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 monitor grantee performance; and work to promote the effectiveness of programs that receive 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.
Position Overview
The Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity (SOGI) Program at Wellspring Philanthropic Fund is seeking a Program Assistant, who will report to the Program Director and provide administrative and programmatic support to the team. The mission of the SOGI program is to improve the lives of LGBT people and to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. It does this through grantmaking in support of LGBTQ movements both domestically and internationally. Our grantmaking focuses on supporting the vibrancy of movements and centering the leadership of youth, trans and gender nonconforming people, and people of color.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
· Administrative
o Assist team with tasks such as scheduling and coordinating meetings and convenings; making travel and other logistical arrangements both domestically and internationally; and taking on other tasks related to planning, grantee support, and travel on an as needed basis.
o Coordinate team logistics and communications, including grantmaking deadlines.
o Help process consultant contracts and expense reports as needed.
o Help track grantmaking and administrative budgets in Excel and grantmaking databases.
· Programmatic/Grants Management
o Coordinate the SOGI grant portfolio as needed. This may include:
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- Preparing and tracking budget spreadsheets and grants calendars.
- In collaboration with the grants management team, entering records in the database and answering grantees’ questions about the proposal process.
- Communicating with grantees as needed, including Spanish-speaking grantees in Latin America.
o Assisting the Program Officer and Program Director as needed with tracking grantee work and outcomes, including reviewing grant reports, participating in meetings with grantees and other funders, and reading and tracking news and research related to the work.
- Research
o Conduct research related to LGBT movement issues, strategies, and current developments.
o Ongoing tracking of grantee activities and news coverage, and trends.
o Assist with internal and external presentations of SOGI Program work.
- External Program representation
o Coordinate calls and meetings and assist with the development of materials for funder education efforts, such as for conferences, affinity groups and donor collaborative funds.
o Represent Wellspring at site visits, conferences or other meetings related to current and potential areas of investment and prepare notes to support team knowledge sharing.
o Participate on Wellspring staff committees or working groups outside of the SOGI Program.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICATIONS
· Experience and familiarity with queer and trans issues, organizing and activism.
· Demonstrated commitment to social justice.
· The ability to think and work intersectionally, particularly with regard to race, class, and gender.
· Desire to be part of a hardworking and spirited team and to work collaboratively within our team and across Wellspring.
· Flexibility, independence, and a sense of humor.
· Excellent English language writing, editing and proofreading skills.
· Fluency in written and spoken Spanish (ability to function professionally in drafting emails, handling phone calls, and reading and summarizing reports).
· Strong research and organizational skills and comfort with quantitative data.
· Ability to handle confidential information with complete discretion.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
· Experience in a nonprofit grant making, advocacy, or social justice organization.
· Experience with grants management databases.
· Experience with data visualization and communication tools.
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: $50,000 – $55,000 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 dependents and is committed to providing transgender‐inclusive healthcare.
The SOGI Team is currently five people of diverse professional and personal backgrounds who are committed to doing the best grantmaking possible in support of LGBT activism both domestically and around the world. We take pride in our role as philanthropic leaders and in our low-key and behind-the-scenes approach. We know that change takes time and requires resources, and our job is to help provide these key ingredients.
How To Apply
For employment consideration, please submit application to jobs@wpfund.org.
Subject Line: “[Your name]— SOGI PA.” 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 requirements (must specify actual amount and range); and
· one writing sample (no less than 3 and no more than 5 pages, attached in PDF format).
No phone calls please.
NOTE: To be employed at Wellspring, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States. If you are not currently authorized to work in the United States and will need to be sponsored, please let us know in your cover letter.
The application deadline is June 21st, 2019.