DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.

Since 2000, more than 5 million people and partners have contributed $1 billion to support 2 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. Projects range from art supplies to build the set for a school musical, to books and puzzles that affirm students’ identities, to bird seed for an at-home science project. We proudly serve all US public schools, public charter schools, and Head Start centers, and we combat systemic inequity by driving a majority of donations to schools that have been historically underfunded due to economic and racial inequity.

DonorsChoose has been recognized as a best place to work by GOOD Magazine and the Nonprofit Times, while Fast Company named DonorsChoose one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World—the first time a charity has made this list. Our dedicated team works from across the United States to bring classroom dreams to life.

About the role

As Chief of Staff, your contributions will bolster the success of the CEO and Executive team with external relationships, internal communication, and board engagement. You will work closely with our CEO, Alix Guerrier, and manage a two-person Executive Office team that supports all Executive team operations.

Keeping in mind the needs of the whole organization, The Executive Office team acts as air traffic controllers, communicators, project managers, and thought partners to make our executives the most effective they can be. This coming school year, the Chief of Staff will partner with the Executive Team as they implement a new three-year vision, maintain a steadfast focus on making DonorsChoose the best place to work to drive equity in public education, and lead the organization to effectively deliver over $150M in impact within the 2023-2024 school year. 

Responsibilities will include:

Partnership with CEO

• Be a thought partner on the CEO’s priorities, relationships, and schedule.

External Relationship support

• In partnership with the Executive Assistant to the CEO, maintain a system to track and build on key external relationships for the CEO. 
• Join the CEO for some external meetings and travel
• Capture and take action on next steps from meetings, including collaborating closely with relevant colleagues. 

Internal communication

• Support the CEO with effective internal communication by maintaining systems to prepare for key moments (e.g., All-hands meetings) and contributing thought partnership on the most important messages for different audiences. 
• Own strategy for how the CEO will communicate key messages and decisions to staff. Partner with the People Team and Executive Team to understand ongoing staff feedback and evolving needs, and adjust the strategy accordingly. 

Board of Directors engagement

• Work with the CEO and Executive Team to plan objectives for three Board meetings per year, and manage the schedule for preparing content. 
• Support the CEO in continuing to maintain strong Board of Directors membership and engagement.
• Prepare a quarterly email update for the Board of Directors and National Advisory Council, including opportunities for them to support our efforts. 

Executive Office Management

• Effectively manage the Executive Office team (currently made up of the Executive Assistant to the CEO and the Administrative Assistant, Executive Office who supports other Exec team members and general administrative projects.)
• Act as a steward for all executive support needs of the organization, identifying opportunities for the Executive Office team to provide more value as the organization grows

Qualifications

This position might be for you if:

• You’re committed to our mission to support public school teachers and students and address educational inequity, and energized by sharing that passion with others. 
• You’re a builder of long-term relationships. You think about how trust, rapport, and productive partnerships are built. You can analyze the dynamics of a relationship and suggest steps to deepen it. 
• You are highly organized, with an eye for details and the ability to build and maintain systems to manage tasks for yourself and others. 
• You are a seasoned people manager, and are motivated by bringing out the best in others. You have at least 1-2 years of direct management experience (interns, part-time, or full-time staff). You are ready to empower your team with the necessary knowledge, skills, and guidance to succeed. 
• You have strong and adaptable communication skills. You can communicate your message and influence a wide range of audiences. You can learn how to draft communication in the voice of the CEO.
• You are comfortable interacting with VIPs and navigating power dynamics.
• You’re a thoughtful collaborator with experience supporting and advocating for both internal and external customers.
• You can easily adapt to changing schedules and can efficiently keep the ball moving despite obstacles in the road.
• You’re quick to pick up new software and tools, and put them to work to make your team more effective. 
• You’re comfortable operating with confidential and sensitive information and representing the vision of our CEO.
  

Compensation and Benefits

Our compensation philosophy ensures that we are both externally competitive with tech-forward nonprofits of a similar size and internally fair in our pay practices. The following ranges represent the target offer range, given the scope and experience expectations for this role.

• The hiring salary range for this role is $84,000 - $99,000
• We have a hiring salary range of $93,000 - $110,000 for specific higher cost of labor locations, which include New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

Once an employee is hired, the salary range for their role increases to ensure they can receive performance-based raises and grow in their role. We are open to various experiences and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced or more senior than this job description, as posted. If that’s the case, an updated salary range will be shared with candidates if they move forward in our hiring process.

In addition, we offer full-time staff 25 paid vacation days per year and 11 paid holidays, a rich employer-paid individual and family health plan, a matching 401(k) plan (up to 5% of base salary), annual professional development stipend, and casual and flexible work environment. To learn more about what it is like to work for DonorsChoose, visit our careers page.

Hybrid Workplace and Other Details

In this role, you’ll have the option to work a flexible hybrid schedule in our NYC office, or to work fully remotely from CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, ME, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, TX, VA, WA, or WI. We have a preference for candidates who can work Eastern Standard Time hours to accommodate the needs of the CEO who is located on the east coast.

This role will require travel roughly once per month -- either to our New York City office or to other destinations for events and meetings. All work-related travel expenses will be covered by the organization and proper safety precautions will be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

DonorsChoose is a fully vaccinated workplace and all new employees, regardless of their work location, will be asked to share proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 within two weeks of their hire date or request an exemption from this policy due to a disability or sincerely held religious belief or practice.

To Apply

Please submit your resume online and answer the application questions. A cover letter is optional and may be addressed to Risa Ward, SVP, Strategy & Chief of Staff.

A Final Note

The DonorsChoose team works toward a nation where students in every community have the resources needed for an excellent education. To do this we hire and support a diverse team of the best and the brightest talent available.

We are an organization increasingly representative of the varied races and ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations, religious and political beliefs, and abilities that comprise our nation. DonorsChoose focuses on attracting, retaining, and advancing diverse talent because it makes us more effective, high-performing, creative, and resilient.  

If you are passionate about our mission, highly skilled in your field, and looking for a place where you can bring all of yourself to work, we want you.