The Chicago Community Trust
Executive Director, Press Forward Chicago
The Chicago Community Trust, Chicago, IL
Job Description
Press Forward Chicago is a new grantmaking initiative intended to support the reimagination, revitalization, and rapid development of the Local News ecosystem in the United States. Administered by The Chicago Community Trust ("Trust") and designed in partnership with the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and local journalism donors and practitioners, the goal of this portfolio is to help catalyze a local news renaissance that will reshape the local news landscape and re-center local journalism as a force for community cohesion, civic participation, and government accountability. Press Forward aims to catalyze innovative solutions to the challenges facing local news, amplify impactful journalism practices, and address the systemic inequities in media coverage and journalistic processes to ensure residents have access to relevant, credible, and trusted information. This work is part of a broader multi-funder collaborative initiative, co-created and co-led by The Chicago Community Trust, to foster a more equitable news ecosystem that represents and serves the diverse tapestry of our city's population.
The Executive Director, Press Forward Chicago will provide high-level strategic leadership, overseeing the program's design, execution, and expansion. The incumbent will work closely with philanthropic partners, local news organizations, and community stakeholders to ensure the program's success. This role requires a visionary leader adept at managing complex grantmaking, fostering innovation, cultivating external relationships, and advancing the initiative's mission to create an equitable, sustainable news ecosystem that represents and serves the diverse communities of Chicago. This position will also serve as a spokesperson and thought leader, advocating for equitable media coverage and fostering a vibrant local journalism sector.
Position Responsibilities
Strategy and Program Delivery
Governance
Communications and Partner Relations
Fundraising and Resource Development
Grantmaking and Innovation
Project Management
Experience and Skills
Position Qualifications:
Starting salary: $160,000
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are fundamental to achieving our impact
The Chicago Community Trust's vision is a Chicago region where equity, opportunity, and prosperity abound. We acknowledge the specific role discrimination and systemic barriers based on race, ethnicity, and other varied identities and differences have played in limiting opportunities for too many. A commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is at the core of who we are, the decisions we make, and the actions we take in our work to strengthen the communities we serve and advance our strategic focus to close the racial and ethnic wealth gap. Click here to learn more about our strategic plan.
The History of The Chicago Community Trust
The Chicago Community Trust was founded in 1915 by Norman and Albert Harris, father and son duo of the Harris Trust and Savings Bank (now BMO Harris Bank). The Trust was the fourth community foundation ever created. There are now 750 community foundations in Canada and the U.S.
As our region's community foundation, the Trust unites generous donors, committed nonprofits and caring residents to effect lasting change that moves our entire region forward. Our approach centers on tackling the region's immediate needs and addressing the root causes of deep-seated issues to realize a more prosperous future for all who call metropolitan Chicago home.
For more than 100 years, donors have entrusted their philanthropic resources and visions to our stewardship. Guided by our deep knowledge of the community, we fund, lead, convene and collaborate to address the greatest and most critical needs facing the Chicago region. From the $22 million raised to help with unemployment relief in the Great Depression to spearheading an effort to help people keep their homes during the foreclosure crisis of the Great Recession to $35 million raised for the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund, which supported nonprofits serving our most vulnerable neighbors, Chicagoans have put their trust in us.
In 2019, we announced we would focus our discretionary spending over the next decade on working to close Chicago's growing racial and ethnic wealth gap. The Trust envisions a Chicago region that's stronger and more prosperous because everyone-regardless of race, ethnicity, or zip code-has equitable access to the opportunities and resources they need to succeed and live a fulfilling life.
With assets of more than $4.5 billion, the Trust, in partnership with its donors, distributes more than $1.6 billion in grants each year. The Trust Team seeks to match the passion and commitment of donors, grant recipients, residents, and community leaders that continue to work tirelessly to make the Chicago region one where all have the opportunity to realize their dreams.
Press Forward Chicago is a new grantmaking initiative intended to support the reimagination, revitalization, and rapid development of the Local News ecosystem in the United States. Administered by The Chicago Community Trust ("Trust") and designed in partnership with the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and local journalism donors and practitioners, the goal of this portfolio is to help catalyze a local news renaissance that will reshape the local news landscape and re-center local journalism as a force for community cohesion, civic participation, and government accountability. Press Forward aims to catalyze innovative solutions to the challenges facing local news, amplify impactful journalism practices, and address the systemic inequities in media coverage and journalistic processes to ensure residents have access to relevant, credible, and trusted information. This work is part of a broader multi-funder collaborative initiative, co-created and co-led by The Chicago Community Trust, to foster a more equitable news ecosystem that represents and serves the diverse tapestry of our city's population.
The Executive Director, Press Forward Chicago will provide high-level strategic leadership, overseeing the program's design, execution, and expansion. The incumbent will work closely with philanthropic partners, local news organizations, and community stakeholders to ensure the program's success. This role requires a visionary leader adept at managing complex grantmaking, fostering innovation, cultivating external relationships, and advancing the initiative's mission to create an equitable, sustainable news ecosystem that represents and serves the diverse communities of Chicago. This position will also serve as a spokesperson and thought leader, advocating for equitable media coverage and fostering a vibrant local journalism sector.
Position Responsibilities
Strategy and Program Delivery
- Lead the strategic planning process for Press Forward Chicago, developing a roadmap to support the long-term sustainability of local journalism and equitable access to information.
- Oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of grantmaking and other program activities to meet the initiative's mission.
- Develop and oversee implementation milestones, providing timely updates to Trust leadership, the Press Forward Chicago steering committee, and funders.
- Ensure that the grant portfolio aligns with the initiative's objectives, managing the full grantmaking lifecycle from requests for proposals to reporting on outcomes.
Governance
- Staff and manage Press Forward's advisory and steering committees, leading agenda-setting, work plan development, and meeting coordination.
- Provide regular financial updates and forecasts, ensuring alignment with budgetary goals.
Communications and Partner Relations
- Serve as the principal spokesperson for Press Forward Chicago, building relationships with local news organizations, policymakers, philanthropic partners, and the national Press Forward initiative.
- Represent the program in external meetings, conferences, and media engagements to promote the initiative and drive awareness of key issues.
- Lead thought leadership activities, staying current on trends, challenges, and innovations in local journalism, and share insights with partners and stakeholders.
Fundraising and Resource Development
- Work closely with fundraising teams to set and achieve Press Forward Chicago's fundraising goals, identifying new opportunities for resource development.
- Oversee grant proposal development, ensuring the program remains well-resourced to achieve its ambitious goals.
Grantmaking and Innovation
- Manage relationships with grant recipients, providing technical assistance and support to ensure project success.
- Identify and promote best practices and innovative models that can strengthen local news ecosystems, with a focus on equity and community engagement.
- Develop and implement tools to track and assess the impact of Press Forward Chicago's initiatives, continuously improving processes based on feedback from partners and data.
Project Management
- Lead the execution of Press Forward Chicago's initiatives, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget.
- Oversee the management of project plans, tracking milestones, and achieving deliverables.
Experience and Skills
Position Qualifications:
- Minimum 10- to 15-years' experience delivering results in the community and relevant sectors; previous grantmaking experience is desirable
- Strong appreciation for media-making and media impact as it relates to civic engagement.
- Excellent project management skillset ensuring meetings occur, scheduling, meeting prep and planning.
- Experience leading, growing and developing a team.
- Experience managing budgets, steering committees, and developing strategic roadmaps.
- Profound understanding, based on "on the ground" experience, of the challenges facing local news, information ecosystems, and the dynamics of public policies and current thinking relevant to the work
- Ability to collaboratively lead through networking, facilitating, and problem-solving
- Experience advancing policy and or structural changes in the public or private sectors
- Strong orientation and commitment to racial equity, equitable results, and community voice
- Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to collaborate with nonprofit organizations, community leaders, funders, and government officials.
- Exceptional project management skills with a proven ability to manage complex initiatives across multiple stakeholders.
Starting salary: $160,000
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are fundamental to achieving our impact
The Chicago Community Trust's vision is a Chicago region where equity, opportunity, and prosperity abound. We acknowledge the specific role discrimination and systemic barriers based on race, ethnicity, and other varied identities and differences have played in limiting opportunities for too many. A commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is at the core of who we are, the decisions we make, and the actions we take in our work to strengthen the communities we serve and advance our strategic focus to close the racial and ethnic wealth gap. Click here to learn more about our strategic plan.
The History of The Chicago Community Trust
The Chicago Community Trust was founded in 1915 by Norman and Albert Harris, father and son duo of the Harris Trust and Savings Bank (now BMO Harris Bank). The Trust was the fourth community foundation ever created. There are now 750 community foundations in Canada and the U.S.
As our region's community foundation, the Trust unites generous donors, committed nonprofits and caring residents to effect lasting change that moves our entire region forward. Our approach centers on tackling the region's immediate needs and addressing the root causes of deep-seated issues to realize a more prosperous future for all who call metropolitan Chicago home.
For more than 100 years, donors have entrusted their philanthropic resources and visions to our stewardship. Guided by our deep knowledge of the community, we fund, lead, convene and collaborate to address the greatest and most critical needs facing the Chicago region. From the $22 million raised to help with unemployment relief in the Great Depression to spearheading an effort to help people keep their homes during the foreclosure crisis of the Great Recession to $35 million raised for the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund, which supported nonprofits serving our most vulnerable neighbors, Chicagoans have put their trust in us.
In 2019, we announced we would focus our discretionary spending over the next decade on working to close Chicago's growing racial and ethnic wealth gap. The Trust envisions a Chicago region that's stronger and more prosperous because everyone-regardless of race, ethnicity, or zip code-has equitable access to the opportunities and resources they need to succeed and live a fulfilling life.
With assets of more than $4.5 billion, the Trust, in partnership with its donors, distributes more than $1.6 billion in grants each year. The Trust Team seeks to match the passion and commitment of donors, grant recipients, residents, and community leaders that continue to work tirelessly to make the Chicago region one where all have the opportunity to realize their dreams.