Grassroots Program and Training Associate (Hybrid)

About the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment   

For 30 years, the Rose Foundation has supported grassroots initiatives that inspire community action to protect the environment, community health, and people’s rights. Our community-based grantmaking approach has earned national recognition for building grassroots power for conservation and social justice causes, and our New Voices Are Rising youth leadership and environmental stewardship program works to uplift and prioritize youth leadership in BIPOC communities that have been most impacted by social and environmental injustice.

Position Summary 

The Grassroots Program and Training Associate works with the Grassroots Program Officer to manage the Rose Foundation’s capacity building and training programs and support our grassroots grantmaking pipeline. Our grassroots grantmaking supports small and emerging local groups that are building climate resilience and advancing environmental justice in historically marginalized or impacted communities, predominantly BIPOC, frontline, and low-income communities. They will lead and coordinate logistics for training and networking programs for grantees, and assist with application evaluation, grantee communication, and grantmaking administration. This position is a great opportunity for someone who understands community-led activism and is eager to apply their training and facilitation skills towards helping to build the grassroots base of the environmental movement.

Who Should Apply 

You care about the planet, people, environmental justice, and building community power. You are a capable facilitator and trainer, with a deep understanding of systemic oppression and environmental justice issues faced by low-income communities and communities of color. You are an adept and adaptable project manager, able to hold multiple priorities and projects at the same time. You are detail-oriented and organized, with proficient computer skills and excellent interpersonal and communication skills. You have experience working with communities of color, and can connect with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences in-person and virtually. You love bringing people together and creating shared space for connection and learning. You are self-aware, reflective, and take responsibility for how your actions impact others. You enjoy playing a crucial role in a small, highly collaborative team, but are also comfortable working independently and taking ownership of your projects.

We value a diverse team whose lived experiences inform their relationship to social justice and community equity work. We encourage BIPOC folks to apply, as well as candidates who identify as women, femme, non-binary, or LGBTQ+. We encourage candidates who are comfortable conversing in Spanish, or another language commonly spoken in California communities of color, to apply.

Roles and Responsibilities 

The responsibilities of the Grassroots Program and Training Associate include, but are not limited to, the following:

Lead Grassroots Grantee Training and Networking Initiatives (50%)

• Collaborate with the Grassroots Program Officer, Executive Director, and other grants team members to strengthen the Rose Foundation’s overarching grantee training and networking initiatives.
• Plan and facilitate virtual and in-person programs that strengthen grantee organizational capacity, including hosting relevant trainings, partnering with third-party experts, and administering organizational capacity assessments. Specifically, coordinate the Grassroots Leadership Fund training cohort and annual Grassroots Grantee Convening. Past training topics have included nonprofit fundraising, digital organizing, lobbying, and advocacy strategies.
• Plan and facilitate virtual and in-person networking and peer-learning activities (like coaching sessions, happy hours, and grantee roundtables) that nurture grantee relationships and support across organizations.
• Ensure that we meet all relevant funding deliverables for our capacity building and training work.
• Offer individualized support and coaching to help grantees build organizational capacity.
• Assess the impact of our training, capacity building, and networking efforts, and work with Development and Communications to communicate impact with potential funders and supporters.
• Work with the Communications team to make relevant resources, trainings, and networking opportunities available to grantees, including leveraging our website and other communication platforms.

Support Grassroots Grantmaking Pipeline (40%)

• Support applicant recruitment, including developing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and coordinating with communications staff around distribution, and supporting applicants in navigating the Rose Foundation application process.
• Support the decision-making process, including performing due diligence and proposal evaluation, managing funding advisory board logistics, etc.
• Coordinate grantee site visits.
• Work with the Grassroots Program Officer and administrative team to execute all grants administration, including issuing contracts and payments, monitoring grantee reporting, and maintaining grantee data integrity.
• Support the completeness and accuracy of external communications related to Rose’s grassroots funds, including contributing to reports to donors and funders, and coordinating with communications staff to keep content on our website updated.

Participate in and Strengthen Organizational Initiatives (10%)

• Strengthen the grants team as a whole, including participating in the grants department effort to shape and implement overarching grantmaking strategies and partner with other grants staff to fill in where needed.
• Support all-hands-on-deck projects, like our annual fundraising event.
• Plan, lead, and/or contribute to activities that develop and strengthen our grantmaking team.
• Promote the organizational mission and join in the stewardship of organizational well-being.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience working with community organizations, environmental advocacy organizations, environmental conservation organizations, or organizations working towards environmental justice.
• Experience facilitating or training small- or mid-sized groups of social sector professionals, activists, or volunteers.
• Customer service mindset: responsive, patient, and engaging with colleagues and constituents.
• Highly organized, strong attention to detail, and ability to work under multiple priorities and deadlines with a collaborative problem-solving approach.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office Applications (especially Excel and Word) and learning a variety of new software applications.
• Commitment to environmental conservation, environmental justice, social equity, and building a strong grassroots activist base.
• Willing to occasionally work some evenings and weekends and able to sit at a standard desk for periods of 2 hours or more.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience helping small nonprofit groups build capacity.
• Coaching experience.
• Experience using data management systems.
• Two-or four-year college degree.
• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish or another language commonly spoken in California.

Salary, Hours, and Benefits   

The Grassroots Program and Training Associate is a regular, full-time, non-exempt, at-will position. Starting pay is in the range of $29 to $37 per hour (equivalent to $60,320-$76,960 annual salary) depending on experience and qualifications. Benefits include fully paid platinum-level health insurance (medical/dental/vision) for employee and dependents; sick leave which exceeds California standards; generous vacation and paid holidays; Flexible Spending Accounts; and 401k with employer contribution and match; plus, sabbatical and professional development opportunities. General hours are 9:30am-5:30pm, Monday through Friday, but occasional evening or weekend hours may be required. This role is envisioned as a hybrid one, requiring some in-office and in-person activities to be worked out with the supervisor.

Workplace Considerations 

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Rose staff is partially remote, with the option of working from the office if fully vaccinated against covid. We continue to monitor local and national public health guidelines and update our office/work protocols accordingly. The Rose Foundation will work with the hired candidate to ensure proper equipment setup and connectivity. Post-pandemic, we continue to envision a hybrid work environment dependent on individual roles and responsibilities.

Our office is in a commuter-friendly location five blocks from Lake Merritt BART; located near Jack London Amtrak, AC Transit including the 72R, 12, and Broadway Free Shuttle, and Oakland’s network of bike lanes.

The Rose Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.