Center for Engaged Philanthropy Associate at Orange County Community Foundation – Irvine, California

ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION:

The Orange County Community Foundation combines giving strategy, community intelligence, enduring relationships, and heartfelt intention to amplify the power of giving and its profound result: greater good in Orange County, and beyond. We serve as a resource for individual and family philanthropists, facilitate grant and scholarship programs, and lead community-based initiatives. We inspire giving and connect people and resources to create sustainable impact, granting more than $1 billion since 1989 in Orange County, across the country, and around the world. OCCF’s team is an innovative, mission-driven group focused on recognizing promise, convening key players, and applying our unique capabilities to create momentum for good, together. As trusted strategic advisors, we promote stronger connections, encourage generosity, and provide exactly what is needed to fuel growth and guide good. We are tenaciously committed to ensuring that our donors, nonprofit partners, and beneficiaries feel truly understood. Deeply listening, investing time and energy conducting rigorous research, and fostering close personal relationships is how we cultivate understanding at every step. Our mission is to transform our community’s heartfelt intention into greater impact for good.

Overview of Position

The Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) Center for Engaged Philanthropy (CEP) provides high-quality stewardship and advisory services to OCCF donors, managing relationships with donor-advised fund holders to facilitate their grantmaking and deepen their engagement with philanthropy and OCCF.

Reporting to the Senior Donor Engagement and Operations Manager, the CEP Associate is primarily responsible for providing administrative support to the CEP team. Key responsibilities include scheduling, meeting coordination, grant administration, administering custom grant programs, and assisting CEP Philanthropic Advisors (PAs) with their portfolio’s donor stewardship, which includes supporting the development of family giving plans and legacy guidelines.

Administrative

• Manage the calendar of the Senior Director of the Center for Engaged Philanthropy, including scheduling meetings, prioritizing requests, and coordinating logistics.
• Provide administrative support to Philanthropic Advisors, including:
• Scheduling donor focused appointments, internal and external meetings
• Coordinating travel arrangements and processing expense reimbursements and mileage reports
• Coordinate meeting logistics, including venue reservations, invitations, agenda and materials preparation, speaker coordination, catering (as needed), and follow-up on action items.
• Prepare agendas, take meeting notes, and track follow up action items
• Maintain detailed donor, fund, nonprofit, and grant records in OCCF Salesforce database.
• Review of Philanthropic Advisors’ calendars weekly and:
• Enter donor-related tasks into Salesforce
• Update task notes and completion status
• Provide weekly summaries of upcoming and outstanding action items
• Support Salesforce projects and process improvements related to donor stewardship and portfolio management.
• Work collaboratively across Donor & Community Engagement teams with special projects and programs as requested.
• Work cross-functionally with Philanthropic Strategy, Marketing and Communications, Finance, IT and Operations Departments.
• Provide support for front desk reception coverage as needed.
• Perform other administrative duties as assigned

Grant Administration

• Enter and manage grants in Salesforce, ensuring accuracy, documentation, and compliance.
• Process weekly charitable distribution recommendations for donor-initiated grants.
• Responsible for exercising proper due diligence, data entry, document processing, ACH/check/wire preparation and mailings for weekly disbursements.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for nonprofit grantees regarding grant agreements, reporting requirements, and requested changes to grant objectives.
• Administer custom grant programs for CEP funds and private foundation donor-advised funds, including:
• Creating and modifying Request for Proposals (RFPs)
• Disseminating RFPs to eligible nonprofits
• Conducting due diligence and coordinating grant review meetings
• Preparing grant agreements, correspondence, and award notifications
• Monitor funded projects and organizational performance, including reviewing and summarizing grantee reports and coordinating site visits or meetings as appropriate.
• Coordinate grant reporting processes, including tracking due dates, issuing reminders, following up on late reports, and preparing summary reports for donors.
• Respond to routine grant-related inquiries from Philanthropic Advisors and donors.
• Support donor-related research and analysis tied to grantmaking activities

Donor Engagement and Stewardship

• Support CEP Philanthropic Advisors (PAs) in managing donor portfolios, including identifying outreach opportunities, coordinating follow-up, and ensuring timely stewardship activities.
• Facilitate responses to donor inquiries and requests, ensuring high quality, responsive donor service.
• Support the implementation of the CEP donor engagement model across assigned portfolios.
• Assist with the development and maintenance of family giving plans, legacy guidelines, and philanthropic priorities for CEP funds.
• Conduct nonprofit and issue-area research to support donor philanthropic planning and granting inquiries.
• Support the planning and implementation of special outreach programs and events. This may include but is not limited to the Family Volunteer Program, Next Generation programs, Family Facilitation and other opportunities for donor engagement.
• Coordinate donor milestones and celebrations, including preparation of materials, purchasing gifts and making reservations as needed.
• Prepare materials and reports for donor focused meetings and presentations.
• Track donor engagement activities, meeting outcomes, and stewardship actions in Salesforce database.
• Review donor-advised grant requests for completeness and due diligence and enter approved requests into Salesforce.
• Update donor engagement activity data for dashboards and internal reporting.

Compensation & Benefits

The opportunity to work for an organization with a phenomenal mission and a positive, team-oriented environment.

This non-exempt position offers a competitive hourly pay range of $29.81 to $32.21, with placement within the range based on experience and qualifications. Our comprehensive benefits package includes Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage; a 403(b) retirement plan with an automatic employer contribution; two weeks of vacation; two weeks of paid sick leave; 10 paid holidays per year; and the opportunity to work a 9/80 schedule.

This position is eligible to work from home one day per week.

Review of applications, nominations, and expressions of interest will begin immediately and continue on a confidential basis until an appointment is made. The deadline to apply is March 16, 2026. However, the position may close when an adequate number of qualified applications are received.

Orange County Community Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in related field required

Experience

• 2 - 3 years of experience in administrative support, donor relations, grant administration, or a related field.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organization, time management, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated commitment to donor stewardship, service excellence, and relationship-building.
• Strong customer service skills with the ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment meet deadlines.
• Self-starter who works well independently and as part of a team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products.
• Experience with Salesforce, Canva, and online research tools a plus.
• Creative problem-solving skills and sound judgement.
• Reliable attendance and timely completion of work.