Summary
Description
Equity Trust, Inc. seeks an Associate Director to join and shape its evolving leadership team.
Equity Trust is a small, national nonprofit organization that promotes socially equitable property ownership and economics based on principles of social justice and environmental sustainability. Our work emphasizes creative approaches to land tenure that advance public interests while supporting secure access and autonomy for individuals and groups using the land. We aim to shift the dialogue concerning ownership and to broaden awareness of tools and strategies for removing property from the speculative market and building deeper connections to land and community.
Equity Trust explores, teaches, and implements these principles and practices by:
1) Providing technical assistance, training, and model documents to support on-the-ground projects using alternative forms of property ownership.
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Our Farms for Farmers program helps farmers, land trusts, and community groups understand and use ground leases and easements to provide secure tenure for farmers, ensure farms' perpetual affordability, and enhance the viability of working farms.
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We assist and advise community land trusts, cooperatives, and other organizations with a mission to hold and steward land and property for permanently affordable housing, food production, local enterprises, and/or community spaces.
2) Offering financing for mission-aligned community development and conservation through the Equity Trust Fund, a revolving loan fund capitalized by socially and environmentally concerned investors and donors.
3) Producing educational materials; facilitating the exchange of ideas and experiences among grassroots practitioners, scholars, professionals, policymakers, and others; and advocating for new ways to think about Property and Values.
Since its founding in 1991, Equity Trust has remained flexible, evolving in response to changing needs and social conditions. In this spirit, we are currently engaged in a multi-year internal assessment and reevaluation, organizational as well as programmatic, aimed at identifying and removing barriers to access in all our programs and explicitly addressing the racial component of unequal access to property.
The Associate Director position (Full Time, Exempt)
The Associate Director will work closely with the Executive Director, other staff, and the board to define, develop, and implement programs; convey Equity Trust’s ideas and issues to clients and the public; build relationships with funders and aligned organizations; and help manage the daily operations. Specific duties of the job will be refined in dialogue with the selected applicant based on skills, interests, and the needs of the organization. The Associate Director will also participate in the process of defining and implementing Equity Trust's future leadership structure, in light of plans for its longtime Executive Director to transition out of that position within the next 1-2 years.
What we are looking for
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Deep commitment to Equity Trust’s mission to decommodify land and promote economic, social, and racial justice
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Desire to collaborate with a small team of experienced, dedicated staff and board members, and to share in the role of strategically expanding programming and building organizational capacity and alliances
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Ability to think strategically, solve problems, learn new things, and explore and develop innovative solutions to property ownership, access, and stewardship
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We value all forms of experience including formal education, paid work experience, unpaid/volunteer experience, and life experience.
Experience: Candidates should have experience with several of the following
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Leadership role in the nonprofit arena and with a nonprofit board, including strategic planning, plan implementation, organizational management, and staff supervision
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Fundraising & development: grant writing; grant management; major donor cultivation and stewardship; annual appeals; capital campaigns
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Mission-guided communications and marketing, including creating communications strategy, content development and production
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Affordable housing, particularly the work of community land trusts, housing cooperatives, or other shared-equity/ limited equity housing
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Current land-related issues in agriculture generally, and for BIPOC communities in particular, and tools for preserving and keeping farms affordable for family farmers (e.g., conservation easements with purchase options, and long-term ground leases)
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Nonprofit and other lending programs; community finance; engagement with socially responsible investors
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Property management, land stewardship, and/or property transactions
Essential Skills and Qualifications
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Strong organizational leadership skills and an ability to make good business decisions
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A collaborative approach to team management and supervision
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Proven ability to speak and write effectively for a broad public
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Proficiency with computers and office software (e.g. Microsoft Office, Google, Adobe)
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Commitment to a culture of mutual accountability and respect; willing to receive feedback, give feedback to others, and learn from mistakes
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Ability to work with people from different backgrounds and interests
Desirable Skills and Qualifications
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Knowledge and experience with social change theory and work
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Solid understanding of accounting and financial management principles
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Experience reviewing, interpreting, and commenting on legal documents
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Knowledge of communication practices and techniques across a variety of media; ability to communicate complex stories in compelling ways to diverse audiences
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Experienced in group facilitation; knowledge of methods of community education
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Past success in raising funds through grants and/or requests to private donors
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Demonstrated effectiveness in recruiting/managing/mentoring/guiding staff/colleagues
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Experience in co-managing non-hierarchical organizations
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Experience in managing or co-managing organizations with staff working remotely
Salary and Benefits
Equity Trust has adopted a flat salary scale, paying all employees an annual rate, in 2024, of $62,933 for full-time (35 hours/week) work. This salary rate is adjusted annually using Social Security’s annual cost of living adjustment (COLA). Benefits include:
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Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) with a monthly reimbursement allowance of $450
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SEP IRA funded at 3% of salary
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15 Days of vacation in the first year, 20 days per year thereafter
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12 Floating Holidays
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15 Days of Sick Leave
Location
We currently use a hybrid work model: we primarily work remotely, but we maintain an office in Amherst in Western Massachusetts. Candidates must be willing to travel for occasional in-person meetings and gatherings.
Occasional travel throughout the United States can also be expected for work in support of community land projects, participation in conferences and other collaborative work.
