Associate, Legal Affairs

Department:      Advancement Team

Reports to:          General Counsel

Supervises:         N/A

Summary:  The Associate, Legal Affairs shall provide legal support to (i) the General Counsel in executing her legal responsibilities Foundation-wide; (ii) the Manager of Legal Affairs in her duties as primary legal support to the General Counsel; and (iii) other Advancement team members as needed.  Racial equity and inclusion are the primary focus when executing the responsibilities of this position.

Responsibilities and Expected Outcomes:

• Prepares governing documents for community funds, and gift agreements.
• Manages contributions to the Foundation.
• Oversees and prepares gift acknowledgment letters for contributions received by the Foundation.
• Manages foundation-owned life insurance policies.
• Coordinates and oversees the documentation and reporting of planned gifts to the Foundation.
• Initiates and completes the electronic fund checklist upon the receipt of new gifts.
• Prepares reports for Board of Directors, Advancement team members, and other special project reports.
• Assists in liquidating estate and trust assets and closing fund arrangements.
• Coordinates with the finance team on pledges/gifts to the Foundation, payment reminders, and tracking reports.
• Drafts correspondence and emails to stakeholders with respect to gifts, funds, life insurance policy transfers, estate, and trust distributions.
• Serves as point person for initiating and managing DocuSign envelopes for signatures on gift agreements and other legal documents.
• Collaborates and assists with cross-departmental teams on projects and initiatives and serves as a responsive team member to respond to inquiries from current donors, prospective donors, organizations, and professional advisors to resolve issues, provide information, and serve as a connection to the Foundation’s resources.
• Provides support and assistance for all other projects and initiatives as may be assigned by General Counsel, Manager of Legal Affairs, or members of the Advancement Team, including documents related to program related investments.

Essential Qualifications, Credentials and Technical Skills required:

 Associate or bachelor’s degree and/or paralegal certificate required. Helpful if focus on probate administrations and estate planning or another relevant field.

• Five to seven years’ experience in a legal or financial service position a must; preference given to those with (i) experience with estate and trust administrations; (ii) preparing probate administration forms and filings; (iii) liquidating decedent’s assets like life insurance, IRAs, retirement benefits, etc. Nonprofit experience a plus.
• Excellent attention to detail; strong drafting skills; and the ability to engage in a variety of tasks simultaneously while still meeting deadlines with limited or no supervision.
• Strong critical thinking, customer service, and organizational skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, grammatical, and proofreading skills.
• The ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team and work effectively in a complex environment requiring significant collaboration and communication with a diverse group of individuals both internally and externally.
• Proactive, solution-based focus to addressing problems or issues.
• The ability to handle sensitive information and maintain confidences regarding donor, prospect, and financial data.
• Proficiency with common Microsoft Office programs, record/database management and internet research.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION:

The Cleveland Foundation exists to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Greater Cleveland. The ability to carry out our mission and to foster our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion can best be pursued if our workforce, grantees, donors, partners, and governing body are inclusive of individuals of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and perspectives.

We believe that diversity encompasses, but is not limited to, age, color, education, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental abilities or characteristics, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and/or other characteristics that make an individual unique.

The Cleveland Foundation is committed to equal employment opportunities for all and our policy is to ensure that employees are selected, developed, retained and promoted based on the individual’s ability and job performance, and without regard to that individual’s status or characteristics protected by federal, state or local law.

PAY AND BENEFITS: 

Based on the foundation’s compensation program, estimated annual salary for this position may be anywhere between $50,000 and $65,000, based on the academic, professional and community experiences and credentials of a candidate. Consistent with our commitment to equal employment opportunities, the Foundation determines an employee’s compensation without regard to that individual’s status or characteristics protected by federal, state or local law. The foundation offers an exceptional benefits package including medical, dental, vision, identity theft, and life and disability coverage, a comprehensive wellness program, an employee assistance program, a fully vested 403(b) retirement plan, ten paid holidays and, for exempt positions, 15 days of vacation and 12 sick days, prorated the first year of service based on date of hire.

TO APPLY:

If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter here by August 15, 2022. We regret that we cannot respond personally to each applicant. 

Note:  Hours worked will be largely remote, until we move into our new headquarters building late in 2022. The Cleveland Foundation requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide valid proof of vaccination unless a documented medical or religious exemption is approved. All information provided will be kept strictly confidential.