About North Star Fund
What is North Star Fund?
North Star Fund is a New York social justice fund. Its About page says "We are a social justice fund that supports grassroots organizing led by communities of color building power in New York City and the Hudson Valley", and that "As of June 30, 2025, North Star Fund has awarded $146 million in grants to over 3,000 organizations". Its jobs page says it was founded in 1979 by "a group of New Yorkers who wanted to disrupt traditional philanthropic practices", and that community organizers, former and current grantees, "collectively make our funding decisions and participate in the governance of our organization". It also hosts programs such as the Let Us Breathe Fund, the Hudson Valley Fund and Community Food Funders.
Where will I work?
North Star Fund is hybrid. Its postings say "staff work from home and from our office located in midtown Manhattan", and its address is 520 Eighth Avenue in New York. It is not a remote employer: "Applicants must live in the Hudson Valley or New York City or be within a one-hour commute to these areas", because "All staff are required to periodically attend in-person meetings and events in NYC and the Hudson Valley". Its one open role on 2026-10-17 is a Donor Organizing Program Associate, full-time, at a salary of $73,337.
What is the North Star Fund team like?
Its jobs page says "We are looking for committed people who put the mission front and center" and "We value a workplace where everyone pitches in to get the job done, and we look to each other for support in busy times". It wants staff "led at all levels by people who bring a deep commitment to grassroots organizing, especially the leadership of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities". Hiring is slow: "The hiring process may take between three and four months from initial posting of the job opportunity until an offer is made". The pages do not state a headcount.
Work-Life Balance
North Star Fund works a 32-hour week. Its postings say "North Star Fund uses a 32-hour work week for full-time employees. Our work days run Monday through Thursday with periodic evening and weekend work required at times", and its executive director wrote in 2022 that after going remote in March 2020 and "temporarily reduced our hours to Monday through Thursday", "in 2021 we created a new 32-hour work week", with staff "expected to schedule 80% of their working hours within Monday-Thursday business hours, but the rest is self scheduled". None of its pages says whether pay is unchanged from a five-day week, so this profile makes no full-pay claim; the same post calls the change "not without a fiscal impact". It also describes "a five-year sabbatical policy" and "floating holidays chosen by the team member, not dictated by the organization".
Perks and Benefits
The postings list "100% premium paid for medical, dental, and vision insurance", "monthly transportation, cell phone and internet allowance" and "flex-time, vacation and holidays", and an earlier set of 2025 postings adds "a 403(b) retirement plan with an employer contribution" and "a work-from-home stipend". The number of vacation days is not stated in any posting. The fund says "Even before it was the law, we required that all the job listings we share include a salary range", and its own postings state theirs, for example $73,337 for the Program Associate and $96,186 for a 2025 posting.