Open Positions:
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Grant Manager
Columbia County Sanctuary Movement (CCSM) organizes with (im)migrants and allies to collectively support, empower and defend our communities. The Grant Manager will work closely with the Co-Executive Directors, staff, and the Coordinating Committee to bring CCSM to the next level of organizational development and accomplish our goals by prospecting, cultivating, and securing grants in line with CCSM’s mission.
CCSM is building a representative staff that contributes to leadership development within our community. We will provide training and mentorship to applicants who we believe would be a strong addition to our team but do not have all of the qualifications below.
Grant Writing
- Conduct a full range of activities required to prepare, submit, and manage compelling letters of intent and grant proposals to foundations, corporations, and government entities.
- Work with program staff to find compelling stories and outcomes to share with funders
- Collaborate with allied organizations to apply for joint grants in coordination with Co-Directors
- Implement a rubric for evaluating prospective grant opportunities and conduct research on prospective funding opportunities and new institutional partners
- With support from colleagues, develop narratives for all requirements of proposals, LOIs, and grants, including timelines, outcomes, evaluations, and plans
- Strengthen outcomes and deliverables tracking to systemize grant reporting
- Work with Co-Directors to ensure proposal budgets and financial reports are prepared in accordance with grant requirements Compile and keep track of grant reporting as required by foundation and corporate grantors
- Maintain records in the database, including grant tracking and reporting in collaboration with the rest of CCSM staff
- Write, revise, and edit drafts of compelling one-pagers and other supplemental documentation for institutional funders, individual donors, and other audiences Continuously maintain updated, accurate high-quality boilerplate proposal language and general information bank for use by CCSM team
- Other duties as assigned
Funder Prospecting and Cultivation:
- Develop and maintain an understanding of CCSM’s evolving programs
- Work with Co-Directors, staff, and Coordinating Committee to understand CCSM’s fundraising priorities
- Manage a portfolio of foundation, corporation, governmental, and other prospects while researching and identifying new potential funding sources, both local and national; present new prospects and suggest next steps
- Record prospecting research in CCSM’s database
- Maintain a calendar of grant deadlines, award notifications, report deadlines and decision dates accessible to all CCSM staff
- Provide advice and recommendations on how to best systematize our grant-seeking process
- Articulate CCSM’s impact by presenting powerful narratives with qualitative and quantitative metrics
- Work with colleagues to ensure that CCSM appropriately acknowledges grant awards beyond required reporting, including the development and implementation of regular stewardship mailings and other activities
Qualifications
- Commitment to CCSM’s mission, immigrant communities, and principles of collective liberation
- Proven track record of successful grant proposals highly preferred
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Skill at editing content to meet limited word and character counts while still providing persuasive and clear information to potential funders
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, including the ability to develop, implement, and refine systems and follow-up processes
- Candidate should be willing and able to adapt to new and evolving organizational and funding priorities and deadlines and to work occasional evenings/weekends as events and project deadlines dictate
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to connect with staff and members across diverse functions
- Ability to meet deadlines, manage multiple simultaneous projects, and pay close attention to detailed proposal/reporting guidelines
- Knowledge of and experience with public funding and government resources, and institutional donor cultivation/stewardship a plus
- Bilingualism (English / Spanish) a plus
- Willingness to work in both a remote and in-person setting
- Valid driver’s license, access to a car, and ability to travel
- Relationships with immigrant communities / Resident of Columbia or Greene County preferred
- Take feedback well and have a learning mindset
- Directly impacted by or experience with immigration system preferred
Statistics show that people with marginalized identities often do not apply for positions when they do not meet all qualifications. We encourage you to push past the imposter syndrome and apply anyway.
Terms of Employment
This is a full-time position (approximately 40 hours a week) with a starting salary of $50,652 and significant annual raises based on CCSM’s pay scale. Benefits include Health (90%), Vision and Dental Insurance (100%), housing stipend, a work computer, a work cell phone, mileage reimbursement, paid holidays, unlimited paid time off with prior approval and a 401k plan is currently being established.
We are committed to compensating our team fairly and decreasing the inequity that can come from salary negotiations. Therefore, the posted salary and benefits are the best we can offer at this time, and we will continue to build a benefits package that supports all staff.
This position will be mostly remote; however, we hold in-person staff meetings every other week, in-person Coordinating Committee meetings once a month, and ask that you be available in-person for funder site visits, organization-wide events, and funder outreach opportunities.
CCSM is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages people of color, women, working-class people, LGBTQIA people, immigrants, formerly incarcerated people, and people with disabilities to apply.
To Apply:
Please send a cover letter, resume, and three professional references with emails and phone numbers to sanctuarycolumbiacounty@gmail.com with “Job Application- Grant Manager” as the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis but preference will be given to those who apply by January 1, 2024.
Your cover letter should answer the following questions, and demonstrate your ability to write clearly and compellingly:
- How are you impacted by the immigration system?
- Why are you interested in this role?
- What experiences have you had that make you interested in this position? (Your response does NOT need to include formal work experience)
If we decide to move forward, we will ask you to send us two short writing samples, and upon review invite you to an interview. We will not check references until after the interview.
Immigration Attorney
The Columbia County Sanctuary Movement (CCSM) organizes with immigrants and allies to collectively support, empower and defend our communities. We are a multilingual non-profit organization dedicated to providing holistic services, education and engaging members in campaigns for systemic change. This position is based in Hudson, New York with the ability to work a hybrid remote/in-office schedule and will report to Co-Executive Directors.
The Staff Attorney will provide legal representation to recent arrivals and long term residents on both affirmative applications and in removal proceedings. The attorney can expect to appear before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, New York City Immigration Court, and Buffalo Immigration Court. The Director of Legal Services, will have the opportunity to work along CCSM to use creative legal remedies and gutsy advocacy strategies to challenge the unjust deportation machine and inhumane immigration legal system.
70% Legal Service Provision
- Conduct intakes with potential clients, conflict checks, and screenings for various forms of immigration relief
- Facilitate legal consultations and provide case specific advice to clients
- Represent members and identifying form of relief in relief removal cases (such as defensive Asylum claim or prosecutorial discretion)
- Prepare affirmative cases (such as U-Visas/T-Visas, TPS, SIJS, Asylum, Naturalization, and family petitions) before USCIS.
- Supervise and provide technical support to DOJ-accredited representative proving legal service to clients applying for affirmative immigration benefits before USCIS
- Travel to attend master and individual hearing when necessary
- Maintain accurate, complete and confidential case files
- Mentor, support, and train CCSM staff on complex immigration matters and the provision of trauma-informed services
- Work closely with Co-Executive Director and Community Navigator to provide holistic services and referrals to clients
- Strengthen CCSM’s existing Rapid Response work and hotline by providing legal expertise, and at times legal representation when detained
- Provide the support and program development needed to host a Justice Corps Fellowship in the near future
20% Administration
- Administer legal service systems and track program metrics
- Work with grant manager on accurate legal service grant applications
- Contribute to managing legal service program budget
- Supervise DOJ accredited representatives and/or paralegals
- Support strengthening and administering legal service policies
10 % Outreach, Education and External Relations
- Inform and provide orientation about defenses against removal proceedings and the court process to community members
- Facilitate remote court appearances from CCSM’s office rather than traveling to NYC or Buffalo
- Identify and collaborate with local or state partner organizations on appellate and impact-oriented litigation efforts related to detention conditions, labor rights, and other priorities.
- Establish and maintain relationships with community partners, immigration service providers, pro bono attorneys, private attorneys and our legal service funders.
Desired Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor active NYS bar admission preferred
- Highly Preferred: Ability to communicate effectively with monolingual Spanish-speakers (i.e., advanced Spanish skills)
- Excellent research, writing, analytical, and communication skills
- Minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in immigration law or direct legal services, and experience with both affirmative application and removal defense proceedings
- Knowledge and adherence to community and movement lawyering principles
- Commitment to CCSM’s mission, immigrant communities, and principles of collective liberation
- Valid driver’s license, access to a car, and ability to travel
- Relationships with immigrant communities
- Directly impacted by or experience with immigration system preferred
This is a full-time position (approximately 40 hours a week) with a starting salary of $62,200. Benefits include health and vision plus dental insurance, mileage reimbursement, paid holidays, and unlimited paid time off with prior approval. This position is eligible to receive relocation benefits. The Immigration Attorney will have access to professional development opportunities. CCSM is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages people of color, women, working class people, LGBTQIA people, immigrants, formerly incarcerated people, and people with disabilities to apply.
Volunteer with CCSM
CCSM was built from the ground-up by members and volunteers. From our coordinating committee to carrying out the important work of our programming, volunteers add essential capacity to our organization. The key areas we are currently seeking volunteers for are pro-bono legal services, translation, web-design, transportation and grassroots fundraising. Please fill out the form below to share your skills and passion with CCSM! Email jasmin@sanctuarycolumbiacounty.org with any additional questions.
NOTE: CCSM utilizes the platform Better Impact to coordinate volunteers working with our orgraninzation. Click the LINK BELOW in order to create a profile and fill out our volunteer application. Have questions, reach out to our Volunteer Organizer Jasmin Ahmed | জেসমিন আহমেদ at jasmin@sanctuarycolumbiacounty.org or (518) 755-1884.
If you are interested in interning with us for a semester (or more!), please send us an email with the subject "Interning with CCSM".