Arts and Culture Program Officer

Our client, Erb Family Foundation, is seeking an Arts and Culture Program Officer to administer the Foundation’s current arts funding —which aims to ensure a culturally vibrant metro Detroit and continue Detroit’s strong jazz tradition—as well as emerging and evolving priorities for arts and culture that may be identified through strategic planning for the Foundation’s final decade beginning in 2025. 

In May 2022, the Erb Family Foundation, whose mission is to advance an environmentally healthy and culturally vibrant metropolitan Detroit and a flourishing Great Lakes ecosystem, announced it will shift to a spend-down model and fully disperse its assets by 2034-35. The board and staff are currently engaged in strategic planning to guide the ten-year spend-down period. 

The Foundation currently partners with more than 60 nonprofit arts organizations, providing multiyear general operating support for Detroit Arts Support recipients and project support for jazz education programs. The Program Officer will manage and nurture those relationships; solicit, evaluate, and recommend grants; and engage in other activities that strengthen the field and the Foundation’s impact. 

Responsibilities:

• Cultivate and solicit new grants; guide existing grantees and new grant seekers through the grants process; support applicants in developing proposals.
• Review and analyze potential projects, letters of inquiry, and proposals; write concise and informative grant summaries; make funding recommendations to the Foundation’s leadership and board; and attend board meetings if requested.
• Monitor and evaluate existing grants; share learnings from interim and final reports to inform the Foundation’s continued grantmaking.
• Represent the Foundation at relevant meetings and events in order to develop and maintain strong relationships with grant partners and potential grantees; strengthen the Foundation’s understanding of issues and needs in the community and the arts and culture sector; and identify new grant opportunities.
• Respond to requests for information, meetings, and guidance from grantees, grant-seekers, and peers in philanthropy.
• Draft presentations, reports, research, and other materials for the Foundation’s leadership and board.
• Keep abreast of knowledge in the field through research, conferences, and meetings with experts and community members; conduct research on issues of interest to the Foundation.
• Actively support and contribute to the Foundation’s communications activities, including social media, blogs, reports, and other materials that uplift the work of grant partners, share knowledge, and highlight progress and impact.

Requirements:

• Five to ten years of experience in the arts and culture nonprofit or philanthropic sector or a related field (such as visual or performing arts, arts administration, or arts education).
• Bachelor’s degree—and preferably a graduate degree—in a relevant area of study.
• Demonstrated track record of commitment to arts and culture in Southeast Michigan— including current knowledge of issues impacting the field—and an understanding of philanthropic or nonprofit organizations.
• Exceptional writing and strong verbal communication skills and the ability to apply them across varied functions internally and externally.
• Strong analytic and project management skills and attention to detail; comfortable managing multiple priorities, deadlines, and a demanding workload.
• Experience developing, tracking, and communicating program outcomes and impact.
• Ability to understand nonprofit financial statements, audits, and tax returns.
• Ability to coordinate internal and external partners and promote collaboration and partnership amongst grantees and other stakeholders with an eye towards equity and inclusion.
• Highly proficient with Microsoft 365, including Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and experience with Adobe and CRM or database (such as a grants or donor management system).

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $90,000 - $120,000 per year, based on experience and qualifications. The Foundation offers a comprehensive employer-paid benefits package with a generous retirement plan.

Erb Family Foundation is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, citizenship status, and genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

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Salary : $90,000 - $120,000