Full Time
Remote (United States)
Posted 2 years ago

Website UrgentAct Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights

Apply by 25th Aug 23

Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights Centered on a groundbreaking model of rapid response grantmaking, Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights (UAF) supports the urgent needs of courageous women, trans and gender non-binary human rights defenders around the world in times of crisis or opportunity. Our model protects and advances the civil, political and social rights of women and LGBTQI people, and invests in the resilience of social justice movements, including environmental, feminist, indigenous, land rights, youth, and LGBTQI movements. Founded in 1997, UAF is a member of a network of four independent “Sister Funds” that collectively support frontline women’s rights activists around the world. UAF’s work within this network centers on support for feminist activists and social movements in the Middle East, the Caucasus, Europe and Central Asia, United States and Canada.

The Programs team has the following programmatic areas: Advocacy & Alliance building, Collective Care, Grantmaking, and Learning & Impact. In recent years, UAF has experienced a rapid rise in our grantmaking and in 2022 made 468 grants at $5,138,965. We are in the process of strategically building and refining our grantmaking team infrastructure to meet this demand and are also undergoing an institution wide strategic visioning process and theory of change refresh. The Grantmaking Managing Officer position will be part of this expansion and will be joining our team at a critical juncture in UAF’s trajectory.

1. Grantmaking Managing Officer

REPORTS TO: DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

The Grantmaking Managing Officer is a new position at UAF and will provide management and thought leadership for UAF’s grantmaking and grants management systems and processes. They will be responsible for leading a Grantmaking Team of 6 under the direction of UAF’ Director of Programs. This position will directly supervise three grantmaking Senior Program Officers and one Senior Grants Officer. The Grantmaking Managing Officer will work to re-design, oversee, and implement UAF’s grantmaking strategy and process in collaboration with the Director of Programs and other Program team colleagues. They will also serve as a connector between the grantmaking team and UAF’s Learning & Impact, Collective Care, and Advocacy teams.

They will act as a collaborator and thought-partner by offering country, regional, issue and other expertise to inform the broader Programs team strategy while at the same time obtaining input and ideas from colleagues to inform their own projects and strategies.

Additionally, they will provide information and analysis for fundraising proposals and relevant reports and insights on UAF’s work and that of its grantees.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Drive Grantmaking – develop and/or support the development of grantmaking strategies including for advisory network engagement with relevant members of the Program Team;

review and decide on grant approval requests from grantmaking team members; backstop for grantmaking team members during significant absences by reviewing grant requests, completing due diligence and making recommendations for approval or declination; inform the development of the annual grantmaking budget; oversee all components of domestic and international grants processing, including legal and regulatory compliance, processing of grantmaking requirements, data entry/cleaning, and reporting of data.

Establish and manage Grantmaking team staff and consultants – The hiring of this position is part of a Program team restructure, and the Grantmaking Managing Officer will lead a Grantmaking team of 6 (with 4 direct reports). The role will require cohering a restructured team (previously supervised by the Director of Programs) and working to establish a “connective tissue” between the other branches of the Programs team, including

Learning & Impact, Collective Care, and Advocacy. They will also be responsible for leading the recruitment of grantmaking staff/consultants, and providing training, supervision, and leadership development for grantmaking team members.

Inform Program Strategy and Staffing Structure – make recommendations, give feedback, share data and reflections on UAF’s Program Strategy and staffing structure build out.
Coordinate Outreach – support grantmaking team to build relationships with grantees advisors, and other stakeholders, and to ensure that potential grantees are aware of UAF’s work; gather information to stay abreast of landscape trends across programmatic themes and countries.
Drive Special Initiatives – lead the design and implementation of special projects to further grantmaking team goals and objectives (for example: landscape analyses, convenings, conference/meeting sessions, etc.)
Support Partnership Participation – represent UAF in consortia, partnerships and field communities across our sector to support fundraising, grantmaking & advocacy efforts.
Support Organizational Learning – share relevant information about the work of the grantmaking team, UAF grantees and their contexts with the UAF team for example through quarterly learning memos, team presentations, and responses to information requests.
Lead and cohere a restructured Grantmaking Team of 6, including building systems and processes to communicate and coordinate with UAF’s other Program teams
Coordinate the spend down of 95% of grant making funds on deadline and in a manner that furthers UAF’s vision
Audit, redesign, and streamline grantmaking and grants administration pathway and processes
Co-develop UAF grantmaking strategy
Co-develop and implement an assessment of UAF’s advisory network model and advisor engagement activities
Oversee grantmaking related special initiatives on disability justice, environmental and climate justice, contingency funding, and crisis response
Contribute to the implementation of UAF’s advocacy, monitoring, evaluation and learning, communications and fundraising activities
Support UAF’s visibility in relevant partnership spaces as needed
Inform the development of 2024/2025 grantmaking and Program budget

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

Areas of Expertise

A critical understanding of feminisms, social justice, and human rights issues facing women, trans, gender non-binary, and intersex people
Familiarity with the historical and socio-political context of any of UAF’s regions of focus from an intersectional gender justice lens
4+ years of experience with grantmaking
7+ years of movement building or activism/advocacy in UAF’s regions/countries of focus
3+ years experience leading a team
Knowledge of grants management, including international grantmaking, expenditure responsibility, and other legal/IRS compliance issues
Experience with rapid response or emergency support grantmaking
Understanding of the safety/security and well-being needs of feminist activists in any of UAF’s regions/countries of focus
Experience working with grants management databases, Salesforce preferred
Knowledge and application of best practices in grantmaking.
Strong relationships within feminist philanthropy and movements
Basic proficiency in technological platforms such as Microsoft Office Suite and Google applications for example Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Drive, Sheets, Docs, Slide

Skills

Clear Communication – compelling written and verbal explanation of information and copy in English, with minimal errors, proficiency in Arabic and/or Russian is a plus.
People management skills – ability to train, supervise and mentor staff; ability to efficiently plan and effectively leverage a team of junior staff and consultants to drive the work
Data Analysis – utilize data and collaborate with the Learning & Impact team to drive the work across our grantmaking team and to support fundraising and communication efforts
Project Management – stays on top of multiple projects, plans backwards, anticipates obstacles, identifies and involves stakeholders appropriately, and uses resources wisely
Strategic thinking – quickly grasps the subtleties of complex issues and identifies patterns in challenges.
Comes up with insightful, pragmatic, equitable, and sustainable ways to tackle common challenges and produce positive change. Has a successful track record of taking a concept from idea to implementation.
Relationship building- Has a collaborative nature, team oriented and comfortable working across cultures and time zones.

Organization-Wide Requirements

Takes initiative and works to continuously improve systems and processes; suggests innovations to use resources strategically and to maximize positive impact.
A problem solver who has the ability to handle emotional complexity while also navigating uncertainty and changing conditions in a quickly growing organization.
Able to manage conflict constructively, including the ability to self reflect and to give and receive feedback up, down, and sideways in a remote working environment.
Must be able to work both independently and as a collaborative member of various teams.
Seeks to uplift all voices and perspectives in our work and communities.
Works with integrity, accountability, clear communication and follow through.
Flexible, adaptive, and able to respond to challenges and changes; values iteration and productively integrates new information

Work Expectations

Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required up to 15% of the time

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This position is full time (36 hours per week in a 4-day workweek) and is exempt. This position is remote, with a preference for candidates who can work during ET hours.

UAF is committed to paying competitive wages and upholding sustainable equity practices. Due to the ways in which salary negotiations perpetuate existing structural inequities, UAF as a practice does not participate in a salary negotiation process for any candidate. We will make our best offer, and it will be the same regardless of the candidate. The annual starting salary for the role is $124,125 and includes a strong benefits package (health, dental, retirement, flex spending for medical and transit, HRA, holistic wellness benefits, communication
reimbursement, and competitive PTO package).

TO APPLY
Please submit a resume and cover letter to employment@urgentactionfund.org. Applications will be accepted through 8/25/23, we will be holding interviews in September and October, and our target candidate start date is Mid to Late November.

DO YOU THINK THIS MIGHT BE YOU?
If you see yourself in this job description but don’t feel like you meet every single criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway! Research shows that individuals from historically marginalized groups, particularly women, trans, non-binary folks, and BIPOC, tend to self-select out of opportunities at higher rates. We take a holistic approach to all of our hiring practices and want to hire those who best align with our mission and goals.

2. Director of Partnerships

REPORTS TO: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Director of Partnerships will lead the development work at Urgent Action Fund as it generates revenue; builds a community of donor activists; and develops partnerships with peers and funders (including both private foundations and bilateral/multilateral donors) that bring new resources to UAF and to feminist activists worldwide. A member of the Management Team, the Director of Partnerships will hire and supervise a growing team of fundraising staff. An ideal candidate will fulfill the following responsibilities and qualifications:

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Drive revenue growth – maintain UAF’s current donor base through ongoing engagement of individual donors, institutional and government funders, and attract new resources through outreach to new funders. Raise UAF’s profile in key donor circles.

Ensure funder stewardship and relationship management, including oversight of funder proposals and reporting by staff and consultants.

Drive team growth and functioning – develop team structure and staff new positions, articulate lines of collaboration among team members, oversee development of annual workplan, and manage ongoing work of the team.

Support UAF Sister Fund fundraising – act as a thought partner to Sister Fund resource mobilization team, identifying opportunities and overseeing the creation of accurate and timely UAF content for joint proposals and reports.

Inform annual budget – contribute revenue projections during annual budgeting process, and provide updated projections throughout the year as additional revenue is secured. Project and manage the annual budget and expenses for the UAF Development team.

PRIORITIES FOR 2023 and 2024

Sustain UAF’s current revenue by raising $17-20M annually, including for UAF’s work in the US, UAF’s response to the war in Ukraine and other emerging crises, rapid response grants in all relevant regions, as well as other programmatic initiatives.
Articulate institutional and individual donor engagement strategy
Contribute to the development of UAF’s strategic vision, particularly focusing on the resourcing strategies for emerging initiatives.
Oversee expanded team structure, hiring staff and consultants as needed to meet UAF’s fundraising goals.
Oversee the refinement of existing systems (donor database, CRM, revenue tracking) to support UAF’s development and communications work.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS
Areas of Expertise

A critical understanding of feminisms, social justice, and human rights issues facing women, trans, gender non-binary, and intersex people
Comfort with and demonstrated interest in outreach to donors, securing meetings, and soliciting gifts
7 years of management experience in nonprofit and/or philanthropy
Demonstrated success in fundraising, preferably with experience raising funds annually of at least $15M from a cultivated, diverse pool including institutional funders and individual donors
Experience successfully leading and managing a staff of at least five people, including mentoring, ensuring staff development, cultivating culture and providing inspirational and effective leadership
Experience in negotiation and collaborative partnership development
Proficiency in technological platforms – Microsoft Office Suite and Google applications, cloud-based document storage systems, project management software (e.g. Asana) experience with and/or knowledge of donor management databases (e.g. Salesforce, CiviCRM).

Skills

Relationship building – with donors, peers, and staff
Management – ability to design, hire and manage multiple roles; offer goal-setting and motivation for a growing team
Written communication – clear and compelling writing on issues central to UAF’s work (e.g. collective care, human rights and social justice grantmaking, feminist philanthropy)
Financial Projection and Management – facility with multi-year revenue projections and budget development

Work Expectations

● Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required
● Comfort with working across cultures and time zones

COMPENSATION

This position is full time (32 hours per week as UAF has a 4-day workweek) and is exempt. This position is remote, with a preference for candidates who are can work during ET hours. UAF is committed to paying competitive wages and upholding sustainable equity practices. Due to the ways in which salary negotiations perpetuate existing structural inequities, UAF as a practice does not participate in a salary negotiation process for any candidate. We will make our best offer, and it will be the same regardless of the candidate. The annual salary for the role is $152,512 and includes a strong benefits package (health, dental, retirement, flex spending for medical and transit, HRA, holistic wellness benefits, communication reimbursement, and a competitive PTO package).

HOW TO APPLY:
Please email a cover letter, resume and list of three references (candidates will be notified in advance of any outreach to their references) to employment@urgentactionfund.org, with “Director of Partnerships” in the subject line. This position will be open until filled and we encourage candidates to submit their materials as soon as possible. Please submit PDF or Microsoft Word files only, preferably with all materials in one combined file. Resume reviews begin immediately and only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.

Urgent Action Fund is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factors.

In order to build the strongest possible workforce, UAF actively seeks a diverse applicant pool. No relocation costs will be covered for this position. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States

3. Partnerships Managing Officer (UAF)

REPORTS TO: DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS

The Partnerships Managing Officer is responsible for raising revenue for Urgent Action Fund through partnerships with institutional donors and governments, as well as UAF’s participation in consortiums. Reporting to the Director of Partnerships and working alongside the Development and Communications teams, the Partnerships Managing Officer will build on UAF’s reputation among feminist and human rights-focused donors to raise critical resources for frontline feminist activists.

An ideal candidate will fulfill the following responsibilities and qualifications:

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Drive partnership development with institutional donors – elevate UAF’s profile among institutional donors – from foundations to governments – in order to raise resources for UAF’s work. Maintain proposals and reporting for current donors to UAF’s work in conjunction with Development Officer. When appropriate, work with external consultants.
Drive consortium participation – maintain UAF’s current consortium relationships, coordinating representation at key meetings, sharing information with internal stakeholders, and gathering and synthesizing information for reporting.
Drive new consortium development – Prospect and establish participation in new consortiums, in coordination with the Programs and Development and Communications
teams at UAF. With strategic guidance from the Director of Partnerships, secure funding
for new consortiums.
Support UAF Sister Fund fundraising – create accurate, and timely UAF content for joint proposals and reports
Inform annual budget – in tandem with the Director of Partnerships, contribute revenue projections for institutional funding during annual budgeting process and provide updated projections throughout the year as additional revenue is secured.

PRIORITIES 2023-2024

Sustain UAF’s current revenue by contributing to the team’s work in raising $17-20M annually, including for UAF’s work in the US, UAF’s response to the war in Ukraine and other emerging crises, rapid response grants in all relevant regions, as well as other programmatic initiatives.
Develop 2-3 new funding relationships through consortiums, networks, or with peer organizations, including in partnership with the UAF Sister Funds.
Represent UAF in funder consortiums, building linkages with consortium members and elevating UAF’s profile.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

Areas of Expertise

A critical understanding of feminisms, social justice, and human rights issues facing women, trans, gender non-binary, and intersex people
Comfort with and demonstrated interest in outreach to donors, securing meetings, and soliciting gifts
Knowledge of and established relationships with feminist and human rights funding institutions, including familiarity with bilateral funding programs.
Demonstrated success in fundraising, preferably with experience raising funds annually of at least $10M from a cultivated, diverse pool including institutional funders and individual donors
Experience in negotiation and collaborative partnership development
Proficiency in technological platforms – Microsoft Office Suite and Google applications, cloud-based document storage systems, project management software (e.g. Asana) experience with and/or knowledge of donor management databases (e.g. Salesforce, CiviCRM

Skills

Relationship building – with donors, peers, and staff
Written communication – clear and compelling writing on issues central to UAF’s work (e.g. collective care, human rights and social justice grantmaking, feminist philanthropy); branding and messaging development
Financial Projection and Management – facility with multiyear revenue projections and budget development

Work Expectations

Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required
Comfort with working across cultures and time zones

COMPENSATION

This position is full time (32 hours per week as UAF has a 4-day workweek) and is exempt. This position is remote, with a preference for candidates who are can work during ET hours and could relocate to New York should in person work resume.

UAF is committed to paying competitive wages and upholding sustainable equity practices. Due to the ways in which salary negotiations perpetuate existing structural inequities, UAF as a practice does not participate in a salary negotiation process for any candidate. We will make our best offer, and it will be the same regardless of the candidate. The annual salary for the role is $124,125 and includes a strong benefits package (health, dental, retirement, flex spending for medical and transit, HRA, holistic wellness benefits, communication reimbursement, and competitive PTO package).

HOW TO APPLY:
Please email a cover letter, resume and list of three references (candidates will be notified in advance of any outreach to their references) to employment@urgentactionfund.org, with “Partnerships Managing Officer” in the subject line. This position will be open until filled and we encourage candidates to submit their materials as soon as possible. Please submit PDF or Microsoft Word files only, preferably with all materials in one combined file. Resume reviews begin immediately and only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.

4. Development Officer

The Development Officer will contribute to the development work at Urgent Action Fund as it generates revenue; builds a community of donor activists; and develops partnerships with funders (including foundations, individuals, and bilateral/multilateral donors) that bring new resources to UAF and to feminist activists worldwide. A member of the Development Team, the Development Officer will provide critical support to UAF’s fundraising efforts.

The ideal employee will fulfill the following responsibilities and qualifications:

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Drive Proposal Development and Reporting: Working with the Programs Team, develop content and write proposals and reports for prospective and current donors, respectively. Where appropriate, work with external consultants.
Maintain Donor Tracking Systems: Manage and track all reporting requirements, coordinating with the Programs and Finance Teams to ensure they can prepare the necessary information according to the established schedule.
Support Speaking Engagements: Provide talking points and content for staff speaking at conferences and events.
Support Donor Meetings: Prepare donor profiles, talking points, and content for meetings with current and prospective donors.
Inform Development Team priorities and support the creation of effective, intentional donor engagement strategies in partnership with the Communications team.

PRIORITIES for 2023-2024

Develop calendar for submission of proposals and reports to institutional donors
Ensure all reporting obligations are met accurately and in a timely way
Work with Communications Team to develop materials for individual donors, including infographics, stories of impact, and quarterly updates for major donors
Support Partnerships Managing Officer and Director of Partnerships in building and strengthening relationships with current and prospective donors.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

Areas of Expertise

A critical understanding of feminisms, social justice, and human rights issues facing women, trans, gender non-binary, and intersex people
Demonstrated ability to write compelling proposals and reports to donors, based on at least five years of experience doing so for non-profit organizations
Experience working with project management tools to map workflows, identify responsible staff, and manage deadlines on collaborative work.
Knowledge of feminist and human rights funding institutions and their philanthropic priorities.
Proficiency in technological platforms – Microsoft Office Suite and Google applications, cloud-based document storage systems, project management software (e.g. Asana) experience with and/or knowledge of donor management databases (e.g. Salesforce,CiviCRM).

Skills

Relationship building – with donors, peers, and staff
Written communication – clear and compelling writing on issues central to UAF’s work (e.g. collective care, human rights and social justice grantmaking, feminist philanthropy); including stories of impact and data visualization.
Strategic thinking – ability to analyze philanthropic landscape and inform UAF’s outreach and engagement strategy.

Work Expectations
● Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required
● Comfort with working across cultures and time zones

COMPENSATION
This position is full-time (32 hours per week as UAF has a 4-day workweek) and is exempt. This position is remote, with a preference for candidates who are can work during ET hours and could relocate to New York should in person work resume.

UAF is committed to paying competitive wages and upholding sustainable equity practices. Due to the ways in which salary negotiations perpetuate existing structural inequities, UAF as a practice does not participate in a salary negotiation process for any candidate. We will make our best offer, and it will be the same regardless of the candidate. The annual salary for the role is $86,853 and includes a strong benefits package (health, dental, retirement, flex spending for medical and transit, HRA, holistic wellness benefits, communication reimbursement, and a competitive PTO package).

HOW TO APPLY:
Please email a cover letter, resume and list of three references (candidates will be notified in advance of any outreach to their references) to employment@urgentactionfund.org, with “Development Officer” in the subject line. This position will be open until filled and we encourage candidates to submit their materials as soon as possible. Please submit PDF or Microsoft Word files only, preferably with all materials in one combined file. Resume reviews begin immediately and only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.

To apply for this job please visit urgentactionfund.org.

Openings – Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights