Dear SJF friends and comrades,

What an amazing experience it has been to serve as SJF’s Program Director the past three years. It’s been truly inspiring work and such a privilege to work with so many dedicated and courageous grantees and donor organizers. So it’s with bittersweet feelings, that I’m writing to let you know I’ll be leaving my role at the end of July.

Coming to SJF was a homecoming for me –  a chance to reconnect with my roots as a person who grew up in Seattle, a way to give back and resource the social justice community organizing movement that raised me when I was a youth organizer, and a rare opportunity to connect my experience as an organizer, fundraiser, and facilitator all in one fabulous job.  

I’ve learned so much being at SJF and am very proud of what we’ve accomplished together. Here are just a few highlights:

• The grantmaking capacity of our programs has grown significantly since 2015. Our 2017 grantmaking topped over $1 million from Giving Projects alone.
• In 2016 SJF facilitated two partnership grantmaking projects with grantees who won resources through their organizing campaigns and granted out over $950K to organizations implementing community based alternatives to youth incarceration and housing justice work (respectively) in the city of Seattle.
• SJF has supported the growth and replication of the Giving Project model to other social justice community funds around the country. We’ve trained, supported, and developed a national learning community with 5 funds who now do Giving Projects!
• Our commitment to supporting Black and non-Black people of color in this model is stronger than ever. The participation of people of color has grown from 32% in 2014 to 52% in 2017. And this year we are proud to offer a new Black Led Organizing Giving Project specifically for people of Black or of African descent.

The other day I was on the phone with a recent Giving Project alum who told me,

“There’s something kind of magical about the experience of a Giving Project. The race & class workshop was easily the best I’ve been through, and it wasn’t without hard moments. It was just full of very loving engagement…the Giving Project program calls people in while also not glossing over anything. It provides a lens for hope…it was a really good antidote to national politics.”

Those are words I will take with me for a long time. I’ve loved my time at SJF and it’s not an easy thing to say goodbye. But I won’t be far and I will continue to remain a part of SJF’s community for many years to come. In terms of what’s next for me, I’ve been in this movement going on 18 years so I’m really excited to take a break, rejuvenate and restore my energy, and focus some attention on other aspects of my life – family, creative projects, and if you can believe it, joining a Giving Project (with Grassroots International, the newest fund to replicate Giving Projects)!

I look forward to crossing paths with you in other ways in the not-too-distant future. And I’m not gone yet! I’ll be here through the end of July helping with the transition and ensuring that the next Program Director (maybe it’s you!) will have lots of support as they start the work. That being said, please help us find someone awesome for this role! Here’s the job description and information on how to apply. For questions about the position please contact Mijo Lee, SJF Executive Director, [email protected].

It has truly been a pleasure to work with you. Please stay in touch! My last day will be July 27. If you want to keep in touch after I leave, please email me at [email protected] and ask for my personal email.

Much appreciation,

Yasmeen

Program Director Job Description