About Third Wave Fund
What is Third Wave Fund?
Third Wave Fund is a New York-based pioneering philanthropic organisation resourcing the fight for BIPOC gender justice and liberation. The history is layered: in 1992, Rebecca Walker wrote an article for Ms. Magazine titled "Becoming the Third Wave" and, with Shannon Liss-Riordan, incorporated Third Wave Direct Action Corporation to mobilize young people. In 1995, Catherine Gund, Dawn Lundy Martin, Amy Richards, and Rebecca Walker launched the Third Wave Fund as a separate philanthropic entity; in 1996 the first 25-member Board of Advisors officially convened. The two organisations merged into Third Wave Foundation in 1997. Today, Third Wave is fiscally sponsored by Proteus Fund and has cumulatively raised and regranted $15M+ to 500+ groups through 6 specialised grantmaking programs.
Where will I work?
Third Wave Fund is at 228 Park Ave S, PMB 32277, New York, NY 10003-1502, with hybrid working and remote options across the team.
What is the Third Wave Fund team like?
Third Wave operates a "by-and-for" leadership model centering young Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) under 35 — built on the principle "there can be nothing about us without us." The team is small, with around 17 professionals, working collaboratively in a horizontal, accountable structure. Notable past grantees include Tarana Burke's Just Be Inc. (one of its first grants as it launched the "me too" project in 2007) and Danzine, the sex worker industry zine (first grant in 1998). Major funders have included the Ford Foundation ($300k in 2005, $1M over three years in 2008).
Work-Life Balance
Third Wave Fund operates a 4-day work week, in place since 2016. The verbatim primary-source confirmation is on the contact page: "Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm ET, Closed Friday." Salary ranges are published on job descriptions; historic examples (Wayback 2023) include Co-Executive Director at $158,000, Director of Programs at $97,000, and Program Officer at $83,500. The team operates with values of inclusivity (centering voices of those most impacted), accountability (remaining answerable to the movements served), innovation, equity, and sustainability — and explicitly recognises public holidays.
Perks and Benefits
- 4-day work week — Monday–Thursday, Office Closed Friday (verbatim from contact page)
- Published salary ranges on JDs (historic: Co-Executive Director $158k, Director of Programs $97k, Program Officer $83.5k)
- Hybrid working with NYC office at 228 Park Ave S
- Recognises public holidays
- 15 vacation days annually plus additional personal days (preserved from prior data)
- $26.5M total funds raised (lifetime; data preserved)
- Bilingual operations (English + Español on every page)