Director of Affiliates

The Giving Grove is a national 501(c)(3) organization that provides healthy calories, strengthens communities, and improves the urban environment through a nationwide network of sustainable little orchards. We partner with community-based nonprofit affiliates to equip local leaders with resources, training, peer learning, and practical tools to establish and sustain community orchard programs.

Our growing national network includes 17 affiliates and 850 community orchards. As we expand our reach, we’re strengthening the relationships, systems, and shared resources that help locally led programs succeed for the long term.

HOW WE WORK

We are a small, collaborative national team. #Little Team Big Impact .

We value initiative, transparency, thoughtful experimentation, and practical execution. The Director works closely with Programs & Impact leadership and colleagues in development, communications, finance, horticulture, research and data. The Director owns dependable day-to-day implementation and brings forward recommendations, and works collaboratively to establish priorities and improve our national program model.

This is a remote position requiring strong independent work habits, consistent communication, and the ability to collaborate across time zones. Our primary organizational operations are based in Central Time. This role involved approximately six trips annually, with occasional evening or weekend commitments associated with travel, events, and affiliate activities.

We are seeking a collaborative, hands-on leader who believes strong relationships and strong systems reinforce one another.

The Director of Affiliates will be the primary national program contact for The Giving Grove’s affiliate Program Managers, coaching local leaders as they solve problems, strengthen their programs, and learn from one another. Just as importantly, this person will turn what the network learns into clear processes, useful tools, reliable data, and well-executed projects.

This role is for someone who feels confident supporting the professional growth and program strategy of independent affiliate leaders while developing systems that strengthen the network as a whole. Success requires warmth, sound judgment, curiosity, excellent organizational skills, reliable follow-through, and the ability to move between big-picture planning and detailed implementation.

In our small team, the Director will both lead and do the work. First-year priorities will be established collaboratively with the Co-Executive Director, balancing organizational commitments and strategy, affiliate needs, and available capacity.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Affiliate Support (50%)

• Build trusted relationships with affiliate Program Managers through regular coaching, check-ins, site visits, and collaborative problem-solving.
• Strengthen local leadership and program effectiveness by connecting affiliates with peers, experts, training, and practical resources.
• Guide affiliates through recruitment, onboarding, ongoing support, program assessments, and renewal or transition processes.
• Coordinate regular affiliate and organizational assessments to identify strengths, growth opportunities, risks, and tailored support needs.
• Facilitate Program Manager meetings, peer learning, working groups, and trainings responsive to affiliate needs.
  Help develop a regional affiliate support model and, if positions are approved and filled, supervise and coach remote Regional Program Managers.
• Manage assigned contractors, providing clear expectations, coordination, and oversight to ensure quality work and timely deliverables.

Program Operations (30%)

• Translate approved strategy and affiliate needs into practical annual workplans with clear priorities, responsibilities, timelines…