Program Associate

The Four Friends Foundation is a charitable family foundation that seeks to energize young people and communities through creativity, storytelling, and artistic expression. We envision a future where all young people have access to high-quality arts programming and trajectory-changing opportunities that help them develop skills, potential, and a sense of self.

The Foundation supports small to medium-sized creative youth development organizations serving under-resourced communities. In addition to providing general operating funding, we offer communications capacity building support. We see storytelling not simply as a communications tool but as a vehicle for organizational growth, stronger fundraising, and greater impact.

Four Friends Foundation gives nationally, with a special focus on New York City. Total payout is approximately $4M each year.

The Foundation is seeking a Program Associate to support the expansion of its grantmaking strategies and to help strengthen the organizational structures that will shape its future growth and effectiveness.

We are a small, entrepreneurial team that values curiosity, collaboration, responsiveness, and initiative. The Program Associate will report to the Executive Director and work alongside a full-time Senior Program Officer and part-time Strategic Advisor. This role is ideal for someone who is highly organized, relationship-oriented, and motivated by the opportunity to contribute across multiple aspects of a mission-driven organization.

This is a full-time position. While most work is performed remotely, candidates must reside within commuting distance of New York City and be available to work in person in Manhattan up to four days per month to meet with the team and key partners.

Salary Range:$55,, depending on experience

The Program Associate will serve as a key liaison between the Foundation and its community of grantee partners, applicants, vendors, and philanthropic peers.

This individual will ensure that the Foundation’s grantmaking processes are thoughtful, responsive, and effective and that its day-to-day operations run efficiently to maximize program impact. Success in this role requires strong communication skills, attention to detail, sound judgment, and the ability to develop and maintain productive partner relationships.

The ideal candidate is proactive, comfortable managing multiple priorities, and energized by working in a collaborative small-team environment.

• Serve as a key point of contact for grant partners, vendors, and applicants
• Help cultivate a welcoming, responsive, and relationship-centered experience for current and prospective partners
• Respond to inquiries and provide guidance on application processes
• Help plan and participate in occasional site visits

• Support all phases of the grantmaking cycle, including application intake, due diligence, review preparation, award processing, and reporting
• Maintain accurate records across all systems
• Prepare agendas, briefing materials, meeting notes, and follow-up communications
• Track timelines and deliverables to ensure smooth execution of grantmaking activities
• Conduct research on prospective grantees, partners, and vendors

• Coordinate logistics and communications for grantee gatherings, workshops, and other foundation events
• Support planning and execution of both virtual and in-person convenings
• Participate in occasional travel for conferences, site visits, and partner events (up to six times annually)
• Maintain and update the foundation’s databases and CRM systems
• Generate reports to support internal decision-making
• Ensure data integrity and consistency across systems
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows
• Support maintenance of the foundation website and digital storytelling assets, including video content libraries

• Provide general operational and administrative support to the foundation team
• Assist with scheduling, follow-ups, document preparation, and internal coordination
• Support administration of Four Friends Foundation's Summer Scholars…