Accountant I - Grants & Fundraising

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation & Cantigny

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation envisions a Chicagoland comprised of thriving communities where all individuals have the resources and opportunities to succeed, without regard to income, race, ethnicity, gender, or ZIP code. We invest in people and organizations across the region to develop educated, informed, and engaged communities.

The Foundation was established in 1955, upon the death of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The Foundation’s philanthropic investments of more than $1.8 billion to date, are currently focused on Chicago's South and West Sides and the following issues: early childhood education, public safety, community development, veterans, and journalism.

The Foundation’s Board also oversees Cantigny, Col. McCormick's 500-acre estate in Wheaton, Illinois, which encompasses a park, formal gardens, a museum dedicated to the 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, and a 27-hole public golf facility. Learn more at mccormickfoundation.org, cantigny.org, fdmuseum.org, and cantignygolf.com.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated Grants & Fundraising Accounting Associate to join our team. The successful candidate will support financial transactions related to the Foundation’s grantmaking, and fundraising.

Grantmaking: You will be responsible for reconciliation between the Foundation’s grantmaking database (BBG) and ERP (NetSuite) to ensure all grant payments are appropriately booked and processed in a timely manner. You will also perform administrative and data hygiene-related tasks within the grant database to ensure accurate grant record keeping and assist applicants with basic troubleshooting requests.

Fundraising: You will be responsible for processing donations received and maintaining accurate records in Raiser’s Edge. You will manage data hygiene procedures to ensure the Foundation’s records are complete and accurate. You will be responsible for reconciliation between the Foundation’s fundraising database (Raiser’s Edge) and ERP (NetSuite).

Requirements

Essential Functions

· Process all accounts payable for grants in the Foundation to include coding invoices, following up with staff, researching discrepancies, preparing checks for signature, and submitting payments to vendors.

· Acts as a back up to the Expense Management Analyst and ensure seamless continuity of accounts payable processes.

· Responsibilities include reviewing expense reports, coordinating monthly approval process, preparing all required journal entries, preparing any deposits, and reconciling all accounts.

· Facilitate, coordinate, process, and track all matching gift, service day, and service recognition payments and communications on behalf of the Foundation.

· Prepare, from all sources (gifts, raisers edge, traverse, NetSuite, etc.), grant payments made by the Foundation.

· Prepare reports on grant and other charitable contribution payments made by the foundation as needed.

· Process donations to the Foundation as needed, including the creation and mailing of donation acknowledgements.

· Produce reports and solicitation lists as needed for the Foundation’s annual fundraising campaign.

· Respond to inquiries via phone, post, and email regarding unsolicited funding requests and donor inquiries.

· Respond to grant applicant troubleshooting requests.

· Assist in ensuring the integrity of and reconciliation between data in the grants database, fundraising database, and ERP.

· Responsible for maintaining accurate data in BBG and NetSuite to avoid errors when processing tax return fillings and other year- end documents.

· Assist in the audit process for grant approvals and grant payments and provides supporting documentation as requested in a timely manner.

· Collaborate with the IT strategy team to develop and implement integration projects between systems such as BBG and NetSuite.

· Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Hands on experience in bookkeeping, accounting and data base or Associate or bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or related filed preferred. Hands on experience

Experience: At least 3 years of work experience in accounting, preferably in a nonprofit organization; 1 year of NetSuite Accounting Software experience required. 1 year of experience in database administration, preferably relational databases.

Skills:

· Advanced Excel proficiency (XLOOKUP, pivot tables, SUMIFS, etc.)

· Technology software skills to utilize accounting software to keep track of tax-return requirements for grants, contributions and other important data and reports.

· Analytical and problem-solving skills to assess financial standing and activity and develop optimized financial strategies

· Meticulous attention to detail.

· Proficiency in Blackbaud Grantmaking and/or Raiser’s Edge a plus

· Curiosity with technology

· Excellent communication, problem-solving, organizational, and analytical skills.

· Ability to prioritize deals and adapt to quick changes while remaining diligent, and to thrive in a dynamic, high-pressure environment.

· Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

· Ability to handle multiple projects within strict deadlines.

Working Conditions:

This is a Full-Time position and work is performed in a typical office environment at the Downtown Chicago office and frequent travel to Cantigny in Wheaton.

Benefits

The McCormick Foundation offers industry-leading benefits that reflect the Foundation's mission and support a healthy and productive culture.

Healthcare and Paid Time Off:

In addition to our high-caliber and comprehensive medical, dental, and vision care, we provide:

· Paid time off and paid sick leave

· 11 employer-paid holidays

· Disability insurance and life insurance at no cost to employees.

· Other benefits to support our employees include health club reimbursement, a hybrid work schedule, and an employee and dependent educational assistance program.

Retirement: To assist employees in saving towards their retirement, we offer:

· A generous pension plan with a Foundation-paid contribution of 8% of an employee's salary.

· We also offer a 403(b) Salary Deferral Plan with a $1 for $1 Foundation-paid matching contribution of 6% of an employee’s salary.

Giving Back to Community: The Foundation supports our employees' personal philanthropy by:

· Matching two-for-one every dollar of qualified charitable contributions an employee makes, up to $75,000.

· Offering four Foundation-paid service days and a contribution of $500 per service day donated by the Foundation to the 501(c)(3) organization with which the employee volunteered on the service day.

· Donating $500 for every 5 years of employment to a 501(c)(3) organization of the employee’s choosing.

Vaccination Requirement

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation requires as a condition of employment that all employees are fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) or have been approved for an accommodation based on a medical condition or conflicting religious belief.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Cantigny Park and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, individuals with disabilities, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital and housing status.