Director, Impact Investments (Hybrid) - The Chicago Community Trust

The Director, Impact Investments role encompasses all aspects of mission-aligned investing at The Chicago Community Trust, ranging from ESG investing to catalytic capital. The Director, Impact Investment will report to the AVP/Chief of Investments and will work closely with the Trust’s Finance, Community Impact, and Philanthropic Services teams, and well as interface extensively with external partners.

CCT Impact Investing Overview:

At The Chicago Community Trust, we believe that impact investing, with its ability to generate social returns alongside investment gains, amplifies the transformative power of the philanthropic capital entrusted to our organization. Reflecting this philosophy, we currently have four primary expressions of impact within our $4 billion investment portfolio:

• Investment Manager Diversity: We believe it is important to consider racial and gender diversity in the management of our investment portfolio, and we are committed to retaining a diverse pool of investment managers while achieving our investment objectives. We also engage with our investment managers to advocate for strong & effective diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) practices.
• Investment in Benefit Chicago: Our pooled portfolio for donor-advised funds is invested in Benefit Chicago, a $100mm place-based impact investment fund launched by The Chicago Community Trust, The MacArthur Foundation, and Calvert Impact Capital. The goal of Benefit Chicago is to create jobs, build wealth, and tackle other social and economic challenges, with a special focus on communities of color, low-income households, and historically marginalized communities.
• Impact Investing Platform for Donor-Advised Funds: We offer an impact investing platform for our donor-advised fund holders. Using this platform, donors can access a curated list of impact investment options and if so inclined, request that their donor-advised fund be invested for impact in one or more of our pre-selected investment options. We offer a range of impact investment options including ESG-focused equity funds and loans to local CDFIs.
• Custom Impact Strategies for Advisor-Managed Funds: We work in collaboration with a select number of donors and their advisors to approve and implement custom impact investment strategies for funds held at the Chicago Community Trust.

Position Responsibilities:

Strategic Direction and Governance

• Assist with setting the strategic direction of the Trust’s impact investing effort, informed by our organizational mission, the impact investment opportunity set, financial & structural constraints of various Trust investment portfolios & our discretionary grant budget, and an understanding of our partner organizations.
• Lead & coordinate the effort to deepen our presence and evolve our impact investment approach across two priorities:
  • Impact investing to achieve the Trust’s strategic mission
  • Impact investing to attract & engage donors
• Prepare meeting agendas and materials for our Impact-First Ad Hoc committee; work with the Senior Director of Investments to refine the governance approach for impact-first investing and approve individual investment ideas.
• Work closely with Trust leadership to select the optimal impact investing approach(es) for various Trust portfolios; collectively determine prioritization of impact investment projects.
• Communicate impact investment strategy and outcomes to Trust staff, leadership and the Trust’s Investment Committee & Executive Committee. Generate buy-in for our impact investing strategy.
• Liaison extensively with our Community Impact team to foster an environment of mutual learning; explore ways to align our impact investing effort more closely with our grant-making. Share feedback on community-sourced impact investment ideas and offer guidance on new grant-supported impact investment approaches.

Impact Investment Selection & Monitoring

• Cultivate relationships with impact investment managers and other mission-driven institutional investors. Serve as Trust’s representative at all Chicago-focused impact investing gatherings & discussions.
• Build upon existing investment due diligence process to emphasize impact criteria for investment selection and monitoring; develop a framework for ongoing evaluation of new impact investment ideas. Create a process to monitor outcomes for impact investments and develop an approach to report impact and financial performance.
• Partner with Trust leadership & our external investment consultant to launch a new impact-focused pool for donor advised funds. Support the search and selection process for new additions to our impact investment lineup across portfolios.
• Evaluate and internally approve impact investment ideas for advisor-managed donor advised funds.
• Determine how investment capital can enhance the Trust’s community impact initiatives.

Donor and Financial Partner Outreach

• Work expansively with our Philanthropic Services team to connect with donors interested in impact investing; serve as the primary point of contact regarding our impact investing offering.
• Articulate the Trust’s impact investment strategy and vision to internal stakeholders; support preparation of meeting materials and deliverables for our Executive Committee and Investment Committee. Serve as an additional public voice for the Trust’s impact investing effort and articulate how our investment portfolio aligns with our organizational mission.
• Create compelling prospective donor materials and develop a strategy for ongoing communication with our donors.

Liaison with external partners - including our investment consultant, Trustee banks, and wealth advisors - to implement impact investment strategies

Keyword: Director, Impact Investments (Hybrid)
Required Experience:

Position Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance or related field; Masters degree preferred
• Experience working in the investment management or financial services industry; prior experience with an endowment, foundation, or family office is preferred.
• Interest in and knowledge of impact investing;
• Strong quantitative skills;
• Commitment to the Chicago community and not-for-profit sector;
• Ability to analyze data, synthesize findings, provide practical, actionable insights, and create clear summary reports;
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks with accuracy and attention to detail;
• Strong interpersonal skills to successfully interact with groups inside and outside of the Trust;
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and through written communication;
• Ability to prioritize and meet work deadlines consistently;
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software programs.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are fundamental to achieving our impact

The Chicago Community Trust’s vision is a Chicago region where equity, opportunity, and prosperity abound. We acknowledge the specific role discrimination and systemic barriers based on race, ethnicity, and other varied identities and differences have played in limiting opportunities for too many. A commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is at the core of who we are, the decisions we make, and the actions we take in our work to strengthen the communities we serve and advance our strategic focus to close the racial and ethnic wealth gap. Click here to learn more about our strategic plan.

The History of The Chicago Community Trust

The Chicago Community Trust was founded in 1915 by Norman and Albert Harris, father and son duo of the Harris Trust and Savings Bank (now BMO Harris Bank). The Trust was the fourth community foundation ever created. There are now 750 community foundations in Canada and the U.S.

As our region’s community foundation, the Trust unites generous donors, committed nonprofits and caring residents to effect lasting change that moves our entire region forward. Our approach centers on tackling the region’s immediate needs and addressing the root causes of deep-seated issues to realize a more prosperous future for all who call metropolitan Chicago home.

For more than 100 years, donors have entrusted their philanthropic resources and visions to our stewardship. Guided by our deep knowledge of the community, we fund, lead, convene and collaborate to address the greatest and most critical needs facing the Chicago region. From the $22 million raised to help with unemployment relief in the Great Depression to spearheading an effort to help people keep their homes during the foreclosure crisis of the Great Recession to $35 million raised for the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund, which supported nonprofits serving our most vulnerable neighbors, Chicagoans have put their trust in us.

In 2019, we announced we would focus our discretionary spending over the next decade on working to close Chicago’s growing racial and ethnic wealth gap. The Trust envisions a Chicago region that’s stronger and more prosperous because everyone—regardless of race, ethnicity, or zip code—has equitable access to the opportunities and resources they need to succeed and live a fulfilling life.

With assets of more than $4.5 billion, the Trust, in partnership with its donors, distributes more than $1.6 billion in grants each year. The Trust Team seeks to match the passion and commitment of donors, grant recipients, residents, and community leaders that continue to work tirelessly to make the Chicago region one where all have the opportunity to realize their dreams.

From: The Chicago Community Trust