The Opportunity

Are you passionate about systems change and finding ways to address the most pressing issues of our time? Are you a highly organized and proactive person looking to gain experience in philanthropy and deepen your understanding of grantmaking? 

One Project is looking for a Grants Assistant to join our team. You’ll work closely with and support our Grants and Partnerships team, providing administrative support and coordination across a variety of projects to create an exceptional experience for applicants and grantees grounded in clarity, ease, and equity. Ideal candidates will be adept at juggling multiple tasks and deadlines, with the ability to create and manage organizational systems to keep themselves and others organized. They will be able to anticipate needs and pivot quickly when new information or needs arise. This is a great entry-level role for an ambitious future-leader with the opportunity for deep mentorship and growth, in a groundbreaking organization doing impactful work.

Who We Are

One Project is a team who believes in a future that is free, fair, and flourishing for all.

Together with communities who are inspired to break away from failed and oppressive economic systems, our work is to help the world imagine what comes after capitalism, then foster the collaborations needed to create it. We work both as an operating non-profit and a giving foundation, to support this work and the wider ecosystem in which it may thrive.

But it starts with a vision. Let’s begin with the radical notion that all human beings on the planet can have enough food, shelter, health care, access to information and education, meaningful work, and the general conditions to lead a satisfying life of their choosing, rooted in equity and justice for all. And, crucially, we believe this can happen as the natural world regenerates, making wildlife more abundant, the climate more stable, the air and water cleaner, and ecosystems more self-sustaining. While this may sound naive or idealistic, we believe that humanity can achieve this within our lifetimes. In fact, we must at least move substantially in this direction before the interwoven threats of ecological destruction, social instability, and unaccountable technology threaten to end civilization as we know it.

What we cannot do, however, is get there by relying on the same systems that have, over the last 50 years, increased resource use to almost twice what the Earth can support while leaving billions of people living just barely above subsistence level and global existential risks unaddressed. We believe it’s time to address the root causes of these crises, before their symptoms overwhelm our planet and all of us.

That is why One Project’s mission exists. We do this work in solidarity with people around the world who are rising, to fight, to build and to dream, and as part of a much wider movement — a movement that today goes by many names. We find inspiration in those working among the solidarity economy, mutual aid, cooperatives, commoning, participatory democracy, and in broader movements for equality and justice around the world. In the words of the Zapatistas, the future we seek is “un mundo donde quepan muchos mundos” — one world where many worlds fit.

It’s in this space between crisis and opportunity, through cooperation, imagination, solidarity and practicality, we believe another world is truly possible, and it is what we are working for, together, at One Project.

What You’ll Do 

• Support the Grants and Partnerships team with a wide range of administrative and operational tasks, including calendar and email management
• Support internal and external communications throughout the grantee lifecycle; draft and edit correspondence and presentations for Boards, Advisors, OP team members, partners, and communities 
• Assist with grant review process by preparing for and participating in meetings and providing investment committee support
• Provide logistical and operational support for coordination of grantee events and meetings 
• Research, collect, and analyze information related to grant applications as well as potential and existing partnerships; provide reports and updates and conduct follow-up as needed
• Manage CRM and ensure timely and accurate updates to the database; exercise good judgment and pattern recognition in sharing relevant information with appropriate One Project team members to surface connected, interdependent opportunities 
• Support onboarding of a new grants management system
• Serve as a point of contact for general inquiries about grantmaking and partnerships; provide excellent service to partners, grantees, internal teammates and others, ensuring compliance with OP standards, policies, and procedures
• Partner with team members across the organization and communicate regularly to ensure transparency and ensure shared expectations across stakeholders
• Manage special projects and systems related to grants management

You may be the candidate we’re looking for if you bring… 

• 1-3 years of work experience; ideally, you understand the grants process through work at a grantmaking organization or at an organization receiving grant funding, and you’re energized to support systems and processes that create an excellent grantee experience. 
• A strong desire and personal commitment to social/economic/environmental justice; you’re driven to explore and address pressing social issues. Exposure to progressive and/or justice-oriented philanthropy is a plus.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills; you’re action-oriented and you get things done effectively.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; you’re capable of communicating with internal and external stakeholders and know how to adapt your communication style for the appropriate audience.
• Proactivity, a commitment to high quality work and timely follow through; you know when to ask for clear instructions, and when to figure things out on your own. 
• Experience and understanding of how to use technology to organize oneself and others; you have proficiency with Google Suite; Asana and CRM experience are a plus. 
• A collaborative mindset with an ability to relate to others; you are relationally-oriented and understand how to build trust as part of your work. 
• Learning-orientation and curiosity; you’re hungry to grow and succeed in your career. You’re eager to grow alongside a passionate team and manager invested in your career beyond this role.
• Experience or capacity to work in multiple languages is a plus. 

At One Project, we seek team members who approach their work with:

• Clear thinking and communication skills 
• Creativity with problem solving and collaboration 
• Ability to work independently and efficiently along with the capability to integrate diverse cognitive styles and cultural backgrounds
• Commitment to excellence and high quality work
• A mind open to new ideas and ways of considering the world and curiosity about how to build  better systems
• Comfort with ambiguity and a dynamic environment coupled with ability to drive towards clarity and action
• Interest and drive to grow in your position and the organization

Working at One Project

One Project strives to be a place where a diverse mix of talented people are empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to do their best work. Our goal is to build a team that reflects the world we live in and celebrates multiple approaches and points of view. We believe diversity drives innovation and every idea deserves consideration and respect. We have an unwavering commitment to inclusion across educational background, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, citizenship, socioeconomic status, disability, and veteran status.

The starting salary for this role is $70,000. One Project offers competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits to attract the strongest candidates and to reflect our values. 

What You Can Expect from Our Hiring Process:

Application Deadline: March 17, 2023

We plan to begin interviews in February, with the intention of making a hire towards the end of March. We hope that the hired candidate will be able to join us in April 2023, with some flexibility for a candidate’s personal and professional commitments. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automated confirmation. If you are selected for an interview, we aim to reach out to you within 2 weeks of submitting your application.

Our inclusive hiring process is designed for us to get to know you and for you to get to know us.  We typically include a compensated assignment as one of the final steps in our process, and we may ask to review examples of your work. 

Our process is likely to include:

• An initial phone or video interview with People Operations/Recruiting 
• A second video interview with our Grants Specialist
• A short interview assignment (candidates will be compensated for their time and work) and debrief with our Grants and Partnerships Team
• Reference checks 

How to Apply 

Please submit your resume below. As part of the application process, we’re asking candidates to answer a few written questions in place of a cover letter. Your answers will help us get to know you better and hopefully give you a chance to better understand what we are looking for in candidates. 

Short-answer questions: 

• What interests you about this role and about One Project?
• What experience do you have working with grants and/or in an administrative or operational capacity?
• One Project is an early-stage, ambitious initiative with a deep commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Tell us about how these values (you do not have to address each separately) have shown up in your life and work.