About us

Based in New York City, the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation is a private, family foundation that supports grassroots organizations and movements working to bring about a more just, equitable, and sustainable world through the transformation of social, economic, and political conditions. Our work challenges structural racism, gender inequality, and discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, economic status, physical ability, and immigration status, seeking instead to open channels of opportunity for those who are systemically denied. We do this through:

• Grantmaking and technical assistance to organizations focused on environmental justice, reproductive rights, sustainable agriculture and food systems, and a sustainable New York City, with increasing support for cross-issue and cross-movement work aimed at building a broad, progressive social justice movement;
• Responsible, sustainable and impact investing, including shareholder activism; and
• Leadership in the philanthropic sector, including support for investor collaboratives and seeding of innovative environmental and social investment funds.

Our Board of Directors includes family members, scholars, movement activists, consultants, and financial experts who work closely with the Foundation’s small staff to implement Noyes’ vision and values. In 2017, led by a new President with a long track record of community organizing, we will embark on the development of a new strategic plan.

Summary of position

At a moment of institutional renewal and transition, Noyes has created the position of Grants and Operations Manager to help bring our internal systems and processes up to date, build and maintain a stronger institutional base for the implementation of our vision and our programs, and foster closer alignment between our internal processes and our external goals. The Grants and Operations Manager would be responsible for grants management; coordinating the Foundation’s financial, administrative, and operational functions; and maintaining the Foundation’s database—including suggesting and implementing improvements to current systems and software. The Grants and Operations Manager would also serve as an administrative liaison between the Foundation’s staff and board, as well as the primary point of contact for consultants, vendors, and the Foundation’s accounting firm. The Grants and Operations Manager’s first task would be to conduct an audit of the Foundation’s internal systems and operations, and subsequently to work with the President to strengthen and streamline the Foundation’s internal systems, operations, and processes. Ongoing responsibilities would fall into the four areas outlined below: grants management, board engagement, financial management, and office management.

Grants management

• Using GIFTS software, update and maintain grants database (current and prospective grantee records, declinations, email lists)
• Submit all grant payments (including regular grants, discretionary fund, membership, and annual charity payments) to Foundation’s accounting firm as scheduled, issue all checks for grants
• Provide grantees with the forms and support they need to comply with grant requirements (proposals, reports, etc.); ensure that online forms for grantseekers are clear, relevant, and up to date
• Conduct due diligence on all prospective grantees and discretionary grant recipients
• Prepare reports on grants, requests, declinations, payments and reports for board and staff, share information on Foundation’s grantmaking publicly as needed
• Manage discretionary grants, memberships, and charitable contributions

Board engagement

• Coordinate logistics for board meetings, oversee production of board books and prepare standard materials for board review (grants docket, financial summaries, grants allocations, lists of declinations and discretionary grants)
• Take meeting minutes and maintain archive of Board dockets and decisions
• Coordinate travel and other reimbursements for board members as needed
• Support President to keep Board of Directors engaged and informed

Financial management

• Maintain records of grant payments, vendor payments, and other program and administrative expenses by category, report against budget projections on a monthly and annual basis, and share information with accountant and auditor as needed
• Serve as primary liaison between office and accounting firm, prepare information for grant disbursals, coordinate approval and disbursal of grant payments
• Maintain and disburse petty cash and track daily cash expenditures, coordinate approval of credit card expenses, prepare President’s expense reports

Office management

• Serve as primary point of contact for external in-person, online, and telephone inquiries (sales solicitations, surveys, requests for referrals and grants data, unsolicited grant requests, monitoring of general office email account)
• Ensure that office equipment, software, and supplies are inventoried, maintained, kept secure, and replaced as needed (incorporating ecological and social criteria), troubleshoot day-to-day problems with hardware, software and telecommunications equipment and services, following up with vendor technical support as required
• Research, recommend, and purchase hardware, software, and office equipment
• Ensure that staff is trained and equipped to use office equipment and software
• Maintain email distribution lists, including contacts for quarterly e-newsletter, grantee communications, board communications, and general foundation communications
• Additional administrative and office management duties as needed

Qualifications

• Excellent communications skills, both in person and in writing, and an ability to communicate clearly and effectively with people from a range of backgrounds
• Strong commitment to or interest in social justice, and a desire to build power and voice among marginalized communities
• Solid organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to problem-solve, and willingness to develop systems to address recurring needs and/or challenges
• Experience working in non-profit organizations and/or philanthropic institutions, or a strong desire to learn more about the sector
• Ease with technology, familiarity with GIFTS or willingness to learn new software
• Familiarity with basic accounting principles
• The ideal candidate will have patience, humor, creativity, a desire to learn and grow, and an appreciation for the importance of developing and maintaining a strong operational base for the implementation of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation’s vision and values.

Salary range: $75,000-$95,000

To apply: Please email a cover letter and resume to [email protected] with the subject heading “Grants and Operations Manager” by October 18, 2016.  This is a full time position based in our New York office (122 East 42nd St).