The Organization
Justice Funders (JF) is a national organization with programs that support individual, organizational, and field-wide transformation in philanthropy to achieve a just transition. JF is a partner and guide for philanthropy in reimagining practices that advance a thriving and just world. We believe that such a world cannot be achieved if institutional philanthropy is constrained by its ingrained practices that uphold the accumulation of wealth and power, while perpetuating systemic social and economic inequality. We are guided by the Just Transition principles that build political and economic power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy, and call on philanthropic institutions to help accelerate a Just Transition by redistributing wealth, democratizing power and shifting economic control to communities.
JF is a worker self-directed non-profit organization, which means that all staff have a role and responsibility in governing the organization and stewarding its resources. All team members make a commitment to the principles and organizational practices of worker self-direction, including shared leadership, democratic governance, and tending to the organization’s internal systems and processes, and to our organizational values of psychological safety, centering well-being, radical interdependence, and untethered imagination.
We are in the midst of significant organizational growth and evolution, and are excited to bring on new team members who are comfortable with change and have the ability to adapt to shifting circumstances.
Position Overview
The Director of Capital Strategies will play a critical role in mobilizing resources toward the creation of community-controlled institutions that build economic, cultural and political power in Black, Indigenous and other communities of color that have borne the brunt of the extractive economy. The position will be responsible for supporting our movement partners in raising integrated capital investments (i.e., both grants and non-extractive loans) for their Just Transition capital projects (e.g., community land trusts, worker-owned cooperatives, community-owned food & agriculture development projects, etc.) and loan funds that are experimenting with true alternatives to capitalism by building local, regenerative economies that provide for everyone’s needs.
Ideal candidates will have experience in 1) developing and implementing capital campaigns, and/or 2) developing and implementing integrated capital fundraising strategies.
One of our core partners is the Richmond Our Power Coalition (ROPC), a coalition of nine grassroots base-building organizations who have been advancing strategies for Just Transition in Richmond, CA for the past 10 years. Five of the organizations have been actively engaged in land and real estate acquisition efforts for Just Transition projects and enterprises, whose capital needs range from $6 million to $25 million. This position will support ROPC members and other movement partners in the planning and design of capital campaigns and capital raising strategies, and mobilizing resources (both grants and non-extractive loans) from philanthropic institutions committed to aligning their investment practices with the values and principles of Just Transition.
Through support from the Chorus Foundation, Justice Funders has secured funding for 5 years to advance this work, hence this will be a time-limited position. There are a few responsibilities of this position that will require interfacing with the Chorus Foundation and their network officers (i.e., counterparts to this position) in other regions.
This position will be accountable to the vision and priorities of the ROPC and other movement partners and work in coordination with the Chorus Foundation’s network officers. This position will work collaboratively with other members of the Justice Funders Integrated Capital Team including the Director of Investment Partnerships (whose work includes building out a Just Transition integrated capital fund) and the Director of Capital Activation (whose work includes influencing and inspiring the field of philanthropy to adopt a Just Transition framework for investing). The Director of Capital Strategies reports to and works closely with the Senior Director of Just Transition Investing.
The Director of Capital Strategies is a 100% FTE, exempt salaried position. Annual gross salary is $106,000*. Depending on annual revenue goals and priorities, employees may also receive an annual salary increase of 5% around each anniversary with the organization, as well as a 3% Cost of Living (COLA) bonus toward the end of each calendar year. Justice Funders’ benefit package includes 100% coverage of employee medical insurance (up to 50% premium coverage for employee dependents); 99% of dental and vision insurance premium (up to 50% for employee dependents); 100% life insurance premium coverage; access to a Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Dependent Care FSA, and Health Savings Account (HSA); opportunity to participate in Justice Funders-sponsored 403(b) retirement plan; an annual staff engagement plan with a $4,000 professional development budget; an onboarding home office ergonomic furniture or equipment budget; and a monthly cell phone and internet stipend. Annual leave benefits include: 20 vacation days, 24 Wellness Days (a combination of 12 sick days and 12 holidays, which can be used at any time, pending supervisor approval), up to five days Paid Leave for Parents or Caretakers of School-Age Children, up to 12 weeks Paid Family & Medical Leave (FMLA), Paid Time Off Winter Break, and a three-month Sabbatical after five years of continuous employment at Justice Funders.
*Please note: As part of our efforts to ensure equity among positions at each tier of the organization, the salary posted in this job description is the starting salary for all director-level positions at the organization at the time of this posting. We do not want to create disparity or leave it to subjective decision making by offering a salary range or practicing negotiation.
Justice Funders is a worker-led non-profit organization and an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, disability, gender identity or expression, nationality, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, or any other status protected by law. Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color; working-class people; Disabled people; and, LGBTQIA persons are strongly encouraged to apply.
How To Apply
Please follow the link below to submit 1) Resume; and, 2) Cover letter that includes your reflections on: (a) How you would apply the Just Transition Framework in this role and (b) How you would practice Shared Leadership, Psychological Safety, and Emotional Intelligence with fellow team members: