funding, jobs & awards

We heard about this job opening through NCDD member Irene Nasser, Community Outreach & Content Manager at Just Vision…

Just Vision is a nonprofit organization that informs local and international audiences about under-documented Palestinian and Israeli civilian efforts to resolve the conflict without arms. Through film, multi-media, education and strategic outreach, we support people who are fighting for freedom, dignity, security and peace through nonviolent means. We are based in Washington, D.C. with offices in Jerusalem and NYC.

Just Vision is seeking to hire a Director of Communications and Outreach to work from our D.C. office. The Director of Communications and Outreach will increase awareness about Just Vision and the Palestinian and Israeli civilian-led non-violence and conflict resolution efforts we document.  The Director of Communications and Outreach is responsible for designing and implementing Just Vision’s communications strategy using electronic, broadcast and print media, social media, as well as by developing executive and expert communications.  See the full job description on Just Vision’s news page (the post is dated 2/12/10) at http://justvision.org/en/news.

A national leader in the field of civic participation and community change, Everyday Democracy (based in Hartford, Connecticut) helps people of different backgrounds and views talk and work together to solve problems and create communities that work for everyone.

Using innovative, participatory approaches, Everyday Democracy works with neighborhoods, cities and towns, regions, and states. We place particular emphasis on the connection between complex public issues and structural racism. These issues include, but are not limited to: poverty and economic development; education reform; racial equity; early childhood development; police-community relations; youth and neighborhood concerns.

Everyday Democracy is an equal opportunity employer committed to practicing diversity and inclusion. We seek a Program Director to join our Community Assistance team. (more…)

Peace First (formerly Peace Games) is a growing non-profit working to teach the critical skills of conflict resolution and civic engagement in public elementary schools.  Peace First seeks an Executive Director with a blend of experience and entrepreneurial spirit to grow its Los Angeles office.  The position builds from a solid base, including a decade of strong results with several local schools, an experienced program director who manages day-to-day operations in the schools, and a strong national team to provide resources and wisdom.

At the same time, Peace First LA is in a start-up mode, demanding creativity, drive, and the ability to identify and engage a diverse group of supporters in a critical mission.  The ideal candidate will be fearless and creative with strong fundraising and operational management skills, deep cultural competency, and a passion to transform Peace First LA into a national example of excellence.

Please click here for the complete position description.

Koya Consulting LLC is leading this Executive Director search. If interested in this position, send resume and cover letter to Molly Brennan at or call Koya Consulting at (978) 465-7500.

NCDD member Common Sense California is partnering with UserVoice to launch the first-of-its-kind “Online Public Engagement Grant Program,” offering California cities, counties, school districts, non-profits, and local news organizations a powerful online platform on which to involve their residents.

Yesterday, Common Sense California (CSC) and UserVoice announced the new grant program, which will offer free implementation and training of the UserVoice online platform for public participation efforts around the state. This online grant program follows on CSC’s “Citizen Engagement Grant Program” offered in 2008 and 2009, which provided over $200,000 to governments, school districts and non-profits to engage their local residents directly on policy decisions ranging from public safety to land use planning.

For the 2010 program, CSC is partnering with UserVoice, developers of the preeminent online idea-gathering and prioritization platform. It has been employed by cities from Santa Cruz to Philadelphia on a variety of issues from budgets to infrastructure planning. UserVoice provided the online infrastructure for the City of Santa Cruz’s 2009 participatory budgeting campaign [http://budget.santacruzcityca.gov/], which earned it a “Gov 2.0” award. Through the Online Public Engagement Grant Program, at least five (5) grantees will be awarded free use of the UserVoice platform plus implementation training – an up to $10,000 value. Applications will be received on a “rolling basis” with “Phase I” of the grant period concluding on March 8, 2010. New grant phases may be opened as availability permits. (more…)

Saw this in my inbox this morning…

The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre), an independent mediation organisation, is seeking to recruit a Project Manager to support its activities in Africa. Reporting to the Africa Regional Director, she/he will:

• Project manage selected Africa based conflict mediation activities;
• Identify potential new conflict mediation work;
• Conduct research and analysis in support of conflict mediation efforts;
• Fund raise and maintain regular contacts with donors in the region.

Candidates should have 7-8 years of professional experience in an international environment, particularly in an African context, and a Master’s degree in conflict resolution, political science, development studies or another related field. (more…)

From the Foundation Center’s Philanthropy News Digest…

MetLife Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation are partnering for the ninth year to recognize, sustain, and share the work of innovative partnerships between community groups and police to promote neighborhood safety and revitalization.

Cash grants will be awarded in two categories. Neighborhood Revitalization Awards (six awards of $15,000 to $25,000 each) will honor exemplary collaboration between community groups and police that yields crime reduction as well as economic development outcomes, such as real estate development, business attraction, and job growth. Special Strategy Awards (five awards of $15,000 each) will honor community and police partners who have achieved significant accomplishments in one of the following areas: applied technology; aesthetics and greenspace improvement; diversity inclusion and integration; drug market disruption; gang prevention and youth safety; and seniors and safety. (more…)

Just a quick note to encourage those of you who are aware of job openings related to dialogue and deliberation to forward them to me or Joy () so we can share them with the NCDD network.  Too many NCDD members are unemployed or underemployed right now, and sharing job openings within the network is a first step.

I’ll be making it a priority this year to add job openings, internships, consulting opportunities, etc. that I hear about to the News & Perspectives blog on our main page, www.thataway.org.  If you’re friends with me on FaceBook, those posts will appear on my wall and under my “notes” tab.  If you’re a member of NCDD’s LinkedIn group, those posts will be found under “news.”  You’ll also see the posts listed in brief on NCDD’s Twitter account.

Please send me anything you hear about!  We’ll judge if it’s relevant to NCDDers.

(If you like long acronyms, you’ll love this post…) Just received this short announcement Zsuzsanna Kacso, Director of the International Peace and Development Training Center (IPDTC) of PATRIR:

The Darfur Community Peace and Development FUND (DCPSF) is announcing a new consultancy position for a Trainer for DCPSF Partner Organisations and Stakeholders. Those interested and wanting to apply, please visit the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) jobs website at http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?job_id=14073

This is a 15-day job in Darfur, Sudan for a peacebuilder, beginning in mid-February.

Note: if you hear of any other job openings for conflict resolution or public engagement professionals, please send them my way! Many people are looking for work these days, and I’ll do my best to post everything relevant that I hear about.

Job postings beget more job postings, apparently. Here are two more job openings in the Bay Area that Anna West told us about, this time with NCDD member Kearns & West, a highly respected environmental collaboration and strategic communications consulting firm… (And if you’re based in Northern California and would like to receive more announcements like this one, email me at to be added to our Northern CA listserv.) (more…)

Job openings in this economy are nothing to sneeze at, so I thought I’d share the following announcement from the Center for Transformative Change. Both positions, Communications & Events Steward (Director) and Bookkeeper/Office Administrator are part-time, and both are based in Berkeley.

(more…)

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has announced a new grant opportunity as part of its commitment to becoming an effective, anti-racist organization that promotes racial equity.

This grant opportunity seeks to strengthen and bolster community-based approaches for racial healing and equity efforts targeting vulnerable and marginalized children. The foundation defines racial healing as “group efforts to acknowledge the wrongs and group suffering of the past while trying to address the cumulative and current consequences of the past injustices.”

The foundation seeks proposals from community-based organizations that foster racial healing. To be considered for funding, the organization must be working to promote racial healing within and between racial and ethnic groups within specific geographic areas. National programs that have projects within local communities may also be considered.

To be eligible to receive a grant, applicants must be public entities or nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that demonstrate the fiscal capacity to manage the funds. The Kellogg Foundation anticipates awarding grants of up to $400,000 each. The complete Request for Proposals, including examples of eligible projects, is available at the Kellogg Foundation website at www.wkkf.org/RacialHealingRFP.  Proposals must be submitted online no later than September 30, 2009.

I just heard word that Koya Consulting LLC is leading an Executive Director search for Peace Games in New York, NY. Peace Games is an innovative school-based violence prevention/social-emotional learning program that teaches students in grades K through 8 to be peacemakers.  The unique Peace Games approach engages whole school communities – families, teachers, volunteers, and students – to teach lessons of cooperation, communication and conflict resolution using games and community service projects.

Peace Games seeks an Executive Director with a blend of experience and entrepreneurial spirit to lead their program in their New York office. The position builds from a strong base of existing assets, including a solid plan, a growing group of excited supporters, a strong track record of results with local schools, an experienced program director to manage day-to-day operations in the schools, and strong fundraising and program expertise. The ideal candidate will have strong fundraising and operational management skills, deep cultural competency, and a passion for the Peace Games mission and goals. See the complete position description. (more…)

UK-based Involve is looking for a Head of Research to join their management team, with a focus on further refining, developing and promoting their research strategy. The post-holder will play a key role in the future development of Involve, particularly through developing and raising funds for new research programs and projects.  Closing date is August 21st.

Involve are public participation specialists; bringing institutions, communities and citizens together to accelerate innovation, understanding discussion and change. Involve makes a practical difference by delivering the highest quality public participation processes possible as well as undertaking rigorous research and policy analysis into what works. Their reputation and policy advice are built on a solid research foundation.  Learn more at www.involve.org.uk/head-of-research/.

Here’s an important announcement for those of you in California, from NCDD member Pete Peterson. Common Sense California just announced the re-launch of its unique “citizen engagement grant program” for 2009, offering thousands of dollars to California municipalities, school districts and non-profits in support of their efforts to involve residents in local policy-making. Grants will range from $1,000 to $7,500. (more…)

The Sustained Dialogue Campus Network (SDCN) trains, mentors, and connects students on 15 campuses across the country seeking to build more cohesive, diverse, engaged communities through dialogue. An initiative of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue, SDCN seeks an Executive Director to lead its expansion nationally and to deepen its work in leveraging the efforts of student leaders to improve campus climates and build social capital nationwide.

The Executive Director will exercise leadership in defining SDCN strategic directions, broaden SDCN’s funding base, and build and strengthen relationships with partner organizations. The ED will support a 4-person staff and work to build SDCN’s recently formed Advisory Board. At this time of remarkable national energy around civic engagement and citizen-led community building work, we are incredibly excited about our potential to recruit a fantastic leader, to help take SDCN to the next level.

For full job description, visit www.sdcampusnetwork.org/ht/display/AlertDetails/i/615.