A program officer for an exciting role unlike that at other foundations.
The New York City Program Officer will focus on North Star Fund’s 60+ New York City Fund grantees. Our Philanthropy Programs team works together to maximize access to financial capital and resources for grantees, and we collaborate with partners to strengthen the ecosystem for grassroots organizing in New York. As a member of this team, the NYC Program Officer will grow North Star Fund’s commitment to providing holistic support to emerging organizations building power, with an emphasis on movement organizations based in New York City.
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.
This position is full-time. The NYC Program Officer will report to the Philanthropy Programs Director and will regularly partner with other staff.
Responsibilities
The NYC Program Officer will facilitate our activist-led grantmaking in the New York City portfolio. They will also support our other grantmaking and capacity-building programs in NYC and the Hudson Valley. They will work in collaboration with the Philanthropy Programs team and external partners to create programming that builds Black-led movement infrastructure. The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to build trust, understanding, and proactive supportive relationships with North Star Fund grantees. Specific responsibilities include:
Facilitate Community Funding Committees and Support Grantees
- Produce materials necessary for the New York City Community Funding Committee (CFC) to fulfill their responsibility as grantmakers, and plan activities to engage them in North Star Fund mission-related activities.
- Convene and support our New York City CFC in trust-based participatory grantmaking processes to guide grantmaking decisions through a transparent, activist-led process.
- Communicate with grant applicants in a timely fashion, clearly explaining our guidelines and priorities.
- Work closely with the grants manager to ensure legal and due diligence requirements are met through collecting necessary documents from grantees, performing accurate data entry, and keeping accurate files.
- Assist in capturing the tremendous impact our grantees have on New York’s political landscape for organizational learning, fundraising, and communications purposes.
- Work in collaboration with the Grantmaking Team to design and implement two grant and reporting cycles per year.
- Attend grantee events to build relationships and capture learning about their work to share back with other grantees, our staff and the broader community.
Strengthen New York’s Grassroots Organizing Ecosystem
- Take on leadership roles at funders tables like Freedom Funders, Neighborhood Funders Group, Engage NY and NYC Capacity Building Collaborative.
- Co-design and lead capacity building and accompaniment programs for grantee regions in accordance with the needs of grantees.
Develop and Lead Resource Mobilization Strategies
- Secure additional support for community organizing in New York City with an emphasis on Black-led movement building in New York City and the Hudson Valley.
- Organize peers and allies within the field of philanthropy.
- Partner with other funders to capitalize on program opportunities for grantee partners.
- Evaluate and seek new funding opportunities for grantees.
Supporting Strong Organizational Culture
- Contribute to a safe, healthy, collaborative, and productive team culture.
- Attend and contribute to internal staff and team meetings as well as retreats when needed.
- Engage in and help to shape the organization's strategic planning.
Required Skills
- Deep social justice values and a demonstrated commitment to the practice of racial justice, inclusion, and community-driven change
- Fluency with related concepts around intersectionality, structural, institutional, and internalized racism
- Knowledge of and commitment to grassroots organizing led by communities of color
- Resilience, flexibility, humility, self-awareness, and a sense of humor
- At least three to four years of experience in social justice non-profit, philanthropic sector
- Excellent multi-tasking and problem-solving skills
- Excellent planning skills for managing grantmaking timetables, with a collaborative approach to all parties that reflects our values
- Excellent collaboration and communication skills
- Excellent reading comprehension and analytical skills
- Excellent facilitation and presentation skills
- Proficiency with standard office software (such as Word, Excel or Google Worksuite), video conferencing platforms (Zoom or Meet), Internal communications platforms (Slack, Microsoft Teams)
- Familiarity with grant management or data management systems (such as Submittable, Just Fund, Fluxx, Salesforce, Airtable or Foundant)
Desired Skills
- Bilingual in Spanish or other languages (preferred)
Physical Requirements
Must be able to work at a computer screen for several hours a day. Must be able to meet with a wide range of people, including grantee organizations and North Star Fund supporters, in person or via video conferencing. Occasional evening and weekend events as needed. Light lifting for in-person events may be required, but accommodations will be made as necessary for the safety and well-being of all employees.
Compensation
The salary for this position is $96,186 in accordance with North Star Fund’s compensation structure. North Star Fund offers generous benefits that include 100% premium paid for medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 403(b) retirement plan with an employer contribution, a work-from-home stipend, flex-time, vacation and holidays. A full list of benefits is available for review by finalists for the position.
Additional Information
North Star Fund uses a 32-hour work week for full-time employees, with normal work days running Monday through Thursday. Evening and weekend work is sometimes required. We currently use a hybrid work model: we work from home and have an office in midtown Manhattan. We have not yet set a date for a return to our physical office for in-person full-time work.
Residency
All staff are required to periodically attend in-person meetings and events in New York City and the Hudson Valley. Applicants for this position must live in New York City.
How to Apply
Please share a resume and a cover letter that shares your interest in the role. More information is available at www.northstarfund.org/jobs. We appreciate all submissions, but please be advised that our capacity allows us to only respond to those best qualified for the position.
Priority will be given to applications received by June 17, 2024.
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, including Black, Indigenous and people of color, women, LGBTQ people, elders and people with disabilities.
