Program Manager, Safety & Justice and Basic Needs

Position Title: Program Manager, Safety & Justice and Basic Needs

Reports to: Program Director

Location: Dane County, WI (with travel within the state and to Seattle, WA)

Position Type: Full-Time, exempt

About Roots & Wings Foundation

The Roots & Wings Foundation (“the foundation”) is a family foundation headquartered in Seattle, Washington, launched to help children grow strong from the roots up. The foundation invests in four program areas: Basic Needs, Early Learning, Health, and Safety & Justice. The foundation funds nonprofit organizations that support low-income children and families in reaching their full potential. We prioritize preventive and in-depth programming that changes lives, with a particular focus on the prenatal through age three period.  Since launching in 2020, the foundation has donated $285M in grants to partner organizations. We currently support over 300 grantee partners. We value the expertise of our partners and work to reduce the burden that foundations have traditionally imposed on nonprofit organizations.

The Opportunity

The Program Manager will serve as a collaborative member of the Program team, working closely with the Executive Director, Program Director, and fellow Program Managers to shape funding strategy and manage the Basic Needs and Safety & Justice grant portfolios in Wisconsin. Most partners are based in Dane County with some statewide. The Program Manager will also lead our Safety & Justice participatory grantmaking collaborative in the state. ‑Additional responsibilities include cultivating community partnerships, supporting grantee partners beyond the check, and advancing best practices in trust-based philanthropy. The portfolios managed by this role will include:

• Basic Needs: We focus on access to food, clothing, shelter, housing, case management, eviction prevention, and subsidies. We prioritize families in crisis and families who are experiencing unstable housing. We have currently have 35 Basic Needs grantee partners in WI.
• Safety & Justice: We focus on gun violence prevention, legal aid, and justice reform. We prioritize policy and advocacy, reducing incarceration, and services for those currently incarcerated. We currently have 24 Safety & Justice grantee partners in WI.

About the Candidate

A strong candidate for this position will have foundation or nonprofit experience in Wisconsin, particularly in Dane County. The candidate will also have excellent interpersonal skills, strong attention to detail, and a passion for social impact work. We encourage applications from candidates with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, especially those with lived experience with the justice system (or other areas of the portfolio), and from groups historically underrepresented in philanthropy. The ideal candidate will also demonstrate a deep commitment to equity, trust-based practices, and the purpose of the foundation.

Key Responsibilities

 Grantmaking Program

• Manage our Safety & Justice and Basic Needs grant portfolios in Wisconsin.
• Conduct site visits and support collaborative partnerships.
• Analyze funding goals and potential grantee alignment to make funding recommendations.
• Prepare summaries, and analyses for leadership and the Board as requested.
• Support the Safety & Justice participatory grantmaking consortium in Wisconsin and share best practices, tools and resources internally and externally.
• Strengthen funding strategy to meet foundation goals and increase overall impact in collaboration with the Program Director and colleagues.
• Scan the field to identify promising programs or initiatives that influence the foundation’s program areas.
• Find, analyze and share tools and resources that promote early brain development from prenatal through three years old as relevant.
• Research, reach out to, and review inquiries from potential partners.
• Keep current on best practices in trust-based philanthropy.
• Stay current on the foundation’s issue areas and monitor relevant public policy and advocacy news.
• Collaborate with the team to continuously improve the grantmaking process.

 Partnerships

• Build and maintain strong relationships with grantee partners, community organizations, funders, and other stakeholders.
• Be accessible and responsive to partners; solicit feedback and adapt accordingly.
• Find ways to support partners beyond the grant.
• Represent the foundation in funder collaboratives, learning communities, and working groups as relevant

Organization Support

• Prepare reports, presentations, and materials for the Board of Directors, and other internal and external stakeholders as needed.
• Maintain accurate grant records.
• Support and participate in team learning activities to strengthen collective knowledge and skills.
• Support team projects, operational improvements, and planning efforts.
• Proactively address anything else needed to maintain a great organization.

 Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field (e.g., public policy, nonprofit management, criminal justice, social sciences).
• 5+ years of experience in philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in social impact work in Wisconsin, with strong familiarity with Dane County communities and stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of the foundation’s issue areas and the ability to stay current on trends, public policy, and community needs.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust-based relationships with community partners and other funders.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Alignment with trust-based philanthropy principles, including transparency, humility, power-sharing, and responsiveness.
• Collaborative team member who thrives in a small, dynamic, evolving organization and that values diversity of thought, backgrounds and perspectives.
• Proactive, self-directed, comfortable working remotely, and navigating ambiguity.
• Ability to travel locally and nationally as needed for site visits, meetings, and team gatherings.

 Compensation, Benefits, and Work Environment

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience. Starting salary for new hires is expected between $110,000-$140,000.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including 100% employer paid insurance for health, dental, and vision; retirement contributions; paid time off, paid sabbatical, and employee gift matching.
• Professional development and learning opportunities supported by the foundation.
• While Roots and Wings Foundation is based in Seattle, WA, this is a remote, Wisconsin-based role with an expectation of some travel (~20%) for partner visits and team meetings.
• Please note that this position does not offer a relocation package. Candidates must currently reside in, or be in commuting distance to, Dane County.