Job Summary

The Program Assistant reports to the Program Director and supports the Children’s Economic Security team, a domestic-focused program. The Children’s Economic Security Program at Wellspring seeks to achieve economic security and upward mobility for all families with children in the United States by strengthening their power and economic resilience. The Program Assistant provides both programmatic and administrative support for the team of three.    

Key Responsibilities

Administrative

• Assist team with tasks such as coordinating meetings, convenings; making travel and other logistical arrangements; and taking on other tasks as needed.
• Communicate with program officers and the program director about upcoming deadlines.
• Maintain document filing system.
• Help to process consultant contracts and expense reports as needed.

Programmatic/Grants Management

• Coordinate the Children’s Economic Security Program grant portfolios as needed.  This may include:

• • Preparing and tracking budget spreadsheets and grants calendars for the program.
  • Serving as liaison with the grants management team.
  • Serving as a compliance checkpoint to ensure that grantmaking stays within yearly budgets.
  • Supporting “due diligence” in reviews of grant proposals and applicant organizations, including determining where additional information is needed from the applicant.
  • 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.

• Assisting program officers and the program director with drafting of summaries of grant proposals, conducting due diligence and writing analyses as needed.
• Assisting the program officers as needed with tracking grantee work and outcomes, including reviewing grant reports, participating in meetings with grantees, and reading and tracking news and research that relates to the work.

Research

• Conduct research as needed, including child and family economic issues in the United States, potential grantees, opportunities for grant-making and other topics as requested by team.
• Research and write donor-education materials and other materials for internal Wellspring use, such as donor presentations, staff meeting presentations, work plans, and annual reports.

Donor Relations/Communications

• Design donor presentation and lunch presentation slides, including by incorporating new tools and graphics to improve presentations.
• Participate in donor presentations when appropriate.
• Manage donor updates, including by collecting newsworthy items, drafting updates, and consulting with program officers on content edits.  
• Support planning processes such as the evaluation and development of new strategic plans.
• Prepare, proofread and edit written work as requested.

External representation

• 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.
• 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.
• Participate with other staff on internal Wellspring committees or working groups outside of the program’s scope.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements/ Qualifications

• Familiarity with, and commitment to, issues affecting low-income children and families living in the United States.
• Two or more years of experience working in a poverty alleviation or social justice effort, organization, movement, or program, preferably in a U.S. context.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required.
• Excellent English language writing, editing and proofreading skills.
• Excellent analytic abilities.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Comfort with quantitative information and data.
• Comfort with budgets and financial information.
• Ability to accurately summarize complex documents and synthesize written material.
• Initiative, resourcefulness and flexibility.
• Ability to handle confidential client information with complete discretion.
• Excellent interpersonal skills in a cross-cultural, team environment.
• Ability to multi-task, work well under pressure to meet deadlines and work independently.
• Demonstrated willingness to learn and be open to new ideas.
• Familiarity and comfort with MS Office applications and other uses of technology, software, and social media.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a nonprofit grant making, advocacy, or social justice organization. Strong preference for experience in a domestic, U.S.-focused context.
• 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, and is committed to providing transgender‐inclusive healthcare.

About Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

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 donor funding.

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund 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 needs and requirements. Wellspring welcomes candidates with diverse experience and backgrounds, and strongly encourages people of color and people with disabilities to apply.  Qualified candidates for employment having records of arrest or criminal conviction will be considered.

All personnel decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, discipline and discharge, are made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic predisposition or carrier status, marital or familial status, domestic partner status, veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law (each a “protected characteristic”). This policy also bans discriminatory harassment.

How To Apply

For employment consideration, please submit application to [email protected]. Subject Line: “[Your name]— CES Program Assistant.” 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: At this time our preference is that applicants have work authorization to work in the United States. If you need sponsorship, please let us know in your cover letter.

The application deadline is June 1st, 2018.