Chief Impact Officer

About United Way of Greater Kansas City

United Way of Greater Kansas City (UWGKC) is dedicated to enhancing lives by harnessing the caring power of the community. Operating across the six-county metropolitan area, the organization works alongside 145 agencies and serves over 25,000 donors. UWGKC’s mission focuses on improving health, education, and financial stability for individuals in the region by uniting donors, volunteers, businesses, nonprofits, and community leaders to address and solve complex local issues.

Position Summary

The Chief Impact Officer spearheads the design and implementation of community impact strategies to produce lasting effects. This involves aligning grantmaking, direct service programs, the 211 resource program, and nonprofit engagement with the organization’s broader vision. The role requires partnership with internal leadership, the Board, nonprofit partners, government entities, and community leaders to ensure investments and initiatives are data-driven, effective, and responsive to the community's evolving needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the advancement and execution of UWGKC’s community impact strategy by integrating grantmaking, service delivery, and the 211 program to meet strategic objectives.
• Collaborate closely with the CEO and Board of Directors to shape impact initiatives and maintain stakeholder engagement throughout.
• Facilitate cross-functional Impact team meetings for knowledge sharing and coordinated progress toward goals.
• Develop and maintain mechanisms to monitor and report on progress related to impact and outcomes.
• Manage UWGKC’s multi-million-dollar grant portfolio ensuring effective, transparent alignment with community needs, including overseeing the complete grant lifecycle from RFP issuance to partner engagement and monitoring.
• Promote shared measurement systems and continuous improvement with funded nonprofit partners.
• Supervise the execution and sustainability of direct service programs ensuring compliance, quality, and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Evaluate opportunities to enhance, scale, or discontinue services considering impact and cost-effectiveness.
• Work alongside the Chief Strategy Officer and CEO to secure funding and structure contracts for new programs.
• Ensure program leadership adheres to best practices and organizational equity standards.
• Partner with Finance to guarantee accurate financial service delivery and engagement in audits, as needed.
• Collaborate with 211 program leadership to manage operations, drive performance, and support program growth, ensuring residents can access vital resources reliably.
• Use 211 data insights to inform broader organizational impact strategies and grant priorities.
• Maintain strong partnerships with state, county, and community stakeholders supporting 211 funding and operations.
• Act as the main liaison to nonprofit partner agencies, fostering relationships based on transparency and accountability.
• Lead initiatives aimed at enhancing nonprofit partner capacity through training, convening, and sharing resources.
• Represent UWGKC in nonprofit sector meetings, reinforcing its role as a trusted connector.
• Co-convene community leaders from diverse sectors to address key community challenges.
• Set clear expectations and accountability measures for team use of organizational tools and resources, promoting operational excellence.
• Build a high-performing team culture emphasizing leadership, learning, collaboration, coaching, and goal completion.
• Design processes and clarify responsibilities to efficiently meet impact targets.
• Oversee the Community Impact team and 211 budgets, collaborate on organization-wide budget planning, and offer accurate forecasting.
• Advise leadership and Board on grantmaking, program outcomes, and community investments.
• Ensure accurate data management for partners, programs, and outcomes across systems.
• Adapt to change flexibly, embracing additional responsibilities to support team success and model flexibility within the team.

Equal Opportunity

UWGKC is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering diversity and inclusion.