Proteus Fund organizes donor collaboratives, provides fiscal sponsorship, and makes grants to organizations that advance social justice. Our work lifts up opportunities, gaps, and challenges facing social justice fields and organizations— and organizes donors to impactfully support their frontline work.

About the Organization

Proteus Fund connects philanthropy to the frontlines of social justice. We strive to advance the interconnected goals of racial, gender, queer, and disability justice and an inclusive, fully representative democracy. To do our work effectively and with significant impact, Proteus Fund creates dynamic relationships between progressive philanthropists, movement leaders, and other allies that go far beyond transactional grantmaking. Our trusted position among funders and field actors enables us to support a broad array of strategies to achieve social justice victories. Our donor collaboratives are best-in-class models for bridging responsive philanthropy and cutting-edge social justice movements for deeper impact, aligning resources to address critical needs, and shaping strategy alongside our partners. Through our fiscal sponsorship program, Proteus Fund partners with initiatives which play a powerful role in the larger ecosystem for social change, providing them with tailored and comprehensive organizational support.

Piper Fund, one of Proteus' four donor collaboratives, supports efforts to protect core conditions of an inclusive, multiracial democracy: getting monied interests out of politics, advancing judicial integrity of state courts, and protecting the right to protest and dissent. All three programs within Piper Fund apply grantmaking and field building strategies, as well as sharing information with others in philanthropy, to advance these goals.

Proteus Fund operates and pursues its work based on a set of values synergistic with our vision and mission:

Diversity, equity, and inclusion;
Integrity and professionalism;
Transparency and accountability; and
Respect and humility.

To date, Proteus Fund, and its affiliated 501c4 organization, the Proteus Action League, have distributed more than $300 million in grants, and provided other essential tools to support activists, advocates, networks, coalitions, and issue-specific campaigns at the local, state, and national level. Proteus Fund is a national organization with an office in New York, NY and remote staff across the country.

You can learn more about Proteus Fund at their website.

About the Role

What You'll Do

The Piper Fund Program Officer, Right to Protest leads Piper Fund and Piper Action Fund's work to protect freedom of assembly and dissent. In partnership with Piper Fund's Director, the Program Officer plays a key role in developing and implementing the overall strategy for the program's grantmaking, field-building and convening, and donor education and engagement efforts. The Program Officer builds and maintains significant expertise about the field, including monitoring trends in state and federal attempts to restrict the right to protest and dissent, strategic responses of state and national groups, and fostering relationships with key players, grantees, funders, and other leaders at both national and local levels.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Grantmaking

Strengthen and refine the program's grantmaking theory of change, articulating a guiding approach, key values, priority issues within the field of right to protest and dissent, and geographies to ensure grantmaking aligns with Piper Fund and Piper Action Fund goals and priorities.
Manage rapid response and proactive grantmaking as threats to freedom of assembly arise, including tracking threats, prioritizing states, identifying and assessing potential grantees, reviewing and evaluating proposals, and reviewing reports for both c3 and c4 grants.
Apply a relational grantmaking approach through regular communications and proposal review processes, including requests for proposals, researching and evaluating proposals, conducting site visits, and written assessments and recommendations. Track and stay abreast of grantee progress and challenges.

Field-building, capacity-building, and convening

Work in partnership with the Protect Dissent Network (PDN) Manager, who leads the national Protect Dissent Network (PDN), a network of over 100 diverse organizations convened by the Right to Protest program, including hosting and facilitating biweekly calls and coordinating national efforts in support of state groups.
Collaborate with the PDN Manager in planning and hosting in-person and online convenings to strengthen the network, develop strategy, deepen coordination and trust, provide shared learning opportunities, and identify core priorities.
In partnership with the PDN Manager, identify and respond to needs in the field, such as securing partnerships and providers for communications/narrative support; safety and security support; and ongoing learning needs and opportunities. Identify and develop plans to address critical gaps.
Identify and participate meaningfully in special projects that are opportunities to advance and strengthen the overall field.

Donor engagement and fundraising

In partnership with the Director, develop and sustain relationships with donors, stakeholders, and funding partners. Develop strategic communications and learning opportunities for the funding community.
Represent the organization in donor briefings and other funding spaces; communicate issue-analysis, program goals, progress, and funding needs to current and prospective funders and grantees.
In partnership with the Program Director and the Director of Strategic Partnerships, fundraise for the program by actively researching and identifying donor prospects, meeting with potential funders, and collaborating with Strategic Partnerships staff to ensure that proposals and reports have relevant and accurate programmatic information.
Seek opportunities to develop and participate in special projects and strategic partnerships to advance awareness of and support for the issue and to deepen coordination in philanthropic spaces, including partnering with philanthropy serving organizations.
Collaborate with the Program Director, Director of Strategic Partnerships, and Director of Communications to develop communications materials to engage the funding community around defending freedom of assembly.

Programmatic, team, and organizational leadership

Collaborate with the Program Director, Chief Financial Officer, and other finance staff to create and monitor the annual budget for Piper's Right to Protest program.
Participate meaningfully in organization-wide efforts, such as Proteus Fund's Grantee Safety & Security Fund, the Donor Collaboratives Program Team, and scenario planning.
Play a key role in Piper team-wide activities, such as strategic planning and Piper Fund donor convenings.
For the Right to Protest program specifically, identify capacity gaps and needs, and secure contractors for additional support as needed.

Who You'll Work With

You will report to the Director, Piper Fund.
You will frequently collaborate with the Protect Dissent Network Manager.

Required Skills and Experience

While no one person will embody all the qualifications listed below, the ideal incumbent will possess many of the following:

Bachelor's degree and a minimum of five years full-time professional work experience with:
leading organizing campaigns and/or lobbying at the state and/or local level on social justice issues
advocating for racial and economic justice, and/or structural democracy issues (e.g. First Amendment rights, civic space) strongly preferred
prior experience in philanthropy is also preferred
Experience facilitating broad-based coalitions and building inclusive, trust-based, and values-aligned relationships across the field
Advanced racial equity analysis and demonstrated commitment to building power among underrepresented communities
Exceptional critical thinking skills and systems awareness, with the capacity to identify opportunities, challenges, and strategic responses; demonstrates an ability to design programmatic approaches that align with long-term movement goals
Clear and compelling communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders across roles and settings; effectively adapts messaging to reflect audience, context, and cultural nuance
Strong commitment to the mission and values of Proteus Fund as a progressive, social justice organization, including a deep investment in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)

Additional Details

Location and Work Environment

This is a fully remote position based anywhere in the United States near a major airport, requiring a minimum of 25% travel for internal meetings and retreats as well as conferences and other events. This full-time position requires a minimum of 40 hours per week. Business hours are Monday through Friday between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm in the time zone where the candidate is located. Additional hours are occasionally required.

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $110,000 - $133,000. Proteus Fund is committed to ensuring pay equity within the organization. Salary is based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: geography and years of previous applicable experience. Additional detail on compensation tiers will be shared throughout the process. Please note that salary is one part of the total compensation that Proteus Fund provides to employees.

Benefits

Medical, Dental and Vision benefits for employee and eligible dependents available on first day of work
Professional development initiatives for growth
Generous Vacation: 3 weeks vacation in first year, 4 weeks per year after that
Retirement savings account (401k) with an organizational contribution of 10% of annual salary
Additional Time Off: 15 sick days, 3 personal days per year, 15 paid holidays (including 3 floating), winter break
Paid Family Leave

Equity at Proteus Fund

Proteus Fund believes that one of the greatest strengths of an organization is the rich diversity of its staff and board, and is committed to providing equal employment and promotional opportunities based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, ethnicity, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established under the law. Proteus Fund's policies and practices are to reflect Proteus Fund's commitment to nondiscrimination in all areas of employment.

Accessibility

Proteus Fund is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Proteus will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact info@on-ramps.com. Additionally, throughout this document, use of the pronoun "they" is intended to be inclusive of individuals who identify as non-binary as well as those of gender expansive identities and experiences.

To Apply:

Please submit your application through the link below as a single PDF that includes:

A concise cover letter addressing the following:
why this role is compelling to you, highlighting your leadership experience leading organizing campaigns and/or lobbying at the state and/or local level on social justice issues
your experience advancing racial justice in your work to date.
Your resume

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Piper Fund Program Officer, Right to Protest