Project Manager, Collaborative Initiatives

Thank you for your interest in joining the Coastal Community Foundation team. Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is an Equal Opportunity Employer with offices in North Charleston and Beaufort, as well as four affiliate foundations. We serve all nine counties on South Carolina’s coast: Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry and Jasper counties.

Established in 1974, Coastal Community Foundation works to create vibrant communities by identifying the challenges facing the region and bringing together resources to address them. Coastal Community Foundation is the largest community foundation in South Carolina, managing more than 700 charitable funds established by individuals, families and organizations and awarding tens of millions of dollars in grants and scholarships each year.

Financial resources are among the many tools we employ in our effort to create vibrant communities. Throughout our history we have served as conveners to bring residents and leaders together to facilitate solutions to community-wide challenges such as housing affordability, economic mobility, quality education and physical and mental well-being. We also have a long history of helping nonprofits build their capacity, and incubating grassroots causes to provide them with structural support, so they grow into fully operational organizations.

Why work for us?

When you join Coastal Community Foundation, you join a dedicated staff and Board of Directors who have earned the trust of donors and grantees alike, helping them advance positive outcomes in the communities they seek to serve and adapting to their evolving needs so that our region thrives together.

We take that same approach and dedication to supporting our staff members to ensure their success at work and outside of the work environment. We offer a competitive salary and a full benefits package, including Paid Time Off, Holidays, Insurance (health, dental, vision, life, disability), 401(k), and professional training and development opportunities.

Our Commitment to Inclusion with Equity

Inclusion with equity is one of our four core values at Coastal Community Foundation, so we not only work to recruit diverse candidates, we work to ensure our team members have all the tools they need to be successful. Our purpose is most effectively fulfilled through proactively supporting the values of equity, inclusion, and diversity. Diversity may be measured by, but is not limited to, differences in age, ethnicity, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic circumstance, class, religion, disability, geography, and profession.

We acknowledge and respect the many differences that comprise thriving communities and seek diversity in our staff to ensure that a range of perspectives, opinions and experiences are recognized and acted upon in achieving our purpose.

It is our intention to promote a fully equitable philanthropic sector that justly represents and serves all our constituencies. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from candidates of color, of LGBTQ+ identity and of other historically marginalized communities.

Overview of Position

The Project Manager is employed by Coastal Community Foundation and assigned to support Charleston Education Partners and the Tricounty Housing Futures Fund through CCF’s fiscal sponsorship relationships.

Charleston Education Partners works to build excellent neighborhood schools by strengthening relationships among families, schools, and local organizations. The Tricounty Housing Futures Fund works to increase the availability of attainable housing in the Charleston region by providing funding, expertise, and collaboration.

Working under the direction of both organizations’ CEOs, the Project Manager will coordinate projects, community engagement, partnerships, events, communications, and administrative activities. The position requires a thorough understanding of each organization’s mission, priorities, programs, and stakeholders, along with the ability to manage work across two related but distinct areas of focus.

The Project Manager will generally divide their time equally between the two organizations. Regular strategy sessions and a shared priority list will be used to establish responsibilities, coordinate deadlines, and clarify priorities. The Project Manager will need to manage competing demands, maintain consistent communication with both CEOs, and ensure that commitments to each organization are completed accurately and on time.

Essential Functions

Organizational and Program Coordination

• Assist the CEO with day-to-day operations related to administrative management, community engagement, partner coordination, and event logistics.
• Implement the planning and execution of community-based initiatives ensuring project goals are clearly delineated and executable.
• Maintain communication across programs and partners to ensure alignment, accountability, and timely follow-up.
• Track progress on program deliverables, prepare status updates, and contribute to grant and funder reports.

Community Partnerships and Collaboration

• Build and maintain partnerships with community stakeholders to include businesses, local/municipal governments, schools, nonprofits, civic groups, for-profit/nonprofit development entities and neighborhood organizations that share CEP’s mission.
• Identify and connect community resources that support family engagement, educational improvement, and local collaboration.
• Coordinate joint initiatives that foster shared ownership of school improvement efforts and equitable access to opportunities.
• Maintain a regular and sustained presence in CCF’s North Charleston office and at community meetings, forums, partner gatherings, and events. In-person presence is an essential function of the position and supports collaboration with the CEOs and CCF staff, relationship-building with partners and community stakeholders, event execution, and effective representation of both organizations in the community.

Event Planning and Engagement

• Plan, coordinate, and support Neighborhood Education Forums, Community School Design Labs, Housing Policy, Developer Council meetings and related outreach events.
• Collaborate with development entities to include non and for-profit developers, families, educators, and community members to ensure events are accessible, inclusive, and solutions focused.
• Manage logistics such as venue scheduling, material preparation, rsvps, registration, and post-event follow-up.
• Collect feedback and participation data to inform program improvements and future planning.

Communication and Reporting

• Collaborate with the CEO and communications partners to prepare newsletters, community updates, and impact summaries.
• Support storytelling and documentation of successful partnerships, highlighting family, community leadership and results related to the engagement.
• Maintain project files, partner directories, and engagement databases to ensure data integrity and transparency.
• Prepare minutes for board meetings planned or other venues where recordation is required. Ensure follow-up to any tasks required following planned meetings or other engagements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred in education, community development, public administration, or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in project management, community engagement, or partnership coordination.
• Demonstrated success organizing events, managing multiple projects, and facilitating collaboration across diverse groups.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Proven ability to build trust and work effectively with families, educators, and community stakeholders.
• Commitment to CEP’s mission of ensuring that every child has access to an excellent, community-anchored school.

Expected Outcomes

• Stronger collaboration between schools, families, and community partners.
• Increased visibility and participation in CEP programs and local initiatives.
• Enhanced coordination and use of community resources supporting family engagement.
• Enhanced communication between Tricounty Housing Futures Fund with development entities, local government and community leadership.
• Timely completion of program milestones, reports, and partnership deliverables