Program Manager

Position Summary

The Clinton County Foundation (CCF) seeks a Program Manager (PM) to handle its grants and scholarship programs. This position interacts with grant and scholarship applicants and recipients in a customer service and database management role over a variety of grant cycles throughout the year. The vacancy was created by promotion, and the previous PM is available to train the successful applicant. The PM works alongside the Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer, and contract bookkeeper (Evermore Financial) in a layered model. The Program Manager handles day-to-day grant and scholarship operations (intake, processing, grantee communications, portal management), while the CFO provides the oversight, compliance enforcement, financial QA, and board-ready reporting layer. The successful applicant brings a customer service attitude and knowledge of college funding needs to a small work team.

Core Responsibilities

• Grantmaking Coordination & Oversight
• Manages full grant cycle operations: intake, evaluation, tracking, reporting.
• Develops and maintains application materials, rubrics, and templates.
• Captures due diligence review for all grant applicants at the letter of intent or application stage.
• Front line contact with grantees for timelines, midpoint evaluations, and final reports.
• Reviews grant contracts for payment accuracy before processing.
• Initiates invoices for grant refunds for unspent funds.
• Maintains Foundant GLM records and grant files.
• Approves grants in GLM to Community Suite.
• Scholarship Oversight & Compliance
• Administers scholarship cycle: application review, committee coordination, award processing.
• Primary contact for applicants, institutions, and selection committees.
• Manages portal setup and applicant-facing processes.
• Approves scholarships in SLM to Community Suite.
• Organizes student picture submissions for media promotion, and shares with local media outlets.
• Initiates review of submissions for multi-year awards.
• Initiates review for forfeiture of unclaimed scholarships.
• Supports the Grants and Scholarship Committee by supporting agenda, timeline, and evaluations assignments.
• Coordinates the scholarship certificates, scripts, and speakers for local academic awards programs.
• Supports the annual audit process by ensuring grant and scholarship records are organized, accessible, and ready for auditor review.
• Assists the Executive Director and CFO in preparing board meeting materials related to grant activity, fund status, and program outcomes.
• Generates reports with SLM and GLM to support application and evaluation processes.
• Community Engagement & Nonprofit Relations
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Represents CCF at community meetings, nonprofit convenings, and partner events as needed (shared responsibility with the CFO).
• Supports marketing and community engagement reporting.
• Provides grant data and reports for committee evaluation packets.
• Provides scholarship data and reports for committee evaluation packets.
• Provides technical assistance to grantees on reporting requirements, compliance, and program evaluation.
• Builds awareness of CCF's grantmaking among Clinton County nonprofits and community organizations.

Qualifications

• Required:
• Bachelor's degree in business or related field, or comparable experience.
• 1-3 years of experience in customer service, database management, accounting or financial operations.
• Demonstrated understanding of the opportunities for students after high school and the funding options available.
• Familiarity with local nonprofits and grant compliance.
• Demonstrated proficiency with database management and Excel (Community Suite reports export to Excel; ability to manipulate, analyze, and validate data in spreadsheets is essential).
• Experience with Foundant /Community Suite preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear board reports and committee recommendations.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and project management skills; able to manage multiple compliance workstreams, deadlines, and reporting cycles simultaneously.
• Sound judgment and professional integrity; comfortable identifying and escalating compliance concerns.
• PREFERRED:
• Direct experience at a local nonprofit organization, community foundation, or similar grantmaking institution.
• Familiarity with IRS regulations governing 501(c)(3) public charities, grantmaking, and scholarship compliance.
• Knowledge of Clinton County's nonprofit landscape and community needs.

To Apply

Submit a resume and cover letter to Mark Kraus, mark@