Esther Powell Email and Phone Number

• Support 90 Habitat homeowner families through condo management, mortgage payment issues and legal issues, interfacing with property management companies and banking and legal professionals• Shepherd potential and newly-selected families through a rigorous application process, and evaluate applicants’ fit for the program (based on income, credit and other factors) in partnership with a volunteer Family Selection Committee, manage extensive homeownership education and continued partnership expectations for selected families, and assist in legal closing process • Secure and manage implementation and reporting for over $175,000 in grants for solar panel installations, family services staffing, community development and classical music education • Manage family services coordinator and AmeriCorps National members

* Administer four annual diocesan grant programs totaling over $700,000; lead outreach to congregations, technical assistance, application review and decision-making, and reporting* Provide support for major diocesan events, including regional learning days, retreats, trainings and conventions, both in advanced preparation and registration functions as well as day-of operations* Liaison to one of twelve deaneries; attend periodic meetings to provide support, ideas and diocesan information* Provide administrative support for Safe Church group and online training programs

• Successfully managed a $4 million, multi-year grant process focused on income, education and health, including researching local/regional needs and best practices; recruiting and training volunteers; training and assisting agency applicants; guiding grant decisions, compiling annual grant reports and managing a funding database• Collaborated cross-functionally to develop, secure and oversee innovative grants, including a $1 million corporate grant for a Community School program and an $825,000 grant for the Southeast DuPage Health Initiative• Led and developed a Community Impact Steering Committee (all volunteers) which focused on partner agency issues, advocacy, grant cycle matters, and other community concerns • Accurately analyzed program data to develop impact statistics and highlights that validated and inspired further investments• Presented United Way’s interests, strengths and resources to a variety of funding organizations including the DuPage Funders’ Collaborative and the DuPage Homeless Continuum

Worked with key volunteers and United Way staff on myriad community impact topics, including all agency funding decisionsDeveloped frameworks for and assessments of addressing challenges and opportunities for DuPage area communities, specifically in the areas of income, education, health and crisis intervention

• Edited and produced monthly newsletter, created and distributed publicity, updated membership database• Wrote and published articles in the monthly newsletter on various topics, including a four-part series on the correlation between poverty and obesity, the environmental impacts of cell phone disposal, and lead poisoning• Interacted with volunteers and clients and managed a monthly volunteer newsletter assembly team

• Contacted hundreds of homeless assistance providers and updated a database of information for the largest grant program in the country with information from providers to be used in a HUD report to Congress on homelessness• Analyzed and summarized reports on homelessness issues and HUD policies