Paralegal, Philanthropy

About Us

The Cleveland Foundation, established in 1914, is the world's first and one of the largest community foundations, with assets exceeding $3 billion. Our mission is to enhance the lives of all residents of Greater Cleveland, now and for generations to come, by working together with our donors to build community endowment, addressing needs through grantmaking, and providing leadership on key community issues. 

As we continue to grow and evolve, we are dedicated to building strong relationships and trust across our community, working collaboratively to create innovative, impactful, and internationally recognized contributions to the field of philanthropy. 

About You

You are a detail-oriented and proactive professional with a passion for legal operations and nonprofit impact. With a strong foundation in contract drafting and legal research, you thrive in environments that require precision, discretion, and collaboration. Your ability to manage complex data, navigate compliance systems, and support governance processes makes you a trusted partner to both Legal and Philanthropy teams. You are comfortable working across departments and adept at using technology to streamline workflows and improve outcomes.

You are also a strategic thinker who understands the importance of donor engagement and the role legal infrastructure plays in philanthropic success. Whether preparing fund agreements, analyzing donor prospects, or supporting board governance, you bring clarity, organization, and insight to every task. Your communication skills, sound judgment, and commitment to continuous learning make you a valuable contributor to the foundation’s mission and long-term goals.

Job Summary

The Legal Paralegal plays a vital role on the foundation’s Legal team, supporting the General Counsel, Legal Counsel, and Manager of Legal Affairs in delivering high-quality legal services. This role focuses on in-house legal functions such as contract support, compliance, research, and document management. It also supports the Philanthropy team by preparing governing instruments and conducting donor-related research to advance strategic growth. The ideal candidate brings strong legal research skills, contract experience, and a data-driven mindset to enhance operational efficiency. 

Key Responsibilities

• Assists the General Counsel and Legal Counsel in reviewing, drafting, and negotiating contracts, agreements, and other related legal documents.
• Helps manage the day-to-day operations of the foundation’s contract management system (Agiloft), including reviewing and categorizing intake requests and uploading agreements to the contract repository.
• Assists with governance related matters and the administrative processes related to the foundation’s Board of Directors.
• Prepares governing documents for fund agreements, charitable gifts, and program-related investments.
• Assists in liquidating estate and trust assets and closing fund arrangements.
• Regularly prepares detailed research reports on prospects for the Philanthropy team to keep colleagues apprised of potential prospects. 
• Monitors new initiatives and qualifying results through data analysis of increased levels of participation and/or giving among target groups.
• Identifies potential funders for foundation priorities at both the local and national level and assisting with proposal submission and reporting requirements as needed.
• Updates database with information gathered through prospect research and/or provided by members of the Philanthropy team. 
• Identifies and manages the information sources used by the Legal and Philanthropy teams and maintains relationships with vendors to ensure access to the most relevant data.
• Prepares gift acknowledgement letters for contributions received by the foundation.
• Maintains organized tracking documents related to the Legal team’s ongoing projects and the Philanthropy team’s research requests.
• Works on additional assignments and provides other assistance as needed.

Competencies & Behavioral Expectations

• Judgment
• Communication
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Adaptability
• Problem-Solving

Required Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as research, communications, law, nonprofit management, or business.
• Proactive, solution-based focus to addressing problems or issues. 
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Exceptional writing skills.
• The ability to exercise sound judgment in managing highly sensitive information and maintaining confidence regarding legal and financial data.
• Demonstrated ability and experience with software platforms, such as Agiloft, Salesforce, iPhi/Ren, Microsoft Office and/or other contract lifecycle or project management systems, is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to research individuals and other funding sources through online resources (Lexis, etc.) and other electronic and print sources of information. 
• The ability to organize, analyze, and disseminate a diverse and sizeable range of data with efficiency and great attention to detail to a variety of audiences. 
• The ability to collaborate successfully with a diverse group of individuals internal and external to the organization.

Work Environment

• Primarily on-site at the Foundation’s office four days per week, with the option for one remote workday.
• Standard business hours (typically 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM), with occasional extended hours during key projects or reporting deadlines.
• Requires regular use of computers and digital tools in a fast-paced, collaborative setting.
• Minimal travel, mostly local, for team meetings or donor-related events.
• No special physical demands beyond typical office work.