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Good program officers also exhibit drive.
Rather than functioning as cogs in the machine, they emerge as the
animating force that propels the foundation toward its goals. (Think
of yourself immodestly as the spark plug, the engine and the steering
wheel rolled into one.) Effectiveness in the foundation world demands
self-confidence but not arrogance. Good grantmakers will occasionally
urge, prod and push their board to question its own assumptions
(and be willing to accept the fact that their own recommendations
might not be taken). They volunteer to entertain a degree of personal
discomfort for the greater good—the irritant in the oyster
that forms the pearl. Over time, they will know when to look beyond
the feasible practicalities of routine grantmaking to argue in favor
of visionary possibilities.
A Growth Opportunity
Many program officers join the foundation
world after years of direct service in education, child development,
social welfare, the environment or other fields. They bring to grantmaking
an enviable insider’s familiarity with the programs they are
now charged with reviewing for funding. As former service providers,
they speak the same language as the applicants; they find it easy
to establish trust. Their presence serves as a hedge against the
apathy or arrogance that can arise when funders lack real-world
experience in the nonprofit sector.
Yet to blossom fully as program officers,
they may need to complement their practical experience with theoretical
knowledge. They may have to acquaint themselves with their field’s
history, controversies and hidden opportunities. Perhaps they may
need to cultivate their understanding of organizational theory and
nonprofit management, including planning, budgeting and evaluation.
Other grantmakers are hired precisely because
of their theoretical sophistication. They may be former policymakers,
researchers or university professors. Their task will be to deepen
their theoretical knowledge with on-site experience, visiting organizations
in the field and learning directly from the frontline staff.
In other words, nobody ever comes to this
job knowing everything they need. Program officers are always asked
to stretch; flexibility is an entry-level requirement.
Indeed, the opportunity to assume the role
of life-long learner is one of job’s most delectable benefits.
In most cases, professional development will
originate from two sources.
Research.
Some program officers will need to undertake a course of serious,
self-directed study, acquainting themselves with the key theoretical
and organizational texts related to their foundation’s interest
areas. They will conduct informational interviews with community
leaders, academics and practitioners in various fields. New grantmakers
should also strive to understand the history of philanthropy; in
particular, they should study the course of grantmaking in their
foundation’s primary fields.
Relationships.
Program officers will also profit from ongoing professional relationships
with their peers. For most grantmakers who work in one-person offices,
these relationships may take some initial effort to construct. They
will need to seek out potential colleagues who may be working in
other foundations or corporate giving programs, the United Way or
government funding agencies. Foundation staff located outside of
large urban areas may need to exert extra effort in seeking out
peers at conferences, through the Council on Foundations, among
regional associations and affinity groups that they join or start
on their own. Program officers might also cultivate professional
relationships with scholars, independent researchers and journalists
with whom they can maintain a continuing conversation about their
communities’ needs and assets.
Sidebar... Recent
Trends in Grantmaking
Occupational Hazards
Problems That Will
Trip You Up
(If You Are Not Looking)
Even the most rewarding occupations carry liabilities. In
the foundation world, your own set of occupational hazards will
not prove as serious as others. Nevertheless, they can prove irritating,
confounding and potentially damaging if you do not anticipate their
presence and then finesse your way through them.
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