About Us
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners.
WEAVE: THE SOCIAL FABRIC PROJECT
Weave: The Social Fabric Project tackles the problem of broken social trust that has left Americans divided, lonely, and in social gridlock. Weave connects, supports, and invests in local leaders stepping up to weave a new, inclusive social fabric where they live. The project was founded by New York Times columnist and author David Brooks at The Aspen Institute in 2018. He remains the chair of the project.
Weave supports the people (“weavers”) who are building trust and tackling key issues in their neighborhoods. It provides them with resources and connects them in peer networks. It lifts up these often under-appreciated community connectors as important leaders by telling their stories and putting them on stages large and small. And Weave aims to inspire new generations of people to become weavers of their communities.
Weave seeks to spur a nation of weavers, brimming with deep, healthy connections, where mutual trust and affection is the norm, equity is implicit, and all find meaning in daily life.
About This Role
For the past five years, Weave: The Social Fabric Project has worked directly in communities, supporting and connecting weavers who are building trust, bridging divides, and strengthening the social fabric where they live. We accomplish this by providing tools, platforms and training to weavers that help strengthen their networks, build their skills and attract more people to weaving. Additionally, we distribute microgrants—Weaver Awards—to weavers to help defray some of their costs and to acknowledge the leadership roles they are playing in their neighborhoods.
Weave is now transitioning from supporting individual weavers directly to supporting community-based organizations that will create cultures of weaving in their locales by utilizing Weave’s full suite of tools, platforms and templates. These Community Hosts will be funded, trained, and supported by Weave to administer the Awards, nurture local weavers, and implement additional actions to amplify their impact. Weave will select, fund, train, and support 25 community hosts per year moving forward.
In coordination with the Senior Manager, Community Activation, the Associate, Community Activation will support the operationalization of the community host model. The salary range for this position is $65,000-$75,000. The role is based at Aspen’s Washington, D.C. headquarters, with an in-office expectation of at least two days per week to collaborate closely with colleagues.
What You Will Do
Events Management: Contribute to the planning and execution of in-person and virtual events, trainings, orientations, receptions, and learning sessions:
- Support the Senior Manager, Community Activation in developing and maintaining the calendar of community host trainings and peer learning opportunities.
- Collaborate with the Weave team to confirm and oversee event logistics including registration, pre-event communications, booking venues and catering, printing event materials, on-site set up, notetaking, timekeeping, and sending post-event correspondence. Present content and facilitate sessions as needed.
- Oversee virtual event logistics including preparing calendar invitations, virtual call links, monitoring participant Q&A, and managing breakout rooms.
- Support Senior Manager in event preparations and content development including scheduling prep meetings, conducting outreach to speakers and collaborators, and preparing slides or other meeting materials as needed.
Online Community Management: Manage Weave’s private online community for community hosts:
- Manage and update online resource folders, ensuring links are up to date.
- Add new resources as needed including event recordings, how-to-guides, publications, etc.
- Regularly draft and/or post content such as blogs, photos, event links, polls, and surveys.
- Support Senior Manager to develop and execute content calendar.
Technical Support and Capacity Building: Support community hosts in the implementation of their Weave programming:
- Contribute to managing community host relationships and communications including monthly community host newsletter.
- Manage Weave’s intake form for community host questions and requests.
- Serve as a liaison between community hosts and Weave’s communications, IT, and implementation teams to source responses to questions and requests.
- Identify and troubleshoot challenges faced by community hosts, and elevate persistent issues to Senior Manager and Weave leadership.
Learnings and Insights: Support data collection and evaluation efforts to capture the impact of community host activities:
- Report successes, challenges and observed trends to Senior Manager and Weave leadership.
- Document and share lessons learned from community hosts to help refine Weave’s tools and approaches.
- Support ongoing management of Weave’s monitoring and evaluation partner
- Contribute to preparation of program reports as needed.
- Participate in and observe Weave’s direct support of weavers in Northwest Arkansas to translate learnings to community host model.
What You Will Need To Thrive
- Bachelor's degree and minimum 1 -3 years' experience in community-based work professionally, preferably with nonprofit organizations.
- Commitment to Weave’s vision of a nation brimming with deep, healthy connections, where mutual trust and affection is the standard, equity is implicit, and people find meaning in daily life.
- Experience in project management required; familiarity with project management software preferred.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace.
- Demonstrated problem–solving skills.
- Experience in relationship-building with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Ability to work autonomously and as a team player.
- Experience in online community management preferred.
- Experience in customer service and/or client management preferred.
Additional Information
The Aspen Institute offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and prescription benefits, retirement benefits, and paid leave.
The Aspen Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all District and federal laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or protected veteran or disabled status and will not be discriminated against.
The Aspen Institute welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs, including the interview process. If you would like to request accommodations or hav questions about accessibility, please email hrsupport@aspeninstitute.org or call 202-736-2127 in advance of your visit. Requests for ASL or CART services should be made at least two weeks in advance when possible. We will make every effort to fulfill requests, subject to availability.
