Strategic Projects Fellow, AI for Nonprofits Sprint

Location: Hybrid (2 days / week in our Soho, NYC offices; 3 days remote)

Duration: Full-time through March 2027, with potential to extend

Reports to: Director, AI for Nonprofits Sprint

About Us

The AI for Nonprofits Sprint is helping democratize AI literacy across the nonprofit sector. In our first year, we worked with 139 organizations and trained 38,000 nonprofit staff—far exceeding our initial goals. Now we're scaling dramatically: in 2026, we're bringing basic AI literacy to 100,000 staff across 1,000 nonprofits, all across the United States.

We believe AI tools like Claude, Gemini, or ChatGPT can help nonprofits work more efficiently, reduce burnout, and redirect time toward mission-critical work. And we know that nonprofits can’t develop a good AI strategy or policy advocacy plan until they understand AI. But this can only happen if we can actually get people to learn and engage.

This is a startup within a well-funded, stable, established nonprofit (Fund for the City of New York). We're building fast, iterating constantly, and learning as we go. If you thrive in that environment and want to be part of something that's genuinely changing how the social sector works, keep reading.

The Role

As Strategic Projects Fellow, you’ll report directly to the Director and own a rotating portfolio of high-priority initiatives that don’t fit neatly into anyone else’s job description. These are the projects that could unlock the next phase of the Sprint’s growth—new program models, new partnerships, new revenue streams—and they need someone senior enough to run them independently from concept to execution.

At any given time you’ll probably be juggling two or three projects simultaneously. Some will be fast-moving (a referral program that needs to launch in six weeks); others will be slow-burn explorations (what would a franchise or licensing model actually look like?). You’ll need to shift gears comfortably and know when to push forward and when to pause and ask.

This is not a role where you hand things off once they’re built. You’ll both build and run the things you create—at least until they’re stable enough to be handed off or absorbed into the broader team.

What You’ll Do

• Design and launch new program models, such as a lower-intensity, self-directed cohort experience for organizations that aren’t ready for the full Sprint.
• Build and manage a referral program to help Sprint alumni and partners systematically generate new member leads.
• Explore scalability models—including potential franchise, licensing, or partnership structures—and bring back concrete recommendations.
• Own projects end-to-end: research, design, pilot, iterate, run, and eventually document for handoff when the time comes.
• Serve as a senior thought partner to the Director on strategic questions, program design, and emerging priorities.
• Do some external-facing work—conversations with potential partners, funders, or peer organizations—when the project calls for it.
• Track your own progress, flag risks early, and communicate clearly about what’s working and what isn’t.

You’ll Be Great at This If

• You thrive in ambiguity. You’re energized by open-ended problems, not paralyzed by them. You know how to make a plan when you don’t have all the information.
• You can hold multiple projects at once. You switch between workstreams without losing the thread—and you keep yourself organized without needing someone else to do it for you.
• You build things that actually work. You don’t just write plans—you implement them, test them, fix them, and own the outcome.
• You’re comfortable as a senior generalist. You don’t need a narrow specialty. You’ve worn many hats and that’s been an asset, not a liability.
• You’re already using AI tools in your work. Fluency with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or similar tools isn’t a bonus here—it’s table stakes.
• You care about the mission. You understand the challenges nonprofits face and you want to help them work smarter.

You Probably Won’t Love This Job If

• You need a stable, consistent set of responsibilities. This role changes as priorities shift. What you’re working on in March may be completely different from what you’re working on in October.
• You prefer deep specialization. There’s no lane here—this job is inherently cross-functional.
• You want a long-term, permanent position. This role runs through Q1 2027; we’ll be honest about the path forward as we get closer.
• You need a lot of check-ins or structured direction. You’ll have strong support from the Director, but you need to be able to work independently and drive your own projects.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in program development, strategy, consulting, operations, or similar roles that required building and running things from scratch
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously
• Strong written and verbal communication skills—you can synthesize a complicated situation into a clear memo or recommendation
• Comfort using AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) in your daily work
• Ability to work independently in a hybrid in-person / remote environment
• Comfortable with a role that runs through Q1 2027 (not a permanent position, though could evolve)

Bonus Points For

• Experience in nonprofit capacity building, social sector consulting, or program design
• Background in franchise development, licensing, or scaling program models
• Experience building referral, alumni, or partnership programs
• Creative examples of how you use AI tools in your work (custom GPTs, automated workflows, etc.)

Why This Role Matters

The Sprint’s core program has had a terrific response. We know that. What we don’t yet know is how to reach 10 or 100 times as many organizations—what new models, new channels, and new structures will allow us to serve organizations we can’t currently reach. The Strategic Projects Fellow helps figure that out. If you do this job well, you won’t just have supported a program. You’ll have helped shape what the next version of it looks like.

Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Please apply no later than April 10.

The Fund for the City of New York is an equal opportunity employer. The Fund does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law.