Position Title: Director of Programs

Department: Programs

Reports To: President, CEO

Location: Grand Junction, CO – onsite

FSLA Status: Exempt

Job Type: Full-Time, Monday – Friday, 40 hours per week

Salary Range: $80,000 – $95,000 annually

How to Apply: sent cover letter and resume to jobs@wc-cf.org

About the Western Colorado Community Foundation

The Western Colorado Community Foundation (WCCF) is a $210M charitable foundation headquartered in Grand Junction, CO and serves seven counties on the Western Slope. We work with generous donors to raise funds and build permanent financial assets to support nonprofit organizations and community initiatives. In 2025, we distributed over $9.5M in grants and scholarships.

Our mission and purpose is to strengthen western Colorado communities, providing leadership and resources to address current and evolving community needs and expanding local generosity and meaningful engagement of our donors, nonprofit partners and community leaders.

We value:

  • Generosity – we inspire the sharing of resources, knowledge, and time to benefit
  • Integrity – we act with honesty, accountability, and
  • Engagement – we show up with curiosity, an open mind, and a commitment to foster collaboration, trust mutual respect, and authentic relationships.
  • Progress – we commit to continuous learning and improvement to support growth and expand
  • Legacy – we drive community good across generations for today, tomorrow and years to

Position Overview

The Director of Programs is integral to the mission and the success of WCCF. This position leads WCCF’s dynamic and capable Programs Team which awards and processes nearly $10M in grants and scholarships annually. This position oversees the Foundation’s grants, scholarships, and leadership initiatives – developing strategy, improving systems, and integrating with other WCCF departments. The Director of Programs works closely with all internal departments and is a member of the WCCF Management Team. This position maintains and stewards relationships with nonprofits and other partners across the region and state. Additionally, the Director of Programs works closely with WCCF Development Team and key donors to align grantmaking opportunities with donor/fund holder interest areas.

The ideal candidate can think strategically across a multitude of issues, lead and cultivate teams, implement change, and communicate effectively to difference audiences.

 Key Responsibilities Management & Supervision

  • Lead, manage, supervise, and support WCCF’s grants and scholarship program team
    • Conduct annual performance reviews while also providing regular coaching and feedback to the team
  • Plan and facilitate quarterly Grant Committee meetings, including developing agenda, grantmaking recommendations and providing the committee with relevant learning opportunities
    • Own and maintain relationships with WCCF Grants Committee members and its chair
  • Communicate and collaborate effectively to other department leads about upcoming Programmatic needs and/or opportunities that cross departments

Grants & Scholarships

  • Oversee WCCF’s grant and scholarship portfolio
    • Design and execute a 12-month competitive process calendar that integrates appropriately across WCCF’s different departments
  • Manage WCCF’s growing request for funding (RFFs) process and design systems to best integrate and share RFFs with the Development Team and donors
  • Design and onboard new grantmaking and scholarship processes with lead donors and/or external or internal review committees for new funds; review and update processes on regular basis for existing funds
  • Provide support and consultation to Development Team and donor-advised fundholders with grantmaking opportunities
  • Oversee WCCF’s grant and scholarship check runs, ensuring accuracy throughout the process
  • Ensure compliance with internal grantmaking policies, regulatory requirements, and internal controls to support accountability and effective stewardship

Leadership Initiatives

  • Oversee WCCF’s three main leadership initiatives: Hunger Relief, CORE, and Healthy Tech
    • Own WCCF’s CORE Giving Circle, working in close partnership with WCCF leadership, to design quarterly events, the annual grantmaking process and recruiting new members
  • Support the Programs Team as they develop annual strategies to move forward and evolve initiatives, and bring it to a thoughtful close, when appropriate

Nonprofit & Community Engagement

  • Cultivate and steward relationships with aligned organizations, especially funders regionally and statewide for the benefit of WCCF and its nonprofits partners
  • Provide support, guidance, and technical assistance to WCCF’s nonprofits when appropriate, including supporting WCCF staff with individual non-profit support
  • Identify and pursue opportunities to further WCCF’s goals through methods beyond grantmaking including convening partners, engaging donors, connecting organizations, offering or facilitating capacity building and professional development opportunities for grantees
  • Learn and stay current on western Colorado issues as well as national trends in the philanthropic field, models, and best practices

Qualifications

Education & Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited university required
  • 7+ years of experience in a professional setting, ideally in the nonprofit, philanthropic or public sector
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and written communication skills with the ability to craft and deliver presentations, write clear memos and summaries, and adjust messaging for different audiences
  • Proven ability to manage and inspire teams, even when not direct supervisor
  • Proven ability to work autonomously with limited supervision, while also collaborating effectively as part of a team
  • Curiosity and eagerness to learn about the community foundation sector and issues facing western Colorado communities

Preferred

  • Experience working in and with Colorado’s nonprofit and/or philanthropic sector
  • Experience designing and managing grantmaking processes and/or applying for grants on behalf of a nonprofit
  • Supervisory skills
  • Comfort and strong judgement serving as a public ambassador for WCCF

Knowledge, Skills & Capabilities

  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, TEAMs, Word, and Xcel
  • Familiarity with relevant software like Canva, BoardEffect, and SurveyMonkey preferred; willingness to learn and leverage technology, including AI tools, to improve efficiencies
  • Strong problem-solving skills, especially when dealing with competing priorities and/or no one correct solution
  • Excellent organization, project management, and time management skills with the ability to prioritize and track against multiple deadlines and deliverables with attention to detail and accuracy
  • High degree of discretion, professionalism, and ethical judgement
  • Commitment to confidentiality in handling sensitive information

Working Conditions & Expectations

  • Commitment to and embodiment of WCCF’s organizations values: generosity, integrity, engagement, progress, and legacy
  • Occasional evening and weekend work may be required for special events and projects
  • Travel:
    • Local travel within WCCF’s seven-county service area
    • Limited out of state travel for sector-specific conferences and trainings
  • Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and regularly use computer equipment
  • Ability to lift and move items up to 25-50 pounds as needed to receive deliveries and handle office supplied or equipment