Community Investment Officer - Equity

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT OFFICER - EQUITY

ABOUT DOGWOOD 

Dogwood Health Trust (Dogwood) is a private foundation based in Asheville, North Carolina.  Our purpose is to dramatically improve the health and wellbeing of all people and communities of Western North Carolina.  We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.  We uphold three values that inform our purpose, our strategies and our decisions, and define the core identity of Dogwood. They are:  

1. Compassion with Courage. We will be bold in pursuing our commitment to the people and communities of Western North Carolina by taking smart risks and investing in opportunities for profound impact. 

2. Sustainability with Integrity. We will bring transparency and humility in stewarding resources to support and strengthen Western North Carolina for generations to come. 

3. Partnering with Purpose. We will foster collective impact by promoting collaboration and advancing shared learning. 

In alignment with our vision to create an impact in employment, preference will be given to applicants who live in, or have deep connection to, our foundation's home in Western North Carolina. 

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES 

Community Engagement 

• Establish and nurture trusting relationships with potential and established grantees, while serving as a point of contact for the grant application process and as a general liaison to Dogwood. 

• Establish and strengthen relationships with stakeholders, such as affinity groups, government officials, funding partners, community and business leaders, and all other relevant collaborators. 

• Amplify community voice and community-led efforts proactively pursuing opportunities that leverage existing community strengths and assets.  

• Anticipate and disseminate emerging trends in social determinants and disparities to inform and influence Dogwood's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our purpose, strategies, and decision-making. 

• Develop consistent, transparent communication and feedback mechanisms to ensure Dogwood can identify, discuss, and address equity issues impacting its regional grantees, residents, and partners. 

• Remain well informed of current developments, activities, and research in issues addressed by Dogwood’s partners and serve as an informal thought partner.  

• Navigate complex and challenging conversations around equity with grantees and stakeholders. 

• As appropriate, convene grantees and relevant stakeholders to advance collective action, networking, and learning opportunities for partners.  

• In coordination with Dogwood’s communications team, articulate Dogwood’s purpose, values, and programs with external stakeholders to tell effective stories. 

Grants & Community Investment  

• Evaluate grant and community investment proposals through an exacting equity lens and develop funding recommendations.  

• Closely collaborate with the Community Equity team to create tailored equitable support for grantees. 

• Monitor the performance of the grants in the Racial Equity portfolio, coaching and advising grantee partners to undergird grantee success. 

• Create and manage grants budgets and funding distributions for the Racial Equity grantmaking portfolio. 

• Fully utilize Dogwood’s grantmaking software, including processing grant applications, submitting thorough recommendations, communicating with applicants, and verifying accurate and complete grant records. 

• Consult and coordinate with internal colleagues ensuring legal and regulatory compliance.  

• Prepare and contribute to written materials and presentations communicating grantee activities' alignment with goals and strategies in various formats to engage diverse constituents (e.g., board members, community leaders, grantees, and allied funders). 

• Actively participate in staff, cross-priority, and cross-departmental meetings to provide open communication about Community Equity’s initiatives, strategies, and efforts and, Board and Board committee meetings when applicable. 

• Keenly communicate, consult, and coordinate with internal colleagues in exploring grantmaking and investment opportunities for mutual community-level and organizational and success. 

This list of responsibilities is not intended to be exhaustive. Dogwood reserves the right to revise the role description as needed to comply with actual job requirements.   

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS   

Qualifications are a guiding light and not all encompassing of what Dogwood considers throughout the selection process. We encourage all candidates to include a cover letter to share how their lived experience, education, and work experience combine to support this role.  

Education/Certification 

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience required.  

• Graduate degree or certification related to the role is a plus but not required.  

Work Experience 

• 5+ years’ experience in the fields of philanthropy, community engagement, program management and/or nonprofit planning/implementation/evaluation.  

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access at the individual, organizational, community, and institution levels.  

• Demonstrated leadership of a transformational initiative or project with measurable success and valuable lessons learned.  

• Demonstrated experience working closely with diverse communities, including communities of color, underserved, marginalized and rural communities.  

• Experience establishing and managing complex internal and external relationships.  

• Budget creation and management experience.   

Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes 

• Active listener and life-long learner, prepared to hear from the community prepared to hear from community and have hard, active-listening, conversations with community. 

• Ability to plan, manage multiple projects, and adapt to changing priorities while maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines. 

• Project management and/or grant management experience, including experience delegating tasks, and providing sufficient summaries and follow-up.  

• Proven track record of developing and fostering exceptional relationships with internal and external stakeholders; able to find common ground, build consensus and strengthen collaboration.  

• Proven ability to work with government and agency partners; build fruitful relationships with local leaders and organizations in a variety of settings. 

• Able to facilitate meetings, synthesize ideas, and provide sensitive feedback. 

• Strong interpersonal and networking skills among diverse stakeholder and constituent groups.  

WORKING CONDITIONS 

Dogwood Health Trust is committed to fostering a flexible and productive work environment that allows employees to balance their professional responsibilities with their personal needs. As a hybrid position, this role involves working in the office, within the community, and from home.   

• Office Location: 890 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC 28803 

• This position will require you to work from our office a set number of days a week to be agreed upon with their supervisor.  

• Typical Dogwood Health Trust business hours are 8:30am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. 

• This role may require the candidate hired to work within the community, attending meetings, networking events, or collaborating with external partners. These activities will be communicated and planned in advance when possible. 

• As a hybrid position, the candidate is expected to maintain a blended in-office and in-community schedule that supports internal and external relationships and productivity. 

WHAT WE OFFER 

Dogwood’s purpose of dramatically improving the health and well-being of all people and communities of Western North Carolina is evident within our doors as well.  All full-time team members can participate in a broad offering of competitive benefits, including health insurance, retirement, PTO, and more. Starting salary is commensurate with experience that will be vetted through the interview process.  

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION 

Dogwood Health Trust is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work and on our teams. We know that the rich diversity of perspectives and wisdom that is imperative to our purpose can only come from a wide variety of origins and life experiences. We strongly believe that creating a workplace where all team members thrive is critical to fulfilling our purpose in the communities we serve and we intentionally recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. 

Qualified candidates are urged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.