also creating opportunities to provide guidance, feedback and mentorship.
- You're like a coach in the locker room with the way you can uplift, leverage, and guide a team.
- You're comfortable with giving and receiving feedback in a manner that's respectful yet constructive whether in performance reviews or one-off conversations.
- You know your way around the Microsoft Windows operating systems and all it's essential programs including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
- Hiring Salary Range: $160,000-200,000 per year dependent on internal equity and a variety of job-related factors including, but not limited to, experience, training, education, and market demands. This position is bonus eligible.
- The benefits available for this position include medical, dental, vision, 403(b) plan, pension, life insurance coverage, disability benefits, paid holidays, paid time off, and car allowance.
