Grantmaking Program Officer

ABOUT US 

Inatai Foundation is a growing 501(c)(4) philanthropic organization committed to working with communities to shift the balance of power to ensure racial justice and equity across Washington and beyond. We are hiring a Program Officer to join our expanding team. 

Cultivating a staff team that embodies the diverse experiences of Washington communities is essential to these aspirations. We strongly and sincerely encourage applications from people of color; individuals who are immigrants, bilingual, and multicultural; d/Deaf people and people with disabilities; members of LGBTQIA+ and gender non-conforming communities; and people with other diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. 

Visit our About Us page to learn more about our work, approaches, and values. You may also browse our Join Inatai page to understand our hiring process, work culture, and benefits.  

POSITION SUMMARY

The Program Officer will foster and maintain relationships with communities and grantees to advance the Foundation’s learning agenda and evolving grantmaking and advocacy strategies. In the coming years, the Foundation anticipates exciting changes as we expand our highly committed grantmaking and policy team, continue to engage communities across the state, and create the strategies that will translate our bold aspirations into action. The Program Officer is an important external representative for the Foundation and a champion for the communities we serve. They will serve as a critical bridge between the Foundation’s priorities and the priorities of the leaders, organizations, and communities served by our growing team. The Program Officer reports to the Portfolio Director for Grantmaking and collaborates widely across the Foundation to develop, implement, and evaluate grant programs. 

The Program Officer's primary role is to develop and hold relationships with organizations and community leaders that the foundation supports with grants, contributions, capacity-building support, and other non-monetary resources. The officer is responsible for developing and recommending grants that align with the foundation's values, mission, Long-Term Vision, Grants & Action Plan, and the goals of individual portfolios and funds. The Program Officer role requires them to continuously learn about and from grantees, communities, and leaders; synthesize that data into actionable information; and to share learning throughout the foundation to advance Inatai’s mission and vision. 

This is a full-time, exempt position. Inatai is proud to be a statewide organization, and we know there are talented leaders everywhere in our state. As we grow and learn, we know that we are better partners to communities and more strategic grantmakers when we have team members rooted in place and bringing their lived and learned experiences to our work. We are prioritizing the following geographies to ensure we are fully living up to our commitments to geographic equity.  

• The Olympic Peninsula, with special attention to Jefferson, Clallam, and Grays Harbor counties 

• North Central Washington, with special attention to Douglas, Chelan, Okanogan, and Kittitas counties 

• Northeastern Washington, with special attention to Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry and Lincoln counties 

In addition to these regions, we would like to give priority to candidates based in Adams, Asotin, Cowlitz, Lewis, Mason, Skagit, Skamania, and Whitman counties.  

We currently have offices in Seattle and Pasco. Team members connected to an office are expected to work in the office. Team members may be permitted – with supervisor approval – to work remotely up to two days per week. Periodic early morning, evening, and weekend hours will be required, and statewide and regional travel should be expected. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Research and recommend grants; foster meaningful relationship with grantees 

• Develop and document successful grant recommendations to support community-based organizations that align with Inatai’s values, goals, mission, and vision as well as the particular strategies of specific grantmaking portfolios and funds 

• Proactively build and maintain relationships with current grantees and prospective grant recipients that reflect the organizations, community leaders, and decision makers to whom Inatai is accountable 

• Travel, conduct independent research, organize and participate in meetings, attend events and gatherings in order to foster and deepen relationships with grantees, knowledge of their communities and contexts, and awareness of community strengths and aspirations 

• Document and share grantee and community needs with appropriate Inatai stakeholders (grantmakers, policy and advocacy, capacity building, leadership programs, community engagement, CEO’s office) when there are opportunities to better or further support grantees and their communities 

• Invite and evaluate organizations’ applications for funding, grant reports, payment requests, and overall grant relationship with the foundation in order make effective and complete recommendations regarding their grants and funding 

• Maintain actionable, up to date contact, organizational, and related records and data in Inatai’s grantmaking database about each grant for which the officer is responsible 

Implement the strategies of grantmaking portfolios and funds 

• Study, understand, and apply Inatai’s values, approach to geographic equity, Grants & Action Plan goals, and focus on community power for racial justice and equity throughout work on various funds and portfolios 

• Contribute expertise and knowledge to strategy development and fund or portfolio implementation as part of portfolio taskforces, as assigned by a vice president or portfolio director 

• Coordinate the activities of multiple stakeholders within assigned fund and portfolio taskforces to which the program officer is assigned 

• Lead and facilitate portfolio meetings, evaluation discussions, updates to strategy, development of trainings, and documentation of lessons from the portfolio 

• Participate actively in the planning and implementation of events, gatherings, and convenings of assigned grantmaking portfolios or contribution funds 

Internal leadership 

• Proactively share lessons and field trends with stakeholders in other areas of Inatai 

• Identify and disseminate emerging trends in the sector, relevant case studies, and other topics of interest related to the Foundation’s work 

• Participate actively in regularly occurring Inatai team meetings and retreats; department meetings, retreats, and events; as well as internal workgroups where there is time and capacity to engage well 

• Contribute one’s own ideas, perspectives, and lived experiences to the emerging culture of the Foundation 

• Assume other responsibilities and explore new opportunities that arise with the evolving needs and aspirations of the Foundation 

Field leadership 

• Participate in external meetings, workgroups, funder affinity groups, and events on behalf of Inatai based on expertise and capacity to engage well 

• Build and enhance relationships with community leaders, organizational leaders, and funding partners across the state, in service of Inatai grantees and their success 

• As requested and when aligned with Inatai goals, represent the Foundation to a diverse range of partners as requested, including local business leaders, government officials, or other collaborators 

• Speak or write on behalf of the foundation as an occasional spokesperson, as assigned or approved by a member of the leadership team 

• Participate in occasional board meetings, public events, or private events as a representative of Inatai’s grantmaking team 

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least seven years of leadership experience in the public or nonprofit sector, preferably in a capacity that involves deep partnerships with place- or identity-based communities 

• Experience leading programs or initiatives related to racial justice or disability justice 

• Experience as a grantmaker or other funder, or experience as a nonprofit fundraiser, with working knowledge of the sector and workings of different types of nonprofit organizations 

• Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships with diplomacy, and to work effectively and respectfully with politically, ideologically, culturally, and geographically diverse people and communities 

• Excellent project management and organizational skills with demonstrated success managing multiple projects and priorities in a team-based environment 

• Demonstrated ability to research and analyze complex issues and the potential impacts on communities 

• An understanding of the foundational role that racism, ableism, sexism, and other forms of bias and oppression play in perpetuating inequity 

• Experience with various equity, justice, and power-building strategies, including a demonstrated ability to connect with these issues on a personal and organizational level 

• Humility and curiosity, and an understanding of how these qualities are connected to success in this role 

• Demonstrated capacity for self-reflection 

• Strong verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills combined with the ability to listen deeply and authentically 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint) and Adobe (Acrobat DC) and ability to adapt to new technologies 

• Willingness to take part in occasional meetings and events outside of core business hours 

• A deep commitment to equity and racial justice, and strong alignment with our organizational values 

• Ability to authentically connect the Foundation’s mission and aspirations with one’s own personal experiences 

• Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships and work effectively and respectfully with politically, ideologically, culturally, and geographically diverse people and communities 

• Knowledge of, or a strong desire to learn about, the needs of communities across the state who are most impacted by structural inequities 

• Enthusiasm for traveling throughout Washington and engaging with communities that may be different from your own (travel is estimated at 20-25% for this position) 

COMPENSATION

In addition to a positive and flexible work culture, we attract, retain, and motivate exceptional people with an equitable and competitive compensation package. Salary ranges are set according to an explicit compensation policy, and relevant data are reviewed when setting ranges for each position. The salary range for this position is $128,000 to $138,000. A compensation enhancement is provided to employees with indigenous or advanced language proficiency in more than one language that they utilize to advance the Foundation’s work across Washington.  

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes fully paid medical/dental/vision coverage for employees and dependent children (and partial coverage for partners and spouses), a 10% retirement contribution, generous time off (29 days of flexible paid time off, eight paid holidays, and a year-end office closure from December 25 to January 1), paid family and medical leave (12 to 18 weeks), a transit pass (where available), and support for ongoing professional development.  

TO APPLY

Please submit your resume and a cover letter expressing your specific interests through our online application portal. Priority will be given to applications submitted by Friday, April 18th, 2025. You will receive an automatic acknowledgment of your application once you submit your materials, and you can expect updates from the Foundation every two to three weeks once the priority deadline has passed. 

We are committed to creating conditions where all candidates are able to fully express their talents and potential and invite you to let us know if there are any accommodations that we can provide to support you in your pursuit of this role. 

Thank you for your interest in joining Inatai Foundation!