15 Jobs, Consolidated Advice, and What I'm Seeing/Hearing 6 Weeks into the Global Aid Freeze
Newsletter #59
Hello hello, Friends! 👋
Can you believe it? We are ALMOST at our 60th edition! Specially now, I am more grateful than ever for your presence here. We are a community, standing together with resilience and kindness — and that’s something truly special.
Read on for jobs, advice, and what Im seeing/hearing in my circles.
Cheers,
Nick
Jobs
FEATURED JOBS:
Operations and Finance Director | Aspen Global Change Institute | Remote – US | USD 160-180k
Nick’s Take: Great opportunity for an innovative and collaborative leader to spearhead finance and operations for a growing nonprofit.
Advisor, Operations | Edge Collaborative | Contractor – Remote, US | USD 90-120k
Nick’s Take: Plan, implement, and iterate operational best practices for a growing organization focused on tackling systemic economic challenges in Stockton, California.
FROM THE NEW IMPACT SOURCE TALENT JOB BOARD:
Check out the full list of 5,100+ jobs at 217 different organizations around the world!
Training and Content Coordinator | FoodCorps | Remote – US | USD 49-57k
Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager, State and Local | Google | San Francisco or remote, California | USD 182-249k
Other great roles:
Early Career (0-3 years)
Education Programs Coordinator | Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley | Hybrid – San Jose, CA | USD 69-72k
Flying Labs Network Community Coordinator | WeRobotics | Remote – Worldwide, Global South Preferred
Mid-Career (4–10 years)
Executive Director | Circular Philadelphia | Remote – Greater Philadelphia | USD 90-100k
Director, Social Sustainability | McCormick | Hybrid – Hunt Valley, Maryland | USD 122–219k
Director of Programs & Partnerships | Project OneTen | USD 65-74k
Officer, Global Health | United Nations Foundation | Hybrid – DC
CSR Program Manager, Disaster Resilience | Verizon | Hybrid – Multiple Locations | USD 101-188k
Senior (10+ years)
Program Director, Peace & Security | Carnegie Corporation of New York | New York | USD 190-220k
Director, Grants Management | Pivotal Ventures | Seattle, DC, or Remote – US | USD 217-225k
Senior Technical Advisor: Innovation, Impact, & Insights | Vital Strategies | Hybrid – NYC | USD 160-170k
An Opportunity You Can't Miss
Friends, for those of you who are passionate about driving meaningful change, I highly recommend my good friend Chaley's new program: Sociotechnical Systems Change in Practice. This live, online course dives deep into frameworks from science and technology studies, complex adaptive systems, and future thinking to help you anticipate AI impacts, uncover hidden power dynamics, and build strategies for shaping better futures.
Here’s what the experience includes:
💻 Two, 4-hour live interactive sessions with Chaley.
📓 A 90-page workbook packed with tools and resources to guide your practice.
✍️ A 1-year subscription to the paid edition of Untangled. for ongoing learning.
By the end, you’ll walk away with a clear strategy for transforming the systems you’re part of (vetted by Chaley and your fellow participants) and the tools to keep the momentum going. Two cohorts just launched, and you can register here. Still on the fence? Read what others are saying! Highly recommend!
My Advice for Jobseekers
With USAID downsizing and ripple effects hitting implementing partners, contractors, and global development orgs, the job market is brutal right now.
So I’ve consolidated my best advice—specific to this moment.
1️⃣ 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻.
If you can afford it, pause before panic-applying. This wasn’t just a job—it was a mission. Layoffs hit hard. Take a moment to process, reflect, and reset before diving in.
2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁.
Most searches will take 6-12 months. Some organizations are quietly hiring, but many have paused new roles. Pace yourself. Overwhelming yourself in month one will make month six that much harder.
3️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 (𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 “𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴”).
Job searching right now is exhausting. You need more than LinkedIn messages—you need a team in your corner. That might mean a career coach, a job search accountability group, or a Slack/WhatsApp community where you can be honest about the struggle. The Bloom, Career Pivot, Reconsidered - all great.
4️⃣ 𝗕𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆.
There are too many job boards, too many postings, and too many applicants. Instead of throwing resumes everywhere, go where the real opportunities are.
(Yes, I’m partial to ImpactSource dot ai, because it updates dynamically and auto matches you with roles—but whatever board you use, make sure it’s giving you real signal, not noise.)
5️⃣ 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗴𝘂𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵—𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽.
I see too many people applying to 100+ jobs and getting nowhere. Right now, the jobs being filled are often never even posted. Instead of panic-applying, target specific orgs, connect with insiders, and have real conversations.
6️⃣ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
Everyone is applying through LinkedIn. But not everyone is building credibility there. Try this: Post once a week. Share something about your expertise, your past work, or even your reflections on the job search. Visibility = Opportunity.
7️⃣ 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘀 > 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
Most people get hired through connections, not job portals. Instead of applying blindly, reach out to people who know your work. Ask for warm introductions. Use first-degree LinkedIn connections wisely.
8️⃣ 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝘀𝗸.
Even in a job search, you have something to offer. Share job openings. Offer to review someone’s resume. Connect two people who should meet. Generosity opens doors.
9️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲—𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂.
The world needs your talents more than ever.
Before you go
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝟲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗗 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘇𝗲?
Here are a few takeaways from 50+ conversations I’ve had in the last six weeks.
The dust is still settling, but the big picture is coming into focus.
🇺🇸 𝗨𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗗 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗼𝗻
🔹 No one expects a quick return. Some speculate that if a major crisis—like a pandemic—hits, the administration may be forced to restart programs, but only reactively.
🔹 People are divided on whether or not the administration will honor the $2 billion in payments that the Supreme Court upheld. Most agree that the deadline (of today) will not be honored. But a slight majority believe that the payments will be made eventually. Others have no faith.
🔹 For the few programs that have waivers, getting paid is extremely uncertain. Some orgs are moving forward, but risk delayed or withheld funds, making planning difficult.
🔹 Many implementing orgs are trying to pivot—some to private sector partnerships, others to domestic work, and most just trying to survive. Some have already shuttered.
💰 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘆: 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿
🔹 Only a few large foundations are making moves. MacArthur Foundation increased its payout rate from 5% to 6%, a bold move I hope others follow. Bloomberg Philanthropies pledged to fill climate funding gaps as government support retreats. I was expecting more by now. So were many others I talked with.
🔹 Many smaller and medium foundations are overwhelmed with requests and doubling down on existing grantees with private commitments and assurances.
🔹 Most folks I've talked to don't have a lot faith philanthropy at the moment— things are moving too slow with some reprioritization happening behind closed doors, but not at a volume that will be able to meet shortfalls.
🏢 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁
🔹 Many tech companies and corporations were already scaling back social impact work before the new administration (with a few exceptions).
🔹 Many are quietly aligning with administration priorities, while others deferring any social impact funding decisions to legal and exec teams.
🔹 No one wants to attract attention right now. Companies are hesitant to make big moves, waiting to see how things shake out.
⚠️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸? 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀
🔹 Many remind me: It won’t stay this bleak forever.
🔹 There’s an enormous amount of resilience—people helping people. Community building, grassroots efforts, support networks and convenings forming. Will do more posts on this, but that is where the energy is rn.
🔹 Some tempered but tangible excitement for rebuilding in new ways and using our collective creativity to grow from the ashes. I'm seeing and hearing a lot of this.
***
In two weeks will plan to do a big newsletter so stay tuned! more soon.
Nick