The Freedom Together Foundation seeks nominations and applications for the position of Program Officer (PO) for the Democracy, Gender & Racial Justice Program (DGRJ). Joining the team at an exciting time of strategic development and team growth, the Program Officer (PO) will work collaboratively to implement and communicate program strategies that accelerate Freedom Together’s impact on democracy, gender, racial and immigrant justice in integrated ways with all our programs.

The PO will build relationships with grantees and seek out new grantees, manage grants and serve as a partner for grantee needs and requests, stay abreast of emerging trends and synthesize information and learnings internally and with partners to inform strategy. In all of this work, the PO will promote the mission, vision and values of the Foundation through relationships with funders, partners, and current and potential grantees.

The ideal candidate will bring at least five years of experience working in the social justice sector on issues related to democracy, gender and racial justice and bring a deep commitment to social justice and power building. The ideal candidate will have experience in organizing and advocacy; previous grantmaking experience is not required. They will be curious and learning oriented, an excellent communicator, solutions and detail-oriented, and enjoy both independent work and close collaboration. The ideal candidate will build trusting and caring relationships, have sound judgement and integrity, and be adaptable and flexible and able to thrive in this exciting time of expansion for the Foundation.

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About Freedom Together‍

Freedom Together’s vision is to build the power of those who have been denied it to challenge and change oppressive systems, and advance visions of a more just, democratic, and sustainable world. We are dedicated to long-lasting, systemic change. That means we commit to our partners for the long haul, trusting in the strength and vision of the organizations we support to address some of our country’s most entrenched problems. Over the last 10 years, Freedom Together has grown to be one of the largest US foundations, awarding over $300 million in grants each year. Learn more about the transition and leadership team members here.

Democracy, Gender & Racial Justice

The Freedom Together Foundation supports the fight to expand multi-racial feminist democracy by protecting and strengthening basic democratic institutions – like the rights to vote and to protest – and finding innovative ways to combat authoritarianism and its assaults on the rights of people of color, immigrants, women, and LGBTQ+ people.

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Responsibilities

Currently, the Program Officer (PO) reports to the Senior Program Officer on this team. The PO will hold the following responsibilities and areas of work:

Grantee Support, Grants Managements & Program Implementation

• Collaboratively implement program strategies and support grantees in areas of democracy and intersectional gender and racial justice, such as in structural democracy reforms, building a pro-democracy coalition, and a government that works for all Americans.
• Oversee the grantmaking process, including inviting grant proposals from selected organizations, working with applicants to develop and finalize proposals, reviewing and analyzing proposals and financial and organizational capacity, and preparing write-ups.
• Build and tend to relationships with current and potential grantees relevant to the DGRJ program, continuously learning and understanding needs and trends, and building spaces of opportunity and coalition to advance the program strategies and impact.
• Assess the field and work with field leaders and other funders to analyze challenges and opportunities, identify possible strategies for change, and create opportunities for shared learning and funding.
• Stay connected to the progress of grantees and with the DGRJ team, be proactive in supporting the success of organizations and ecosystems.
• Coordinate and participate in meetings with grantees, including site visits, partnership meetings, and check-ins.
• Ensure complete and accurate grantee information for compliance and documentation purposes and as an important practice in reflection, learning, and knowledge transfer.
• Stay up to date on trends and opportunities related to DGRJ’s efforts and work internally and externally to inform continued improvement and refinement of strategies.
• Coordinate to ensure integration of DGRJ’s strategies with other program areas.

Team Collaboration

• Contribute to the growth of the DGRJ team and connections across the Foundation, including fostering a healthy and effective team culture.
• Prepare materials for meetings and convenings.
• Special projects as assigned by the Senior Vice President or Senior Program Officer of the DGRJ program.‍

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Qualifications

Field Experience, Understanding & Commitment

• Minimum of five (5) years’ relevant experience working in the social justice sector on issues related to democracy, gender, racial justice or immigration with an understanding and familiarity of the intersectional nature of these areas.
• Experience in organizing, power building, or other systems change strategies related to democracy and other intersectional issues.
• Previous grantmaking experience is helpful but not required.
• Commitment to social, gender, and racial justice and to upholding those commitments in an approach to grantmaking relationships.

Synthesis, Assessment & Program Implementation

• Proven ability to implement program strategies, review the feasibility and value of proposed programs, and assess organizational capacity.
• Experience building strategic convening or coalition spaces.
• Experience reviewing budgets and nonprofit financial statements.
• Ability to analyze situations objectively based on available information, formulate and evaluate possible courses of action, and offer recommendations.
• Proven experience independently managing a high volume of details.

Relationship Building & Communication

• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to summarize and present information to various audiences, including Foundation leadership.
• Sound judgment and integrity.
• Curious and learning-oriented.
• Enjoy working in both a collaborative environment and independently.

Collaboration & Teamwork

• The proven ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt in a changing environment.
• Comfortable with administrative tasks and working with small teams.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and able to learn other programs to support the work.

Other

• Passion for and commitment to Freedom Together’s mission and values.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• Ability and willingness to travel (anticipated 30%), including overnight stays.

Salary & Benefits

The starting salary range for this position is $145,000 - $165,000 annually. Freedom Together offers an extensive and generous benefits package including health insurance (with 100% of the premiums paid for employees, spouses, domestic partners, and qualified family members), paid time off (including last week of the year), 401(k) retirement plan with 12% employer contribution, and access to an inclusive family building reimbursement plan. Freedom Together provides up to $5,000 annually for professional development and the ability to recommend an annual grant to the nonprofit of your choice.

Working with Freedom Together

We believe that diversity is critical to our mission, and we value an inclusive culture. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences related to our programs and applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals. The Freedom Together Foundation is an equal opportunity employer; we do not discriminate in employment based on race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, gender or gender identity, age or sexual orientation.

The Freedom Together Foundation is based in Manhattan, NY. Freedom Together staff operates on a hybrid schedule and currently works from the NYC office three days weekly, with the flexibility to work remotely two days weekly.

To Apply

The priority deadline to apply for this position is February 26, 2025, though applications will be considered until the position is filled. To apply, please submit a resume.

This search is being run by NRG Consulting Group. Reach out to Jaclyn Jones at jaclyn@nrgconsultinggroup.org with any questions.

For this initial stage, we are only asking applicants to submit a resume. We will invite candidates who meet the professional requirements to submit written answers to a few questions.