POSITION: Philanthropy Fellowship (One-Year Fellowship)
REPORTS TO: Vice President, Programs and Grants
LOCATION: New York, NY
FLSA STATUS: Non-Exempt
WEBSITE: www.thenytrust.org
START DATE: Monday, June 2nd, 2025
ABOUT US
As New York's largest community foundation, The New York Community Trust (The Trust) fosters and engages in enduring and innovative philanthropy, making grants that bring together the local knowledge and expertise of its team, nonprofits, and partners to help donors fulfill their vision for the causes they love. From education and the arts to health care and the environment, The Trust seeks to improve every aspect of the cultural and civic life of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester.
The Trust is a regional philanthropic leader, delivering nearly $200 million in grants in 2024 and more than $2 billion in the past decade. In addition to a distinguished competitive grantmaking program, The Trust hosts donor-advised funds (DAFs) that make grants throughout the United States as well as funder collaboratives that work on the leading edge of philanthropy to improve the lives of New Yorkers.
Having celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2024, The Trust has long been a leader in the field, with innovations ranging from establishing the first donor-advised fund in the 1930s to making landmark grants, including some of the first to fight AIDS, build The High Line, support immigrant communities in the region, and respond quickly in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Program Fellows (Fellowships 1 to 3)
The Trust seeks three Program Fellows to work with The Trust’s New York City grantmaking staff (program directors) on The Trust’s competitive grants program that supports efforts to advance healthy lives, promising futures, and thriving communities. Specifically, Trust grantmaking covers the following areas: Accessibility; Animal Welfare; Arts, Culture, & Historic Preservation; Civic Affairs; Community Development; Environment; Gender Equity; Health, Behavioral Health, and Biomedical Research; Human Justice; Human Services; Jobs and Workforce Development; Older Adults; Social Work Practice; Technical Assistance; and Youth Development.
Each Program Fellow will be assigned, based on their topics of study, experience, and interest, to work with grantmaking staff responsible for several of these areas. The Fellows will review and summarize grantee reports, attend site visits, collaborate in writing grant recommendations, and assist with other grantmaking activities. The Fellows will work directly with teams of three to four program staff, and indirectly with donor and communications/marketing staff.
Marketing and Communications (Fellowship 4)
The Marketing and Communications Fellow is a dynamic role that allows the candidate to gain a deep understanding of nonprofit communications and marketing in a collaborative and fast-paced environment. The Fellow will be involved with social media production, press and media outreach, developing and executing communications strategy, event publicity, research on communications products and software, user experience optimization, and accessibility.
The Marketing and Communications Fellow will help share and publicize The Trust’s work. Through a range of assignments, the Fellow will learn about promising work being done by leading nonprofits across a wide range of issues facing New York City and beyond. They will work directly with a five-person team, and indirectly with our donor and grantmaking staff.
Lorie. A. Slutsky Philanthropy Fellow (Fellowship 5)
This Fellowship is named for the third President of The Trust and endowed through contributions from Trust donors, board, staff, and other foundations. This Fellow will be housed in the General Counsel’s office but will work with other Trust departments. The Fellow will focus on significant issues affecting community foundations and the philanthropic sector (e.g., proposed changes in donor-advised fund rules, trends in philanthropy, assisting with collaborative funds, etc.). The Fellow will support Trust staff in specific administrative, programmatic, donor, and legal projects and work closely with other Fellows.
Requirements
FELLOWSHIP ELIGIBILITY AND DETAILS
- Applicants must be a student in a full-time graduate program. Typically, applicants are candidates for the following degrees: MA, MS, MPH, MPA, MPP, MSW, MEd, JD.
- Applicants must have existing authorization to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.
- This is a temporary and time-limited Fellowship. Fellows start on June 2, 2025. The Fellowship ends in May 2026. Fellows must commit to the entire period.
- Fellows must remain enrolled as full-time graduate students for the entire duration of the Fellowship.
- Fellows’ field of graduate study must match an aspect of the Fellowship.
- Fellowships are intended as learning experiences to complement Fellows’ graduate study.
- This is not an entry-level position at The Trust or intended to lead to one.
RESPONSIBILTIES
The three Program Fellows (Fellowship 1 to 3) will be exposed to all areas of The Trust’s competitive grantmaking: proposal review, grant investigation and analysis, site visits (virtual, if appropriate), writing grant recommendations, and reviewing reports. A major responsibility is monitoring grantee performance and writing of interim and final progress reports. Candidates must have strong writing skills; a background in one or more of the focus areas of The Trust’s competitive grants; an ability to communicate orally and in writing with nonprofit and/or grantee staff and leadership; the capacity to work independently and in a timely manner; and the ability to function within a professional office environment. Fellows work under the supervision of program directors for each area.
The Marketing and Communications Fellow (Fellowship 4) work will include, but not be limited to, producing social media content which may involve videography and video editing; conducting research related to marketing and communications; producing written content for print and online audiences, interviewing grantees and donors; and archiving content. The Fellow should have excellent writing, proofreading, and research skills; a commitment to detail and accuracy; strong organizational skills; and an ability to work both independently and as a team member. Helpful skills include photography, videography, and experience with website design, user experience, search engine optimization, and accessibility. The Fellow will work under the supervision of the marketing and communications team.
The Lorie. A. Slutsky Philanthropy Fellow (Fellowship 5) should have excellent research, writing, and proofreading skills; a commitment to detail and accuracy; strong organizational skills; and an ability to work both independently and as a team member. Because much of the analysis done by this Fellow will relate to philanthropic rules, regulations, and legislation, there is a preference for law school students with legal research and writing experience. This Fellow will work under the supervision of the General Counsel’s office.
COMPENSATION
Fellowships pay is $25 an hour. The position is on-site at our New York office, and we provide several remote options (holiday remote week, August remote month, monthly remote days, etc.).
Fellows are eligible for paid federal holidays and state-mandated safe/sick leave. Fellows also receive pay for the one week when The Trust is closed (August 25 to 29, 2025).
The Fellowships start on Monday, June 2, 2025. Fellows work up to 35 hours a week from June 2025 through August 2025 and, to accommodate class schedules, 15 to 20 hours a week between September 2025 to May 2026. Fellows must commit to the entire year.
HOW TO APPLY
Please apply through The Trust’s HRIS platform, Paylocity. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.
Please upload a resume, cover letter, and a short writing sample as a single PDF document. Writing samples should be between 500 and 1500 words and solely authored by the candidate.
Please specify in your cover letter for which Fellowship you are applying: the Program Fellowships (3 positions), the Marketing and Communications Fellowship (1 position), or the Lorie A. Slutsky Philanthropy Fellowship (1 position). If you are applying for a Program Fellowship, please also list in your cover letter which program areas best match your areas of study and interest.
You may only apply for one of the Fellowships. If we conclude that your qualifications may fit a different Fellowship than the one for which you applied for, we will share your application with other hiring teams. We will consider each response carefully but will contact only those individuals whose candidacies we seek to pursue.
The Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, citizenship status, disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law in its employment policies. In addition, The Trust will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.