Jobs Board

Program Associate, Donor Philanthropic Initiatives & President’s Fund (Wellspring Philanthropic Fund)

Company Name

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

Company City

New York

Company State

NY

Job Location

New York, NY

Company Information

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund is a private grantmaking foundation dedicated to advancing the realization of human rights and the effective advancement of social justice for all people. We ground our work in our respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and we prioritize the advancement of racial, gender, and economic justice across all our programs. Through domestic and international grantmaking, Wellspring strives to cultivate accountable social systems and structures that uphold human dignity, strengthen agency, and advance equity for all people, and to contribute to making real change that matters. As responsible stewards, we strive to maximize the impact of our charitable investments and make a tangible difference in shifting conditions that materially affect people’s lives. Wellspring has offices in New York, NY and Washington, DC.
For more information, please visit www.wpfund.org.

Job Description

Donor Philanthropic Initiatives (DPI) or Donor Initiatives (DI) refers to our support for the philanthropic interests of individual Wellspring donors, which are highly aligned with Wellspring’s overall mission. Some of these initiatives intersect with Wellspring’s established program areas in a complementary way; others focus on new issues that fall outside of existing programs; and others operate independently, while relying on Wellspring’s philanthropic services in varied degrees.
The President’s Fund (PF) is a flexible, responsive fund from which the President of Wellspring Philanthropic Fund can support work that falls outside the existing programs but advances our broad social justice mission. The President’s Fund provides support to important institutions, networks, and capacities that anchor broad and sustained progress toward our mission, as well as short-term and responsive investments to address compelling opportunities or emergencies.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Wellspring seeks a Program Associate to join its Donor Philanthropic Initiatives and President’s Fund team (DPIPF). The Program Associate reports to the Program Director and works collaboratively with the Program Officers, Administrative Assistant, Grants Management team, and other Wellspring staff. Day-to-day, the Program Associate contributes to the following key priorities:

• Grants Process Coordination
• Program Support
• Communications and Research

This is an incredible opportunity for a social justice generalist – someone with a breadth of knowledge in a range of areas, rather than a concentration on only one content area – to leverage their knowledge toward a donor driven portfolio and a collaborative team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Grants Process Coordination

• Coordinate the team’s grantmaking process, including entering information into the grants database.
• Managing team grantmaking calendar to ensure program staff meet all deadlines and ensure a smooth grantmaking process.
• Support “due diligence” in reviews of grant proposals and applicant organizations, including determining where additional information is needed from the applicant.
• Liaise with Grants Management and the program team, serving as a compliance checkpoint to ensure that grantmaking stays within annual budgets.
• Develop and demonstrate deep knowledge of the Wellspring Grants Manual. Serve as a team resource on policies and procedures.

Program Support

• Work closely with program staff to support DPIPF grantees across diverse themes and portfolios, both within the United States and globally. This may include:

– Assist program staff with analyzing and summarizing grant proposals and drafting grant recommendations.
– Assist program staff with tracking grantee work and outcomes, including reviewing reports, participating in meetings with grantees, and reading and tracking news and research that relates to the work.
– Participate in grant meetings, site visits, take notes, ensure follow-up, and save relevant materials.
– Represent Wellspring at external meetings and conferences with partners, funders, and field leaders, including domestic travel (when safe).
– Contribute to strategic plans, and the program team’s learning agenda.
– Draft and edit grant evaluations and recommendations.

• When necessary, work in collaboration with the Administrative Assistant to provide logistical and coordination support for program related activities.
• Support the Program Director and the team with consultant procurement and selection process(es).

Communications and Research

• Research and prepare donor education materials and other materials for internal Wellspring use, such as donor memos, presentations including staff meeting presentations, work plans, and annual reports.
• Conduct research related to field developments, potential grantees, and other topics requested by the program team. Write short memos and issue briefs.
• Convey information effectively through written and visual materials (i.e. graphics, memos, and slides, etc.).
• Manage donor updates, including by collecting newsworthy items, grantee updates, and consulting with program officers on content edits.
• Prepare, proofread, and edit written work as requested.
• Recommend and implement improvements to team systems and work within project management platforms.

Other: Participate on internal Wellspring advisory groups, task forces, and processes as needed.

LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMER

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position. The team member may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary range of $80,000–$90,000, commensurate with experience.

Wellspring offers a very generous benefits package including payment of 100% of the health insurance premiums for employees (and 80% of the premiums for spouses, domestic partners, and qualified family members). Wellspring also offers other benefits including life insurance, long-term disability protection, a group 401(k) retirement plan (with an employer match), support for continuing education, up to $5,250 in annual student loan repayment or college savings assistance for qualified dependents and is committed to providing transgender- inclusive healthcare.

WELLSPRING’S INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE OF RESPECT, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund believes we are strengthened by the diversity of our staff, and welcomes such diversity including race, gender identity or expression, educational attainment, disability, veteran status, and personal experience with the criminal justice system. We welcome applications from people of all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, and we strongly encourage people of color and persons with disabilities to apply. We actively cultivate an institutional culture that reflects the values of respect, equity, and inclusion that we seek through our work to amplify in the larger world.
Wellspring hires, promotes, and retains employees based on their professional qualifications, demonstrated abilities and work performance, as well as on the degree to which these qualities are required in the employment positions made available by the Foundations’ service needs and business requirements. All personnel decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, discipline, and discharge, are made without discrimination based on any protected characteristic as defined by law (e.g., race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, domestic partner status, veteran or military status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, and prior criminal convictions, as well as educational attainment.

COVID-19 HIRING UPDATE

Wellspring’s Offices have returned to in-person work using a hybrid model. Staff are required to be fully vaccinated and to work in the office Tuesday – Thursday and have the option to work remotely Monday and Friday. To ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Job Qualifications

• Commitment to human rights and social justice.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field.
• Three to six years of experience working collaboratively with colleagues and staff at all levels of the
organization.
• Service-oriented with a strong commitment to client service and support.
• Ability to manage complex processes and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly organized and adaptable; comfortable knowing every day at work may be different.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to creatively problem solve.
• Ability to meet deadlines, respond to shifting priorities and multitask.
• A self-starter; comfortable working autonomously but also as part of a larger team.
• Proficiency with office technology and tools including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Asana, Box, and Zoom.
• Excellent English-language writing, editing, critical thinking, and communications skills.
• Excellent desk research skills. Ability to summarize and synthesize complex ideas.
• Strong cross-cultural communication skills. Demonstrates humility and the ability and eagerness to build relationships with partners and colleagues of diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
• Ability to handle confidential information with integrity and complete discretion.
• Willingness to learn, to be open to and generate new ideas, and to have fun.
• Understands and values social justice, including racial and gender equity as an organizational operating principle.
• Commitment to continued learning on issues related to race, gender, gender identity and expression,
equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiarity with social justice organizations in the U.S that are working on/have worked on civic engagement and immigrant justice.
• Spanish language capabilities.
• Experience working in a grantmaking or nonprofit organization.

How to Apply

For employment consideration, please submit application to with Subject Line: “DPIPF-Program Associate– [YOUR NAME]”. All applications must include:

• a resumé;
• a thoughtful cover letter, including how you became aware of this opportunity (i e. job portal, referral, etc.) and salary minimum requirements
• one writing sample (no less than 3 and no more than 5 pages, attached in PDF format).
• If we can make the application process easier through accommodation, please let us know.

NOTE: All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of hire to be considered for this position. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, with an anticipated closing date of March 17, 2023. We expect interviews to occur in April of 2023.

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