Chief Impact Officer

About the Role

The Chief Impact Officer believes lasting community impact is achieved by connecting people to the right resources, investing in proven solutions, and strengthening the nonprofit ecosystem that serves Greater Kansas City. This role is responsible for leading and aligning UWGKC’s community impact strategy — spanning grantmaking, direct service lines of business, the 211 program, and nonprofit community engagement — in alignment with the organization’s vision. This leader collaborates internally and externally with team members, the Board, the leadership team, funded partners, government agencies, and nonprofit leaders to ensure UWGKC’s investments and programs are data-informed, effective, and responsive to the community’s most pressing needs.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Impact Strategy
  • Lead the development and execution of UWGKC’s community impact strategy, aligning grantmaking, direct service lines of business, and the 211 program with the organization’s strategic vision.
  • Create plans (short and long-term) that ensure impact and outcome goals are set and achieved.
  • Work collaboratively with the CEO & Board of Directors by partnering with them to shape and execute the impact strategy, ensuring their engagement throughout both strategic planning and implementation.
  • Create regular opportunities for the Impact team to meet cross-functionally to freely share knowledge, strategies, and stories of impact that will enable the organization to reach its goals in a collaborative, aligned manner.
  • Develop effective and efficient monitoring and reporting mechanisms on progress to impact and outcome goals.
• Grantmaking & Investment Oversight
  • Oversee UWGKC’s multi-million-dollar grantmaking portfolio, ensuring resources are deployed effectively, transparently, and in alignment with community need.
  • Lead the full grant lifecycle — from RFP development through partner engagement, performance monitoring, and reporting.
  • Advance shared measurement and continuous improvement practices with funded nonprofit partners.
• Direct Service Lines of Business
  • Oversee the implementation, execution, performance, quality, and sustainability of UWGKC’s direct service programs, ensuring they are fully compliant with applicable agreements, laws, and policies, outcomes-driven, and aligned with community needs.
  • Identify opportunities to strengthen, scale, or sunset service lines based on impact, cost-effectiveness, and strategic fit.
  • Partner with the Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Executive Officer in pursuit and structure of funding and contracts for new programming.
  • Partner with program leadership to ensure direct service delivery reflects best practices and UWGKC’s quality and equity standards.
  • Partner with Finance to ensure efficient, compliant, and accurate delivery of financial services and to participate in the annual single audit, as applicable.
• 211 Program
  • In collaboration with 211 leadership, oversee the operations, performance, and growth of UWGKC’s 211 program, ensuring residents can reliably connect to the resources they need.
  • Ensure 211 data and trends inform UWGKC’s broader impact strategy, grantmaking priorities, and community partnerships.
  • Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with state, county, and community partners that support 211’s funding and operations.
• Nonprofit Community Engagement & Community Convening
  • Serve as UWGKC’s primary liaison to its network of nonprofit partner agencies, strengthening relationships built on trust, transparency, and shared accountability.
  • Lead efforts to build the capacity of funded and community nonprofit partners through training, convening, and shared resources.
  • Represent UWGKC at nonprofit-sector tables and convenings, reinforcing UWGKC’s role as a trusted partner and connector across the nonprofit community.
  • Share in UWGKC’s work of convening corporate, civic, government, and nonprofit leaders around the community’s most pressing needs, partnering closely with the Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Executive Officer, and other UWGKC leaders.
• Team Leadership
  • Establish clear expectations and accountability for the effective and consistent utilization of organizational systems, tools, and resources to promote operational excellence, informed decision-making, and team effectiveness.
  • Develop a high-performance team culture focused on leadership and accountability at all levels, continuous learning, collaboration, measurement, coaching, and goal achievement.
  • Ensure that processes, procedures, and assignments of responsibilities are designed to meet impact goals in an efficient, manageable, and effective manner.
• Financial and Administrative
  • Create and monitor the Community Impact team budget (including the 211 budget), as well as budgets for individual grants.
  • Work collaboratively with the leadership team in creating the organization’s overall budget by providing accurate information and the best forecasts possible.
  • Advise CEO, Board of Trustees, and Management Team on matters pertaining to grantmaking, program performance, and community investment.
  • Ensure that accurate and updated partner, program, and outcomes data are maintained in appropriate systems.
• Flexibility
  • UWGKC is evolving with our changing external environment. Flexibility is a key attribute for this position.
  • A willingness to take on additional duties to ensure the success of the team is essential.
  • Model the need for flexibility — and how to manage it — with the team.

About United Way of Greater Kansas City

United Way of Greater Kansas City serves the six-county metropolitan area of Kansas City, partners with 145 agencies, and serves more than 25,000 donors. The organization’s mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of Greater Kansas City. Its focus is to improve the health, education, and financial stability of every person in the community. United Way of Greater Kansas City’s partners include global, national, and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students, and more.