Government Relations, Public Policy Coordinator (CMF)

Government Relations, Public Policy Coordinator (CMF) Posted on August 19, 2020 This newly created position will be a part of the CMF Government Relations Public Policy Team. The coordinator will work in collaboration with the director and public policy fellow to advance CMF’s policy agenda and overall mission to grow the impact of Michigan philanthropy. The coordinator will report to the director of government relations, public policy.

Develop and maintain, in partnership with director, state and federal lawmaker profiles that include key efforts and nonprofits being funded in their districts; track intelligence gathered from meetings with lawmakers, vote records on key policy issues of importance to CMF and CMF/ CMF member engagement with lawmakers. Identify key House and Senate Committees based on policy issues to be advanced by CMF and members; develop a regular cadence for an engagement strategy with the committees for the Government Relations, Public Policy Team to follow. Track and report activities of the Government Relations, Public Policy Team in alignment with CMF’s plan of work. Work closely with the communications team to craft and execute strategies and tactics to communicate CMF’s public policy work and priorities through various channels including in-person meetings, briefings, etc. Proactively identify ways to increase CMF’s visibility and impact in the policy space and amplify the voice and position of CMF members. This may include working with the communications team to develop marketing materials for the Government Relations, Public Policy Team. Provide strategic and technical analysis of relevant public policies and track CMF policy activities and engagement. Work with the director in establishing regional communication and policy networks to better support and facilitate member efforts/activities. Project Management/Logistics Assist in project management for key events like Foundations on the Hill, developing and managing the timeline for task completion, scheduling meetings with lawmakers and preparing materials for both CMF member participants and lawmakers. Support in staffing Government Relations Public Policy Committee meetings, maintaining the membership roster, taking meeting attendance and meeting minutes, handling meeting logistics and coordinating the development and distribution of meeting materials. Attend other meetings as assigned, taking notes and sharing report-outs to the Government Relations Public Policy Committee and CMF staff as requested. Develop (in partnership with director) and edit various documents and meeting/presentation materials (PowerPoint presentations, budgets, procedures, etc.) for implementing and maintaining services and/or programming. Track activities of other initiatives that are part of the Government Relations, Public Policy Team such as Launch Michigan. Internal/External Coordination and Education Forge and maintain strong relationships with lawmaker scheduling and/or policy staff at the state and federal levels and with CMF Government Relations, Public Policy committee members and national nonprofit infrastructure organizations. Actively facilitate collaboration and partnerships among CMF members and staff. Help to create and identify opportunities to advance the importance of policy advocacy in philanthropy. Support the work of the Michigan Nonprofit Council for Charitable Trust, the Michigan Nonprofit Caucus and the Office of Foundation Liaison by helping to identify agenda items and in coordination with the CMF public policy fellow, maintaining meeting notes. Lead efforts to coordinate, catalogue, update and organize policy knowledge, knowledge products, reports, etc. Help to identify key qualitative/quantitative data applicable to relevant policies being advanced. Help to inform an understanding of the cultural context of relevant policies. In partnership with CMF internal teams develop content for internal publications such as newsletters, press releases, email announcements and videos to facilitate organizational learning about relevant policy issues, the policy making process, current events and political dynamics affecting CMF members. Develop a detailed understanding of the rules governing foundation-funded activities with policymakers; work with legal counsel and others on issues related to compliance (e.g., lobbying, and electioneering restrictions). Engage CMF members around public policy making process and procedures, helping to identify engagement opportunities. Participate in foundation activities, meetings and events as requested by the director. Support for the Government Relations, Public Policy team Maintain calendars for the Government Relations, Public Policy team including but not limited to scheduling appointments and meetings with thoughtful sequencing, tracking payroll needs. Coordinate meeting and conference registrations, travel and lodging arrangements for the director and public policy fellow. Coordinate and arrange scheduling, transportation, presentation and A/V requirements for external speakers participating in Government Relations, Public Policy events. Gather and prepare briefing materials for meetings. Follow up on phone calls and contacts; respond to all requests that can be dealt with independently and confidentially as appropriate. Check e-mail and postal mail to support timely and appropriate responses to internal and external stakeholders. Reconcile business expense reports (i.e. company credit card) and submit reimbursements on the director’s behalf. Support print and digital data and file management needs, including Salesforce and SharePoint maintenance. Collaborate on projects when needed. Continually find opportunities to take initiative in providing support and assistance. Work with the grants manager to coordinate contracts with approved vendors and locations to be used for programs and meetings. Office Management/Logistics Oversight for CMF’s Lansing office space. Maintain inventory of meeting and office supplies and manage shared office resources. Manage events and coordinate logistics, including sending meeting notices, coordinating room-set up and catering, preparing materials (copying, printing name tags and table tents, etc.) working closely with the communications team in developing resources needed related to promotion, signage and materials for hosted events and identifying and organizing staff and volunteer participants. Position Requirements and Qualifications A bachelor’s degree in public administration, public policy, journalism, communications or a related field. At least three years of experience in public policy work, constituent relations, communications, project management. Experience in a nonprofit, foundation or membership organization is preferred. Outstanding communications skills, well experienced in written and verbal communications. Understanding of state government and the legislative processes. Creative and systems thinker, ability to be nimble and manage multiple projects. Highly organized and proven ability to prioritize and manage diverse tasks concurrently while maintaining strategic focus. Has a good sense of humor. Understands the importance of diversity and inclusion in delivering high quality work and is committed to equitable outcomes. High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite – excellent command of Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Experience working with CRM systems such as Salesforce. Administrative experience with strong customer service commitment. Self-starter with strong work ethic. Ability to identify areas of need and troubleshoot with minimal direction. Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgement with respect to the implementation of assigned tasks. Excels in a collaborative work environment. Physical and Mental Activities and Requirements While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel to perform the duties. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk around to perform the duties. The employee may occasionally required to stoop, kneel or crouch. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 lbs. The employee may operate any or all of the following: telephone, copy and fax machine, calculator, imaging equipment, postage meter, computer terminal and printers. This position may require travel by automobile and airplane. This position requires the employee to make decisions in a timely manner and anticipate all of the potential ramifications of decisions made. The employee must be ability to read, and interpret documents, understand/follow complex written and oral instructions, be able to express oneself clearly/concisely, perform mathematical functions and handle multiple, concurrent tasks. This position requires regular and predictable attendance and cannot be performed remotely. About CMF CMF is a community of philanthropists committed to improving outcomes for Michigan, and beyond. Through investing in the state's charitable organizations, convening business, government, and nonprofit leaders, collaborating on critical issues, seeking innovative solutions, sharing knowledge, and advocating, we leverage our collective voice to increase the impact of Michigan philanthropy. In advancement of our Government Relations goals, CMF advocates for a legislative and regulatory environment conducive to organized philanthropy. This work is led by our Government Relations Committee. The Committee’s key strategies are to: Advocate for goals in the Legislative Statement with policymakers in Lansing and Washington, D.C.; Represent the work and interests of Michigan foundations with state and federal officials; and Educate policymakers about the work of foundations. Our work in this area includes the annual Foundations on the Hill event where foundations leaders from across Michigan travel to Washington, D.C. for meetings with each member of our state’s Congressional Delegation. CMF’s public policy goals are developed and supported through our members. CMF’s members lead and support collaborative philanthropic responses to critical needs such as P-20 education, early childhood development and economic development. This work is led by our Public Policy Committee and is achieved through issue-based affinity groups. The Committee’s key strategies are to: Encourage and support foundation engagement in the public policy process; and Connect foundation leaders with each other, policymakers, and other concerned stakeholders to advance specific policy reforms. Work in this area is done in partnership with the Governor's Office of Foundation Liaison, a nonpartisan, cabinet level position that works to identify and broker strategic partnerships between the state and foundations. CMF has a robust suite of innovative supports for the organization’s advocacy efforts including The William C. Richardson Fellow in Government Affairs & Philanthropy. This position supports CMF’s public policy work. The fellowship, named after the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s former president and CEO, introduces future policymakers to the philanthropic sector and the ways it influences and partners with the public sector. In addition, the CMF Trustees and members have developed endowment funds to support the organization’s advocacy efforts including the Robert Collier Public Policy Endowment that funds the organization’s public policy and government relations activities. The Council of Michigan Foundations is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All correspondence will remain confidential.