Community Impact Officer

Community Impact Officer

Full-time

Salary Range: $75,000–$100,000 annually, commensurate with experience

Location: Fitchburg, MA

 

Position Overview

We seek a Community Impact Officer to lead our efforts to assess and deepen the impact of the 

Foundation's grantmaking on the quality of life across the 33 communities we serve. This role will 

be critical to helping us invest and leverage our grant funds and in connecting fundholders to the 

local opportunities where their giving will matter most.

We are looking for someone who can bring the tools of community and regional planning to 

philanthropy including needs assessment, field-based data collection, and participatory processes 

for engaging community members and stakeholders.

 

Reporting directly to the President/CEO, the Community Impact Officer will manage the Foundation's 

grant application and review process, including staffing the board's grant committees, while 

conducting the field research and relationship- building needed to understand impact and identify 

emerging community needs and opportunities. They will establish and cultivate relationships with 

prospective and existing funding partners. The role joins a six-member team and is provided 

considerable latitude for initiative and independent judgment.

 

Core Responsibilities

•  Understand, monitor, and report on the impact of board-directed and fundholder-directed grants 

distributed through the community foundation

•  Collect, organize, and interpret qualitative and quantitative information into clear findings 

and compelling stories that describe the impact of Foundation initiatives on our communities

•  Collaborate with Community Foundation staff on strategies to clearly communicate the impact of 

our grantmaking initiatives.

•  Identify emerging regional needs and opportunities and the nonprofits best positioned to help 

advance our objectives and bring them forward to inform the Foundation's grantmaking priorities.

•  Cultivate relationships with other philanthropic organizations including private and public 

foundations, corporate funders who might be interested in co-funding a regional initiative 

alongside the Foundation

•  Partner with the Director of Philanthropy to connect fundholders to impact opportunities

•  Manage the board-directed grants process, including the competitive grant process for five 

competitive grant funds and their grant committees

•  Keep abreast of relevant developments across the region and bring relevant findings to the 

Foundation's attention

•  Other related duties as directed

 

Required Qualifications

•  Education, training, and experience comparable to a master’s degree and at least two years of 

experience in community planning, community development, or a related field

•  Strong narrative and analytical writing skills

•  Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills

•  Experience managing committee processes

•  Proficient public speaker

•  Strong organizational skills

•  Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously

•  Proficiency with digital communication and analytical tools

•  Valid driver's license and ability to travel regularly to grantee sites and communities 

throughout the region

 

Preferred Qualifications

•  Knowledge of community planning activities, practices, and techniques including 

interview-based data collection, data analysis, and participatory planning processes

•  Familiarity with the social and economic dynamics of North Central Massachusetts communities

•  Experience with the philanthropic sector

 

Benefits

•  Generous health and dental insurance

•  Life and Disability Insurance

•  401k retirement plan with company match

•  Paid time off

•  Professional development opportunities

•  Meaningful work with direct community impact

•  Collaborative and supportive team environment

 

About Us

The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts is a public charity dedicated to improving 

the quality of life in North Central Massachusetts by:

•  Providing donors with a convenient, effective, and informed platform for impactful 

philanthropy

•  Conducting meaningful grant-making guided by measurable results

•  Convening stakeholders around issues of importance to the residents of our region

Our foundation serves 33 communities in North Central Massachusetts, a vibrant region known for its 

natural beauty, rich manufacturing heritage, and diverse communities. Since our founding in 2001, 

we've distributed over $100 million in grants and currently manage $130 million in charitable 

assets.

 

The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts values a diverse workforce and promotes an 

inclusive culture. We employ qualified people without regard to race, color, religious creed, 

national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, 

mental illness, genetics, choice of health insurance, marital status, arrest record, age, veteran 

status, or any basis prohibited under applicable law.

 

Applicants, as well as position incumbents, who become disabled as defined under the Americans with 

Disabilities Act, must be able to perform the essential job functions (as listed) either unaided or 

with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by management on a case-by-case 

basis.

 

For more information about our organization, please visit: www.cfncm.org.

 

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter describing your interest and qualifications to 

scurtis@cfncm.org with “Community Impact Officer” in the subject line.