Program Officer, Democracy Position Available In Fulton, Georgia

A renowned entrepreneur and co-founder of The Home Depot, Arthur M. Blank is now recognized for his values-based Blank Family of Businesses (BFOB) and as one of America’s leading philanthropists through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. All his industry-leading businesses, including the foundation, operate on six core values: Put People First, Listen and Respond, Include Everyone, Innovate Continuously, Lead by Example and Give Back to Others. After over 25 years and over $1 billion in giving, the foundation has committed to significantly escalating the impact of its philanthropy over the next 10+ years. This milestone coincides with deeper participation among the next generation of Blank family members on the board and in advisory capacities, partnering around their shared core beliefs, including the Jewish value of tikkun olam (“heal and repair the world”) and seeking a fuller realization of American ideals. The foundation works across various programmatic areas, including Youth Development, Environment, Atlanta’s Westside, Mental Health and Well-Being and Democracy. The foundation also manages a large portfolio of founder-led initiatives, supporting the causes, institutions and relationships our founder holds dear. Geographically, much of the foundation’s work prioritizes Georgia (with a focus on Atlanta) and Montana, while also considering the potential for greater national impact and influence. About the foundation’s

Democracy Team:

The Democracy team is comprised of a managing director, senior program officer, program officer (this position) and a shared administrative and program associate. The foundation’s approach to Democracy focuses on increasing effective, responsive governance by advancing electoral reforms, improving leadership pipelines and increasing cross-partisan connections among elected leaders across Georgia, Montana and beyond.

Program Officer, Democracy Key Responsibilities:

The program officer, Democracy, will be responsible for supporting the team in managing a portfolio of grants. This role requires someone with experience in conducting financial due diligence, project management, and ongoing assessment of grantee effectiveness and organizational health. The ideal candidate will be a systems thinker with a keen eye for financial and programmatic detail, capable of supporting grantee partners while ensuring strong internal accountability and impact tracking. Grantmaking, portfolio management and operations: Support the managing director and senior program officer in grantmaking due diligence processes, including financial reviews. Support the team in monitoring and adjusting work plans and timelines as needed to meet grantmaking deadlines. Support a portfolio of existing and new grants at various stages from inception to completion including processing in Cybergrants. Understand and support grant budgets and ensure compliance with foundation practices and protocols, including appropriate programmatic and financial due diligence. Support information and updates for quarterly board meetings.

Research and Results Tracking:

Work with our effective philanthropy team to track grantee reporting and results.

Communications and External Relations:

Collaborate with the communications team to share portfolio and grantee progress and relevant trends. Build internal and external relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including colleagues, nonprofit grantees, other funders, and community leaders.

Candidate profile:

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following ability, skills, and attributes: Analyze grantee financials to assess risk and provide recommendations on grant structuring and funding levels. Strong financial acumen, with experience reading and interpreting nonprofit financials. Excellent project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple timelines and priorities. Support and promote a growing culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Possess an inquisitive spirit and commitment to continuous improvement. Demonstrate nimbleness to adapt to a dynamic team and workplace. Possess a balance of intellectual and emotional intelligence. Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and work collaboratively with stakeholders. Be adept at multi-tasking, prioritizing, and balancing changing priorities with minimal direction. Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrate proficient research and analytical skills. Demonstrate the ability to work independently balanced with the ability to work on a team. Model positive energy and can-do attitude.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree or equivalent experience is a plus. 3 or more years of grants management, finance and project management experience. Experience in democracy a plus. Familiarity with grantmaking systems (cybergrants, salesforce, etc) Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and SharePoint. Keenly discreet and respectful and practices good judgement when handling private and confidential matters.

Working Conditions:

This is an in-person position Monday- Friday working at the Arthur M. Blank Family Office in Atlanta, Georgia. The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is a philanthropy founded to help transform lives and communities by uniting people across differences to find common cause. Started in 1995 by Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot, the foundation has granted more than $1 billion to charitable causes. Our collective giving areas are Atlanta’s Westside, Democracy, Environment, Mental Health and Well-Being, and Youth Development. Across these areas, we take on tough challenges by uniting the courage and compassion of our communities so we can all thrive together. In addition to the priority areas of giving, the foundation oversees a large portfolio of grants including support of essential Atlanta nonprofit institutions, such as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Shepherd Center, and enduring founder-led initiatives, such as veterans and the military and stuttering, among others. The foundation will also continue to guide the six associate-led giving committees operating across the Blank Family of Businesses. For more information, please visit www.blankfoundation.org.