Job Description

About Crown Family Philanthropies and Henry Crown and Company

Henry Crown and Company/CC Industries is a Chicago-based, privately-held company that manages business, philanthropic, and family interests on behalf of a multi-generational family. The business ventures fall into broadly-defined categories: wholly-owned operating companies, public and private equity investments, and real estate. The enterprise employs approximately 350 professionals in the areas of investment management, corporate development, financial operations, tax, research and innovation, human resources, information technologies, and legal.

Crown Family Philanthropies (“CFP” or the “Foundation”) is the philanthropic division of Henry Crown and Company and supports the Crown Family’s philanthropic and grantmaking endeavors. In 2009, after more than 60 years of family grantmaking under the name Arie and Ida Crown Memorial, CFP was developed to represent and facilitate an array of family grantmaking practices. Today the legacy of Arie and Ida Crown lives on in the work continued by their descendants, who remain dedicated to the Jewish tradition of tikun olam, or “repairing the world.” Supported by a professional staff, CFP is led by more than 50 family members across multiple generations who come together to set strategy and make grantmaking decisions.

Position Description

The Operations and Grants Assistant will provide administrative support to the Operations and Grants Management Team and will report to the Director of Operations. As the foundation’s endowment grows and the number of stakeholders expands, demand is increasing on the Operations team, especially on Grants Management staff (GM) to conduct the due-diligence, record-keeping, reporting, grantee/customer service, vendor management, and quality assurance components of the foundation’s grant-making work. This new position on the Operations team will offer a clear path for growth and will involve engagement with multiple components of foundation operations, including grants management, financial tracking, and client/vendor relationship management.

The ideal Operations and Grants Assistant is comfortable in a collaborative, team environment, supporting and working alongside a Grants Analyst, Grants Managers, and the Director of Operations. They are highly organized with a keen attention to detail and capable of handling multiple diverse and concurrent tasks. They are adept at analytical approaches to process improvement and are effective communicators, capable of sharing sensitive and complex topics with multiple stakeholders.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Support CFP staff in grants database management: track daily payments and update status changes; update contact info/titles
• Help to collect payment acknowledgement forms, create associated records, and upload materials to database as needed
• Support Director of Operations in vendor relationships, contract management, and expense processing and tracking
• Maintain oversight of CFP memberships/subscriptions and process approved renewals
• Collect/verify banking information and required tax forms from grantees and vendors
• Prepare and send transmittal letters with payments
• Respond to grantee audit requests
• Review, file, and manage external endowment reports
• Support office management tasks, including restocking and ordering supplies
• Understand, follow, and communicate best practices and established policies and processes
• Participate in cross-functional CFP teams that advance organizational aims around social impact and family engagement; engage in initiatives that foster team collaboration, including meetings, trainings, retreats, and special projects, taking the lead where interest, expertise, and opportunity coalesce
  
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or associate degree, or commensurate field experience required
• At least 1-2 years of experience in administrative, database management, file management, or project management roles
• Excellent organizational skills, including ability to prioritize tasks and manage conflicting needs
• Keen attention to detail
• Expertise in file management and maintenance of clean data and meticulous records
• Experience in database management and database systems (experience with grants-management or CRM software is a plus)
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to listen and synthesize multiple inputs, and work with highly sensitive information
• Demonstrated ability to act with humility, sensitivity, and discretion
• Approach work collaboratively, while demonstrating a strong sense of independence and self-direction; able to problem-solve independently and in groups; demonstrated willingness to ask questions, proactively suggest improvements or develop creative solutions to challenges
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel (including PivotTables and filters)
• Demonstrated exposure to and experience in the non-profit, social impact, or public sector (significant volunteer or internship roles count as relevant experience). Familiarity with nonprofit operations and mission, especially Chicago’s non-profit environment is a plus
  
  
  

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women, members of the LGBTQIA+

community, individuals experiencing disability and BIPOC are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet

every single qualification. At Henry Crown and Company/CC Industries, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.