Director, Fiscal Sponsorship Program

ABOUT US

UpStart accelerates growth, nurtures ideas, and advances new experiences for the Jewish community by connecting impact-driven entrepreneurs to expertise, community, and capital.

UpStart was founded over fifteen years ago with a sole focus: to accelerate the success of social entrepreneurs fueling a renaissance in Jewish life. Since then, we have invested in hundreds of ventures and their leaders while cultivating an ecosystem of institutional leaders and funders committed to Jewish community change.

INCLUSIVE HIRING COMMITMENT

UpStart is powered by Jewish wisdom, ethics, and values. We believe these elements of Judaism help shape diverse, inclusive, equitable, and vibrant communities. As such, we aspire to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem that models a future that is more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just. Statistics show that women and structurally marginalized and/or underrepresented groups of people need to see themselves in almost 100% of the requirements in a job posting to apply. We welcome you to apply even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, as no one applicant ever does.

UpStart strongly encourages applications from individuals with varied identities and backgrounds, including people of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, LGBTQIA people, and people who come from low-income or working-class backgrounds. As an equal opportunity employer, all individuals are encouraged to apply without regard to race, color, religion, age, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, genetic information, medical condition, veteran status, or any other class protected under federal, state, or local laws.

POSITION SUMMARY

UpStart seeks a skilled finance and operations professional to support the expansion of our Fiscal Sponsorship Program. UpStart aims to support the sustainability and development of some of the community’s most critical ideas and projects. Through a shared services model, UpStart provides necessary infrastructure and business management, allowing each Project to focus on the core of its work—contributing to a Thriving Jewish Community. In this role, we welcome someone who is eager to connect with innovators and leaders, and open to creative thinking in order to ensure that we are providing the most effective support to our partners.

The Director, Fiscal Sponsorship Program will be responsible for oversight of our growing Model C program (limited, grant-based relationship) and developing Model A program (comprehensive shared services support), simultaneously stewarding existing partners and cultivating new ones.

This role will report to the Chief Operating Officer and work closely with the Central Operations and People & Culture teams. This role is expected to travel up to 3 times a year for team gatherings and national conferences.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations Support (55%)

• Act as the primary point of contact with our current and prospective fiscal sponsees, maintaining a high level of responsiveness and building strong, trusting relationships
• Liaise with UpStart’s external accounting team, ensuring that fiscal sponsees have timely access to reports and information
• Support fiscal sponsees on their budgets and financial practices, in partnership with UpStart’s Central Operations team
• Coordinate with our People and Culture staff, providing coaching on human resources issues and ensuring we are following best practices
• Review grants and contracts and coordinate with our Operations team to address any legal/risk issues that may arise
• Partner with our Investment Strategy team to ensure proper coordination between fiscal sponsee grants and UpStart’s overall grants calendar
• Ensure all legal paperwork, licensing, insurance, and other aspects of organizational operations are properly maintained
• Ensure that UpStart’s finance, human resource, and other relevant systems are efficient and user-friendly for fiscal sponsees, identifying regular feedback and partnering with respective teams towards improvements

Program Management (45%)

• Steward the expansion of UpStart’s Fiscal Sponsorship programs through outreach and recruitment efforts
• Support the onboarding of new partner organizations by conducting organizational assessments to identify their strengths and capacity-building needs, while providing responsive support to ensure a seamless transition into the Fiscal Sponsorship Program.
• Partner with UpStart’s finance staff and evaluation staff to track fiscally sponsored projects’ growth and development as a result of our capacity-building efforts to ensure the program is effective and impactful
• Partner with UpStart’s Program Team to ensure fiscally sponsored projects are connected to appropriate UpStart opportunities
• Learn from other capacity-builders in order to improve the quality and effectiveness of UpStart’s programs

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, or responsibilities associated with the position.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• 5-7 years of experience managing various aspects of nonprofit operations, such as in the finance and operations functions
• Desire to connect with grassroots organizations and leaders of growing nonprofits
• Working understanding of the most common models of fiscal sponsorship and how they can be implemented
• Experience leading/managing projects, individuals, and teams
• Commitment to leading through a lens of community and belonging
• Adaptability and agility in the face of change, both organizational and technological
• Comfort with finance, operations, and human resources platforms (Salesforce, QuickBooks, Gusto, fundraising platforms, etc.)
• Comfort with communications and project management platforms (Slack, Teams, Trello, Asana, etc.)
• Passion for UpStart’s mission and the work of UpStart’s network
• Commitment to upholding UpStart’s values and Guiding Principles Regarding Client and Program Partnerships.

In addition to a competitive salary, UpStart currently offers the following benefits:

• A comprehensive benefits package, including 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance.
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave with no waiting period.
• 100% employer-funded Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) for medical-related travel, up to $1,950 per year.
• FSA and Commuter Benefits accounts.
• Employer-sponsored 401K with employer match.
• Flexible discretionary paid time off.
• Annual $1,500 professional development stipend.
• One-time $300 office setup stipend and provided Mac.
• Monthly $50 cell phone stipend.
• 3:00pm local close-of-business on Fridays.
• Days off for all work-prohibitive Jewish holidays, in addition to secular US holidays.
• A one-month (30 days) paid sabbatical per every five years of employment.
• Occasional travel for meetings, conferences, and other business-related activities.
• A great workplace culture! Check out our culture deck here.