North Star Fund is a social justice fund that supports grassroots organizing led by communities of color building power in New York City and the Hudson Valley. We organize people across race and class to give in support of social justice movements. We also offer year-round programming to help organizers build and sustain their work.
North Star Fund was founded 45 years ago by a group of New Yorkers who wanted to disrupt traditional philanthropic practices. They built the fund to be a collective giving community where donors support social justice movements AND support a different way to practice philanthropy—specifically, by shifting power and resources into the hands of community organizers who make our grantmaking decisions. North Star Fund began with a small handful of donors and today, we now have over 1,400 donors and moved over $15 million through our grant programs last fiscal year.
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for committed people who put the mission front and center. We believe our organization should be led at all levels by people who bring a deep commitment to grassroots organizing, especially the leadership of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.
We are looking for people who bring a discipline of teamwork and thoughtful collaboration. We value a workplace where everyone pitches in to get the job done, and we look to each other for support in busy times.
We seek patient people who bring integrity and resolve to actively disrupt power dynamics based on systems of oppression, like structural racism, classism, patriarchy, homophobia and transphobia, ageism, and ableism.
We encourage a commitment to personal and professional development. None of us are immune from improvement. We all benefit from receiving and processing feedback about our work and our leadership within North Star Fund.
Hiring Process and Timeline
When you apply for a job at North Star Fund, here’s what you can expect:
- All our job applications include a request for a cover letter. In your cover letter, please tell us what compels you about our mission and share examples of work you’ve done in the past that prepares you for the position. This could be paid work, volunteer work, or activist work.
- We may ask for related submissions to demonstrate your skills and relevant experience.
- We will review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
- We will reach out to some candidates for a brief call to confirm your application and assess whether to conduct an interview.
- We conduct the first round of interviews with six to eight of the most promising candidates. The first round often involves the work samples you submitted or a short exercise.
- We interview a limited number of finalists about two to three week(s) after the first round.
- We check references for the most promising finalists.
- Finalists can expect to hear back from us within two weeks of the second interview.
- The hiring process may take between three and four months from initial posting of the job opportunity until an offer is made.
To apply for a job at North Star Fund, please follow the instructions on the specific job announcement. No calls please.
North Star Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants based on race, religion, color, disability, medical condition, legally protected genetic information, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), age, veteran status or other legally protected characteristics.
North Star Fund is firmly committed to equity and diversity and to the recruitment and retention of people from backgrounds traditionally excluded from philanthropy. We strongly encourage Black, Indigenous and people of color, women, LGBTQ people, elders and differently-abled candidates to apply.
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