Program Associate, Women's Rights (WPF)

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund; New York (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance coverage for employee

Employer retirement plan with match

Student loan repayment assistance

Job summary

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund seeks a Program Associate for the Women’s Rights Program. You will provide administrative and programmatic support, assist with grants, and help monitor a small grantee portfolio.

Ideal candidates have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, strong English writing and editing skills, and proven research, analytic and organizational abilities. Experience with budgets, donor communications, database work, and a commitment to gender justice—domestically and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• Excellent English writing and editing skills.
• Strong research, analytic and organizational abilities.

Responsibilities

• Assist team with planning meetings, travel, and events.
• Track budgets and grant calendars; manage grant workflows.
• Conduct research on field developments and grant opportunities.
• Screen and scope potential grantees and prepare grant recommendations.
• Support donor communications and external representation activities.

Skills

Women’s rights

Research

Budgeting

Grant management

English writing

Time management

Teamwork

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Databases

Job description

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, a private philanthropic consulting firm, seeks a Program Associate to join its Women’s Rights (WR) Program. The mission of the Women’s Rights Program is to promote the dignity, equality, autonomy, and well-being of women by supporting the women’s rights community to build power to drive social change and by funding efforts to prevent violence against women, advance women’s land and property rights, and guarantee reproductive rights.

The Program Associate provides both administrative and programmatic support for the team working on a diverse set of issues both domestically and internationally. In addition, the Program Associate will be tasked with managing some aspects of grantee relationships, including reviewing proposals and monitoring grants.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Administrative
  • Assist team with planning, scheduling and coordinating meetings, travel, workshops and convenings; make logistical arrangements as needed; coordinate consultant contracts
  • Lead on tracking budget spreadsheets and grant calendars, coordinating grant workflow, including entering grants as needed.
  • Support strategic planning, reflection and learning processes, including through research, analysis and evaluation.
  • Programmatic
  • Conduct research related to field developments, opportunities related to grant-making, and other topics requested by team.
  • Participate in all aspects of grantmaking, including screening and scoping of potential grantees, analyzing background information; soliciting and developing funding proposals; preparing grant recommendations; conduct site visits and manage a small portfolio of grantees (as needed).
  • Contribute to the team’s learning agenda (as needed).
• Donor Communications
  • Research and prepare donor education materials and other information for Wellspring internal use, including presentation slides and regular donor updates.
• External Representation
  • Coordinate calls and meetings with peer funders and funder affinity groups.
  • Represent Wellspring at site visits and conferences.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• Familiarity with and strong commitment to women’s rights and gender justice, including in the global South.
• Knowledge of a range of human rights and social justice issues, including in the global South.
• Three or more years working in a human rights or social justice organization.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• Excellent and demonstrated English-language writing and editing skills.
• Strong research, analytic and organizational abilities.
• Working knowledge of Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook.
• Experience working with quantitative information, budgets and databases.
• Ability to remain flexible, work independently and as a team player, and manage one’s own time.
• Ability to handle confidential donor information with integrity and complete discretion.
• Willingness to learn, be open to new ideas, and have fun.
• Understands and values social justice, including racial and gender equity as an organizational operating principle – and is committed to continued learning on issues related to race, gender, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Fluency in Spanish.
• Experience working in a grantmaking organization
• Experience working or studying in a developing country.
• Ability to approach issues with an intersectional lens, especially with regard to race and class and gender.

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.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary range: $60-$65,000 based on 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.

ABOUT WELLSPRING

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund is a private grantmaking foundation dedicated to advancing the realization of human rights and social and economic justice for all people. Wellspring has offices in New York, NY, and Washington, DC. Wellspring’s work is rooted in respect for the dignity and worth of every human being and is informed by the following beliefs:

• Social institutions and structures should promote the full realization of human rights and human potential and should be accountable to these ends.
• The rights of all people are advanced when the rights of the most marginalized and vulnerable peoples are protected.
• Social justice movements should employ means that are consistent with their ideals and should give agency to the people whose interests they seek to advance.
• As responsible stewards, we must strive to maximize the impact of our charitable investments.

As a private foundation, Wellspring’s key functions are to conduct research and education tailored to our mission; manage a grantmaking portfolio of various programs, administer grants and monitoring grantee performance; and work to promote the effectiveness of programs that receive donor funding.

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 Foundation’s 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).

NOTE: At this time our preference is that applicants have work authorization to work in the United States. If you need sponsorship for a US work visa, please let us know in your cover letter.

The application deadline is February 7, 2020.

I appreciate knowing the salary range, but it’s disappointing to see an organization that works for economic justice asking candidates to divulge their salary requirements up front. Isn’t it likely that chronically under‑paid workers — women, minorities, and others — will lowball the number and perpetuate their economic disadvantage? The employer has the power in the hiring process, including knowledge of the total benefits package that would be necessary for any candidate to make an informed decision about their salary requirements. If Wellspring is truly committed to economic justice and human dignity, please consider applying that lens more rigorously in your hiring process.