School Partnership Coordinator

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third largest school district in the United States, serving over 360,000 students in more than 600 schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments - student centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership and

continuous learning.

The Children First Fund is the foundation and partnership arm of CPS, which works to match Chicago's resources with the schools and communities where they are needed most. Through CFF, everyone in Chicagofrom the philanthropic and business communities to higher education, healthcare, and cultural institutions to individuals has the opportunity to make a profound and positive impact on the lives of our students.

Position Overview

Reporting to and in partnership with the Director of External Partnerships, the School Partnership Coordinator will implement and manage the day-to-day activities of the CFF's direct school support strategies, including corporate activation, school-based grants, and distribution of gifts and experiences.

The ideal candidate will be a master project manager with the ability to forge deep relationships with principals and school administrators, think creatively about partner/funder engagement, and develop effective and compelling communications for external partners/funders.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a new "Support-a-School" initiative to engage more corporate partners in direct giving and partnership with CPS schools.
  
  
• Develop and manage a process with school leadership to collect data to assess schools needs and understand where external partners and philanthropy could be of highest impact.
  
  
• Develop and execute trainings to build school-based staff's confidence and skill with raising philanthropic funds and stewarding partners.
  
  
• Implement and manage a tracking platform that highlights real-time needs, gaps and opportunities across the District to ensure resources are applied strategically and equitably. Develop and implement individual school funding and partnership plans with school leadership, which could include but not be limited to: online fundraising support, identification of short or long-term funders and external partners, and cause-marketing campaign development.
  
  
• Synthesize schools' external funding and partnerships needs into compelling storytelling via presentations, proposals and marketing packages.
  
  
• Manage partner activation and donations at the school level (e.g. corporate employee engagement events, donation of in-kind resources).
  
  
• Research and evaluate new inbound opportunities, and match thoughtfully and equitably to school needs.
  
  
• Identify new, creative ways to engage corporate partners and their employees (e.g. contests, citywide events )
  
  
• Partner with the CFF Development team to support schools in tracking and managing philanthropic grant expenditures, and provide guidance in stewarding funds properly for CFF's school-level philanthropic grants.
  
  
• Communicate grant deliverables for select CFF school-level grants with school teams/leaders and support in completing deliverables.
  
  
• Collaborate closely with CPS central office departments to support logistic coordination of donations, experiences and grant-funded programs at schools.
  
  

Education and Experience Required

• Bachelor's degree required.
  
  
• A minimum of 5 years experience preferably in project management, partnership management, fundraising or corporate social responsibility.
  
  

Skills & Abilities Required .

• Strong project management, multi-tasking and problem solving
  
  
• Relationship-building with various stakeholders
  
  
• Excellent communication and customer service
  
  
• The ability to think creatively, strategically and operationally
  
  
• Enthusiastic, self-motivated and committed to excellence
  
  
• Self-starter who can anticipate problems and develop preemptive solutions.
  
  
• Ability to be flexible and to adapt to a continually shifting environment.
  
  
• Passionate about making a material impact in the lives of students.
  
  

Residency Requirement: As a condition of employment with Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district