Location: Fully Remote, based in the United States.
Reports to: LIFE Steering Committee
Salary: $120,000per year for each co-director. There will be two co-directors.
Position(s)Summary
The Co-Directors of LIFE (Liberating Investment in the Food & Farm Ecosystem) provide executive leadership for the organization. Co-Directors are responsible for stewarding the organization to develop and execute strategy and goals to achieve its mission, ensure responsiveness and accountability to members, develop and maintain organizational infrastructure, ensure financial sustainability, and nurture positive and productive relationships with key stakeholders.
We are accepting proposals from either individuals or pairs. If two people are interested in applying as Co-Directors, we welcome this. As a result, we may hire both Co-Directors at the same time or at separate times, as appropriate.
We are seeking self-motivated candidates who are dedicated to BIPOC leadership, hold an intersectional analysis of social justice, and have a track record of building collaborative and inclusive relationships within and/or outside of the food and farm justice movements to fill these roles.
The Co-Directors can be located anywhere in the United States. The Co-Directors report to a Steering Committee and the fiscal sponsor RESIST, and are supported and advised by a Strategic Consultant.
About LIFE
Catalyzed by this 2020 Open Letter to Food Systems Funders, LIFE is a membership-based group whose mission is to build power and democratically redistribute funds to meet the needs of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color communities. We work towards food and agricultural justice by organizing resources and transforming philanthropic institutions.
We envision a society where Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color are fully resourced and have the agency to steward resources, build power, and advance work toward food, agriculture, and land justice.
LIFE currently has 12 BIPoC-led member organizations. Current focus areas within the collaborative include redistributing resources formerly hoarded by philanthropic entities to BIPoC-led food and land justice organizations, organizing funders to align with LIFE’s mission, and building infrastructure to scale up our resource governance and redistribution capacity. In all that we do we are driven and guided by a set of core values that include: collective power, democracy, equity, collaboration, Self-Determination, transparency, trust, and a thriving ecosystem building towards food justice and food sovereignty. To actualize our aims, LIFE Co-Directors will need to demonstrate alignment with these values.
Core Role and Responsibilities
The Co-Directors collectively lead and/or delegate the below responsibilities. Please note that this is a combined job description and responsibilities are expected to be shared or split between two Co-Directors. Put another way: we do NOT expect one person to hold ALL of these roles and responsibilities! Co-Directors may also delegate responsibilities to new hires or contractors that they manage, in alignment with the organization’s budget and in consultation with the LIFE Steering Committee.
Develop strategies to disrupt and challenge traditional philanthropy, including:
· Work with LIFE members to develop strategy to fulfilling its mission and vision
· Partner with and learning from aligned formations who disrupt and challenge philanthropy
· Track and amplifying philanthropic investment (or lack thereof) in BIPOC leadership
Communications:
· Represent LIFE with funders, partners, and external audiences with support from members
· Develop one pagers, funding proposals, and other materials for LIFE and/or support member-drafted public communications (blogs, articles, op-eds, etc.)
· Maintain web-presence for LIFE
Member Organizing:
· Develop meeting arc for LIFE members
· Facilitate group processes, including full member meetings, Steering Committee, and ad-hoc working group meetings
· Facilitate clear decision-making processes and helping the group to land clear outcomes and decisions
· Lead group towards theory and design of infrastructure for democratic and participatory grant-making processes
· Engage grantees & LIFE members in distribution of funds as per the grantmaking design
· Onboard new LIFE members
Resource Organizing:
· Maintain high level view of the field, what’s needed, make recommendations re: granting processes
· Build relationships with justice-based funders whose values mirror LIFE’s and engage funder formations in moving towards justice-based funding
· Work in collaboration with members to develop and execute fundraising strategies for LIFE operations and regranting goals
Administration:
· Manage LIFE inbox and google drive
· Correspond with fiscal sponsor on all administrative items, such as credit card payments, member stipends, regrants, and contract payments
· Track and share financial information with members as needed
· Manage regranting process from start to finish
· Process distribution of funds to members and grantees
· Calendar, take notes, and follow up on all meetings. Provide email summary and recap for all members; ensure member follow through on action items from previous meetings.
Supervisory Responsibility - Co-Directors will work with contractors, and possibly additional staff in the future.
Expected hours of work - Standard days and hours of work are Monday through Friday daytimes. Some evening hours and weekend hours may be required depending on time zones or for travel. Must be available for member committee meetings.
Travel- Travel 2-3 times/year should be anticipated to attend funder conferences and/or LIFE member gatherings.
QUALIFICATIONS
“Must have” qualifications of each candidate:
· Deep understanding of the intersections of race, gender, economic, and ecological justice, and a proven track record of leading with anti-racist values
· Unapologetic commitment to building power and leadership with BIPOC-led food and farm justice groups with a basic understanding of the national food and farm justice movement
· Demonstrated commitment to the mission, values, and aspirations of LIFE
· Leadership style that is:
-Low-ego - you are committed to lifting and centering the work of members and other leaders
-Generative and creative
-Facilitative and collaborative - you demonstrate the ability to flexibly share leadership and build consensus. When necessary, you can take initiative and make tough decisions.
· Motivation and ability to be self-directed in achieving workplan goals
· Strong strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and conflict management skills.
· Critical understanding and analysis of philanthropy as a sector
· Comfort working in remote environments and building strong teams remotely
· Ability to hold the big picture and dive into the details, when needed
· Patience and stamina to work in a “start-up” organizational environment with minimal organizational infrastructure
“Nice to have” qualifications of each candidate:
· Prior organizational leadership
· Ability to fundraise (institutional donors and individuals), oversee fund development, and execute the writing of grant proposals and reports
· Experience working with funders and navigating philanthropic spaces
· Experience managing and navigating transformative conflict
Other qualifications we are looking for:
· Proven track record of coalition-building and cultivating partnerships.
· Excellent project management skills
· Ability to read and understand nonprofit organizational financial statements
· Fluency using cloud-based systems like Google suite
· Excellent English-language oral and written communication skills
· Organizational development, strategic planning, organizational planning, and staff management experience
Position Type and Compensation
100% FTE, exempt position. Annual gross pay per co-executive director is $120,000.
RESIST Inc. Benefits Package for 100% FTE includes:
· 100% of health and dental coverage, whether individual or family
· A health reimbursement account to cover out of pocket medical expenses
· 403(b) retirement account matching up to 4% of employee contributions (as part of a commitment to divest from the stock market, this benefit is on pause, and has been temporarily replaced with a 4% end of year bonus)
· Unlimited Paid Time Off, with a minimum of 30 days a year (including individually and organizationally chosen holidays, sick leave, and vacation)
· Additional paid time off for parental or bereavement leave
· Staff members may use paid time to attend local political demonstrations with sensitivity to the needs of the organization
· Immediate bond for any staff member arrested on a misdemeanor charge for participating in a political activity which may include nonviolent civil disobedience
Physical Demands/Work Environment
The physical demands described for this position are that of a typical office environment. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time in front of a computer screen is an essential aspect of the position. There may be a need to lift and/or move materials or equipment.
Equal Opportunity Workplace
At this point, we hope you're feeling excited about the job description you’re reading. Even if you don't feel that you or your team meets every single criteria, we still encourage you to apply. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidates for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background.
Interested parties may apply for the position individually or as a two-person team. We strongly encourage people directly impacted by structural oppression, including Black, indigenous, people of color, people from low-income backgrounds, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ folks to seek employment (or board)opportunities with us. We do not conduct criminal background checks on candidates.
HOW TOAPPLY
LIFE is accepting applications for this role until it is filled. Please share your resume and a leadership statement (ideally one page) that describes your overall philosophy and practical approaches to careers[AT]liberatefoodfunds.org. Also please don’t hesitate to reach out to careers[AT]liberatefoodfunds.org with any questions or nominations.
Applications due March 15, 2024 with a May 1st start date.
