Impact Strategist - People

“Every day, we work to support and build inclusive, powerful, and healthy communities characterized by racial equity and economically just systems.”  With this as our purpose and reason for being, Health Forward Foundation is building the future of our region by grasping the issues that cause disparate health outcomes at their roots.  Health Forward Foundation’s mission is to achieve health equity and secure a fair and just region through leadership, advocacy, and resources. Each year, Health Forward distributes close to $25 million in support of direct services and systems change for healthy people, community power, and equitable and just places. We support and partner with community-based and cross-sector organizations to improve health on all fronts, from providing vital health services, to working to advance safe and affordable housing, to amplifying the power that exists in our communities through civic engagement on matters that influence heath.
 
The Health Forward Foundation was created in 2003 with an original endowment of $440 million from the sale of Health Midwest, a nonprofit hospital system, to Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), a for-profit hospital management company. Health Forward’s service area encompasses Kansas City, Missouri, and Jackson, Cass, and Lafayette counties in Missouri, and Johnson, Wyandotte, and Allen counties in Kansas. Our history in these communities predates the foundation, as these were the places served by Health Midwest, which after the hospital’s sale evolved to form Health Forward. The foundation is governed by a 21-member board of directors and is managed by a professional staff of around 30 employees.
 
Health Forward is committed to the process and the outcome of equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in its investments in services and systems change, employment practices, talent management, investments, vendor selection, and governance. Health Forward views equity as a fundamental element of social justice and integral in our purpose and to our mission.
 
Impact Strategist- People
This position is a strategic integrator in the People - purpose area engaging with community partners and investments to drive toward systems level change resulting in healthy people. This person should possess a commitment to health equity, a high degree of initiative, the ability to work collaboratively with internal functional teams as well as partners, constituencies, cultures and communities.
 
RESPONSIBILITIES

• In partnership with the Director of Community Impact, develop strategies to achieve impact in the purpose area as well as actions to implement the strategies.  Leverages the full use of Health Forward’s key levers – leadership, advocacy, and resources.
  • Resources includes grantmaking including proposal review, funding recommendations, monitoring and evaluation, partner (grantee) engagement, and impact investing approaches
  • Advocacy to include tracking legislation, lobbying activity, and engaging in relationship building and education related to the assigned focus area
  • Leadership in convenings, community outreach, communication
• Leads and participates in Health Forward’s grantmaking process, including the solicitation, assessment, design, review, financial and risk analysis, and learning and evaluation processes, specifically for but not limited to whole person healthcare. Develop and maintain relationships related to a portfolio of grants.
• Establish close partnership with, Learning and Evaluations team, community and partners to usher in innovative solutions across all aspects of healthcare.
• Builds and maintains strong trust-based relationships with key external stakeholders (e.g., community, funded and non-funded partners, foundations, governments, businesses)
• Communicates with internal and external stakeholders about activities and progress on a regular basis.
• Expands individual and organizational knowledge about race equity, economic inclusion, the social and political influencers of health, and trust-based philanthropy.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the foundation and the Learning Action Network (LAN), fostering a strong, collaborative, and positive relationship.
  • Evaluate the alignment of the LAN’s initiatives with the foundation’s goals, ensuring consistency and synergy
  • In partnership with the Director of community Impact, develop strategies to optimize and enhance the impact of joint initiatives.
  • Oversee the planning, implementation, and tracking of projects and initiatives developed in partnership with the LAN.

RELATIONSHIPS
The Impact Strategist - People is a team oriented individual contributor who stewards relationships internally and externally. The Strategist reports to the Director of Community Impact.
 
The successful contributor possesses a clear understanding of Health Forward’s ecosystem, purpose plan, and intended impacts- People - Health Forward Foundation. Adaptively, the Impact Strategist is a thought partner with and supporter of funded partners, offering support beyond the grant. They also leverage and share best and promising practices from peer organizations, foundations, and philanthropy serving organizations in the execution of the work.
 
CAPABILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience and a minimum of five years of relevant experience in philanthropy, grantmaking, public health, social work, health and human services, or a related field.
• Strong subject matter expertise in health care, mental health and all aspects of whole person health. Fluency in issues of race equity, economic inclusion, and the social and political influencers of health.
• Experience working within and/or leading cross-sector collaborations and partnerships between health care and community-based organizations using a trust-based approach preferred. Particular interest in mental health and the healthcare ecosystem experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and connect stakeholders for successful advisory boards, working groups and multi-disciplinary committees.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and facilitation skills and the ability to work successfully in matrixed structures and on cross-functional internal and external teams.
• Excellent research, analytical, writing, and presentation skills. Comfortable and confident in public speaking.
• Experience managing projects from inception to completion with attentiveness to relationships, timeline, process, budget, and assigning responsibilities across multiple parties.

 
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Alignment with Health Forward values of Trust, Partnership, Learning, Stewardship, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-racism. Purpose, Mission, and Values - Health Forward Foundation.
 
COMPENSATION
The anticipated hiring salary range for this position is $90,400 – $113,000. The package will be determined by the experience level, credentials and personal characteristics of the candidate offered. Health Forward Foundation offers its employees a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision insurance, a retirement plan, group life insurance, paid time off, and a hybrid work environment.