Executive Director or Co-Directors; Astraea

Posted on May 28, 2020

Established in 1977, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice (Astraea) is one of the first women’s funds in the world and the only solely dedicated to LBTQI rights globally. Their founders - a cross-class, multi-racial group of women activists - dreamed of a feminist movement that centered the leadership of lesbians and women of color. For over four decades, Astraea has uniquely supported women’s rights and LBTQI movements working at the crossroads of gender justice, racial justice, bodily autonomy, sexual rights, and self-determination.

As a LBTQI women’s fund, Astraea uniquely fuels groups at the nexus of feminist and LBTQI movements. Astraea’s reach is unparalleled: since its inception, they have granted over $40 million via nearly 5,000 grants to 1,700+ grantee partners in 100+ countries and nearly all 50 states in the United States (U.S.). Astraea shifts power and resources to LBTQI and feminist activists so that they can build strong, intersectional movements that combat violence and discrimination, counter structural economic and social inequalities and drive transformational cultural change.

Headquartered in New York City, Astraea’s mission is advanced by more than 30 staff in the U.S. and around the world. The team comes from diverse backgrounds and possesses a wealth of experience and knowledge. Tied together by a deep passion for human rights and social justice, the staff places a high value on self-awareness, commitment to racial justice, shared learning, and genuine kindness.

Over the years, Astraea has continued to honor the legacy of its founding mothers: uncompromising in a vision of rights for all, upholding values such as belief in self-determination, community empowerment, movement building, and building across issues and generations. The organization that grew from this lesbian feminist vision is a multi-gendered, multi-racial, multi-identity public foundation that last year granted over $4.2 million to 190 grantee partners in 64 countries, including the United States.

The mission of Astraea is needed now more than ever. Our world and our people are up against unending challenges – closing civil societies, the rise of nationalist governments, escalating anti-Black, anti-immigrant violence, discrimination of people already pushed to the margins, increased economic inequity, growing power of religious, cultural and economic conservatism, and the use of gender “paranoia” to mobilize masses of people toward these conservative and increasingly authoritarian agendas.

Astraea experienced exponential and transformative growth over the past several years. With a significantly increased base of institutional funding, Astraea radically increased its reach and impact. Now, while continuing to build power and challenge the status quo, Astraea is utilizing this leadership transition period to invest in organizational development and staff well-being. The new leader(s) will inherit a financially stable, mission-driven organization with a strong culture that is living its feminist social justice values.

With the confluence of global health, political, and economic disruptions unfolding amid tectonic shifts in philanthropy and LGBTQI movements, the need for bold queer feminist funding has never been greater. This is an exceptional opportunity for a strategic and visionary leader(s) to build on four decades of innovative grantmaking and philanthropic advocacy to fuel the organizing of powerful grassroots movements and realize a world where all people can actively and enthusiastically belong.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the new Executive Director or Co-Directors will build on Astraea’s proud radical history to create a nimble, thriving, and resilient organization that effectively and efficiently shifts power to LGBTQI people. In collaboration with the board and staff, the new Executive(s) will leverage the organization’s expertise to center its activist-centered grantmaking and expand its global presence.

In keeping with Astraea’s commitment to upholding feminist leadership principles and…