Job Announcement: Grants and Operations Assistant
ABOUT THE IMPACT FUND
The Impact Fund believes that communities should be able to join together to use the courts to protect their jobs, families, communities, and environment. To that end, we provide strategic leadership and support for class and impact litigation seeking economic, environmental, racial, and social justice. The Impact Fund was founded in 1992 to provide grants to support impact litigation intended to benefit large numbers of people, change larger systems, or lead to significant legal reform. Since our founding, we have also built an active docket of impact civil rights cases that we litigate directly and a variety of legal trainings for public interest practitioners. For more information about the Impact Fund, visit our website: https://www.impactfund.org/aboutus.
ABOUT THE GRANT PROGRAM
The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms using impact litigation to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of $10,000 to $50,000. We also offer rapid response grants, including a newly launched program for immigration-related cases. For more information about our grant program, visit www.impactfund.org/about-legal-case-grants.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Grants and Operations Assistant works with the Grant Program Director and the Grant Program Associate to achieve the goals of the Impact Fund Grant Program, while also providing support for the office and Executive Director. The Grants and Operations Assistant’s primary goals are to provide application and grant processing support, oversee general office operations, facilitate meetings of the Board of Directors and Grant Advisory Committee, and provide administrative support to the Executive Director. This is a full-time, non-exempt position and reports to the Grant Program Director, with additional supervision provided by the Executive Director.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The responsibilities of the Grants and Operations Assistant include the following:
Application and Grant Support (60%)
Pipeline:
Support, research, and screen requests from the general public
Support applicants in their use of our Grant Portal
Schedule and assist with informational calls with potential applicants
Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) and Applications:
Conduct due diligence research and prepare records in grant management system
Provide support for LOI Evaluation Meetings with Executive Director
Participate in LOI staff analysis and evaluation with the Grants team
Reviewer Coordination:
Recommend reviewers for applications according to their experience and interests
Provide support for reviewers and applicants
Grant Processing:
Create and send grant award packets in Docusign and track completion
Collect grantee banking information and submit grant payment approvals
Communications:
Create and send outreach emails
Maintain outreach email list
Other:
Draft annual grant calendar
Provide support for hiring related to the intern program and other positions
Support colleagues in preparation for Impact Fund events, as needed
Represent the program and organization at events and conferences
Provide support for other projects by the Grant Program Director, as needed
Office Management (20%)
Staff:
Coordinate and lead staff meetings
Create and distribute monthly schedule for monthly team updates
Coordinate staff celebrations and activities
Office:
Handle front desk reception: packages, mail, and general email
Serve as liaison with building management regarding building-related issues
Oversee maintenance of office equipment and materials
Purchase office snacks and tea/coffee, office supplies, and other items, as needed
Organize and tidy office, as needed
IT:
Serve as staff liaison for IT consultant
Provide backup support for Ring Camera
Board of Directors and Grant Advisory Committee Support (15%)
Provide scheduling support and logistical coordination for quarterly board and grantmaking meetings, as well as two board subcommittee meetings
Prepare meeting materials and manage video conferencing technology during meetings
Draft and manage the editing and signing of the meeting minutes
Coordinate the annual Board/GAC/Staff Holiday Dinner
Executive Director Support (5%)
Provide administrative support to Executive Director, as needed
TECHNOLOGIES
The technologies used by the Grants and Operations Assistant include the following:
Fluxx, Docusign, Asana, Excel, Word, Constant Contact, Zoom, Meeting Owl, Ring Camera, Outlook, Teams, Canva
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Demonstrated commitment to our primary purpose: to support impact litigation on behalf of communities seeking economic, environmental, racial, and social justice
Cultural competency including awareness of personal attitudes, beliefs, and biases, and ability to effectively and respectfully receive and communicate feedback
Extremely organized, detail-oriented, with ability to manage own time effectively
Experience managing multiple projects and tasks with competing deadlines
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, particularly in written and verbal communications, with an ability to empathize with our applicants and grantees
Ability to work with technology such as Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, Fluxx, and Asana
Ability to travel occasionally within the Bay Area
Bachelor’s degree in one or more of the following fields: nonprofit service, legal, philanthropy, or public policy — or a comparable level of relevant experience
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer
Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Supportive and inclusive work environment where all team members’ contributions are valued
Physical office located in Downtown Berkeley, immediately adjacent to BART
9:00am to 5:00pm office hours, which include a paid 30-minute lunch break and two paid 15-minute rest breaks
Hybrid work schedule, with Mondays and Thursdays in office and remote work optional on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Full-time salary starting at $60,000, based on experience
Strong benefits package, including:
Student loan repayment assistance up to $500/month
15 days of paid vacation for your first year of employment, increasing thereafter to the maximum of 20 days of paid vacation in year 5
2 weeks paid winter break office closure
14 days of paid holiday leave per year: 11 paid state/federal holidays + 3 floating holidays
10 days of paid sick leave per year
Two months of paid sabbatical leave every five years
Health, vision, and dental insurance with employee premiums subsidized at 100% and spouse/dependent premiums subsidized at 50% ($12,500 annual cap for dependent health care contributions)
Long-term disability and life insurance with employee premiums subsidized at 100%
Access to a 403b retirement plan with voluntary contributions through payroll deductions
Employer retirement contributions of 3% of salary, vested after 3 years of employment
HOW TO APPLY
Please send PDFs of the following to grants@impactfund.org with Grants and Operations Assistant – [your name] in the subject line:
Cover letter that explains the ways in which your background and/or experience demonstrates your commitment to social justice work
Resume
Writing sample*
*We encourage you to submit a sample you have already written, such as a memo, article, or paper completed for a work project or class that showcases your writing ability.
Priority deadline: May 4, 2026
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, with a priority deadline of May 4, 2026. Later in the process, we may request contact information for three professional or academic references.
The Impact Fund is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply. If you require accommodations during any part of the hiring process, please email us at grants@impactfund.org.