Careers

Population Connection is a unique organization with a professional and dedicated staff that is passionate about population stabilization, environmental protection, social justice, and health and well-being. We have 40,000 members and thousands more supporters and participating educators working together to build a more sustainable future for all of our planet’s inhabitants.

Planned Giving Officer

Population Connection seeks a Planned Giving Officer to join its Development team. The PGO will work with the Director of Planned Giving to continue growing our planned giving program and will contribute toward stewarding our ZPG Society of legacy donors, which currently stands at 650 members. The PGO will work closely with other members of the Development, Marketing, and Membership teams.

The PGO will be responsible for qualifying new planned giving prospects and for building relationships between donors and Population Connection/Population Connection Action Fund. The PGO will spend a significant amount of time interacting with donors, whether by phone, email, or personal letter. The right candidate should feel comfortable working independently, managing multiple projects simultaneously, and communicating personally with donors and prospects.

We welcome experienced development officers who have strong interpersonal skills and an interest in deepening their planned giving knowledge and skills.

Planned Giving Cultivation, Solicitation, and Stewardship

The primary role for the PGO will be to cultivate, solicit, and steward ZPG Society prospects and members and to help grow Population Connection’s planned giving program. Duties would include:

• Provide ongoing stewardship of ZPG Society legacy donors to ensure high levels of engagement and commitment to our organization.
• Cultivate planned giving prospects and help maintain our planned giving pipeline to grow our ZPG Society and meet strategic plan goals.
• Manage incoming planned giving inquiry data in collaboration with Membership Services.
• Call and connect with prospects and donors on a regular basis.
• Send ZPG Society welcome packets to new legacy donors.
• Assist with the production of the quarterly planned giving newsletter, including writing donor profiles.
• Help to maintain the EveryAction CRM, especially within the Planned Giving section.
• Create Charitable Gift Annuity illustrations and help process paperwork; ensure proper recording in the EveryAction database.
• Complete Contact Reports for each donor meeting and other substantive donor interactions and track all progress within the database.
• Provide broader stewardship for department as needed.
• Pursue professional development on an ongoing basis.
• Maintain a working knowledge of Population Connection/Population Connection Action Fund program priorities and activities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Desired Qualifications

• Required: A belief in our mission to stabilize global population through voluntary, human-rights based means; a passion for advancing reproductive rights and for protecting the environment.
• Preferred: A Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of experience in fundraising, or equivalent professional-level experience.
• Preferred: Experience working with national advocacy and/or grassroots, membership-based organizations.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills; demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, comfortably, and respectfully with donors, staff, and volunteers.
• A high level of comfort working with seniors.
• Excellent organizational skills; detail oriented with ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously and to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently as well as to collaborate with others in the department and in the organization as a whole.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and constituent relationship management databases.
• Ability to travel as well as work occasional overtime or irregular hours.
• Flexibility and a willingness to take on new tasks as the responsibilities of the position may evolve.

Compensation

Population Connection will provide a salary commensurate with experience. Benefits include a generous annual leave plan, paid holidays, medical, dental, and vision insurance, short-term disability, and a 401K retirement account with matching funds available. A professional development budget of $2,000 a year will be provided to support continuing education.

This is a full-time remote position. Our headquarters are based in Washington, DC. Local candidates may choose to work from the office if desired. Relocation benefits will not be provided.

To Apply

Please email the following documents to Shauna Scherer, Senior Vice President for Advancement, at shauna@popconnect.org. Please reference Planned Giving Officer in your subject line. Within your cover letter, please discuss how your past experience and achievements will lead to success in planned giving for Population Connection.

• Resume and cover letter (letter may be included in the body of the email).
• Contact information for three professional references, preferably those who managed your work in the past.

Pathway Early Career Fellowship

We welcome applications to this one-year nonresident position intended for early-career professionals working in—and/or studying at the graduate level—the following subjects: population; demography; sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice; and/or the environment. A stipend is included (details below.) This is a remote-only position.

Population Connection is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the negative impact of global population growth on the environment and human well-being. We make the connection between advancing reproductive rights and health and preserving the natural world.

Scope of Work

We envision a mutually beneficial relationship, with the fellow working in their field of interest and producing a written or multimedia product that supports Population Connection’s mission and can be used to further our work. Senior staff and the fellow will work together to determine the nature of the project.

Fellows will also have opportunities to network, attend workshops and lectures (virtual and/or in-person), and collaborate with Population Connection board members.

Requirements

Ideal candidates will have a work history of 3–10 years in one or more of the issue areas noted above, and be broadly familiar with the field of population studies. An advanced degree is not required, and applicants currently pursuing a graduate degree in any of the fields above are encouraged to apply. International applicants are also encouraged to apply.

Applicants must fully support comprehensive reproductive health care and rights, including access to safe and legal abortion.

Fellows will attend virtual Population Connection board meetings in February and October. Population Connection will cover costs for the fellow to attend an in-person board meeting in June held in Washington, DC. We will also pay for the fellow to attend one relevant professional meeting or conference during the fellowship year. Fellows are encouraged to attend optional board activities and other organizational events when possible.

Compensation

The fellowship is a one-year position and includes a $10,000 stipend plus specified travel funding. The workload is estimated at about 10 hours per month, and will encompass self-directed projects, with occasional supervision and check-ins with permanent staff.

Application process

The application includes a cover letter, a resume or CV, and contact information for two references. The cover letter should address how your experience and education relate to our mission and activities; how you can help us fulfill our mission; and how you will benefit from the fellowship.

Please submit the application as a single PDF document to fellowships@populationconnection.org by 11:59 p.m. EDT, July 31, 2024. Only candidates selected to be interviewed will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted by a virtual panel. No phone calls please.

Health insurance and other benefits are not included with this position.

Education Program Associate

General Description

The Education Program Associate works as part of a dynamic team to market, coordinate, and facilitate in-person and online teacher training workshops; manages volunteer workshop facilitators; and develops and promotes the program’s K-12 teaching resources. More information about the program is at populationeducation.org.

Responsibilities include

• Oversee all program activities within a region of the U.S.
  • Conduct outreach within the region to market professional development workshops to university pre-service programs.
  • Coordinate and schedule professional development workshops for staff and volunteers at conferences, universities, and school districts.
  • Manage relationships with members of our national volunteer trainers’ network.
  • Prepare workshop materials and complete post-workshop reporting.
• Facilitate interactive virtual, and hands-on in-person, workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada for current and future teachers. Expectation to travel out of state on approximately six week-long trips/year.
• Assist with the planning and presentation of national and regional “Train the Trainer” Institutes and webinars.
• Staff exhibit booths at education conventions, requiring out of state travel 1-2 times/year.
• Contribute to the development of new curriculum materials and projects, such as writing classroom lesson plans, student readings, and developing web-based resources.
• Write posts for the PopEd blog.

General Requirements

Relevant professional experience (K-12 formal or informal teacher, adult education/training). Ability to manage and organize large amounts of details, and accurately maintain records. Service mindset and interpersonal skills to connect with volunteers and workshop hosts. Skill and experience in public speaking, and oral and written communication. Understanding of and enthusiasm for environmental and population issues. Ability to travel independently (driver’s license a must). Good sense of humor, creativity, and flexibility.

Location

This position is based in Washington, DC, with a current hybrid work schedule (2 days in the office; 3 at home).

About the Population Education program

Population Education, a program of Population Connection, provides K-12 teachers with innovative, hands-on lesson plans and professional development workshops to teach about human population growth and its impacts on the environment and human well-being.

Compensation

$65,000 – $75,000, commensurate with experience; competitive benefits package.

Application Instructions

Send resume and cover letter to jobs@popconnect.org.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Population Connection provides for a fair and equal employment opportunity for all employees and job applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, familial status, disability, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local law. Population Connection hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled.

Population Connection reasonably accommodates qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to receive equal employment opportunity and/or perform the essential functions of the job, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship to the organization. This applies to all applicants and staff members.

Population Connection also provides a work environment in which each staff member is able to be productive and work to the best of their ability. We do not condone or tolerate an atmosphere of intimidation or harassment. We expect and require the cooperation of all staff members in maintaining an atmosphere free from discrimination and harassment with mutual respect by and for all employees and applicants.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Population Connection is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and organization’s achievement as well.

We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

Population Connection’s diversity initiatives are applicable—but not limited—to our practices and policies on recruitment and selection, compensation and benefits, professional development and training, promotions, transfers between departments, social and recreational programs, layoffs, terminations, and the ongoing development of a work environment built on the premise of gender and diversity equity that encourages and enforces:

• Respectful communication and cooperation between all employees
• Teamwork and employee participation, permitting the representation of all groups and employee perspectives
• Work/life balance through flexible work schedules to accommodate employees’ varying needs
• Employer and employee contributions to the communities we serve to promote a greater understanding and respect for diversity

All employees of Population Connection have a responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect at all times. All employees are expected to exhibit conduct that reflects inclusion during work, at work functions on or off the work site, and at all other organization-sponsored and participative events.

Read our DEIJ Commitment Statement, Definitions, and Strategic Pillars here