The Jeannette Rankin Foundation, a national leader in making higher education accessible, is significantly expanding its impact in Montana. The organization was founded in 1976 with a bequest from Jeannette Rankin, elected by Montanans as the first U.S. Congresswoman and the first woman to serve in federal office. The Rankin Foundation awards unrestricted education grants to women 35 and older (25 and older in Montana) who demonstrate financial need and are working to achieve their first associate or bachelor’s degree.
The Rankin Foundation is the nation’s largest provider of education grants and educational support for this distinct population. These efforts are making a lasting impact to alleviate systemic, generational poverty. Rankin Scholar Grants empower women to earn degrees, gain higher paying jobs and economic security, create the precedent for college attendance in their families and become leaders in their communities. Nearly half of Rankin Scholars are the first in their families to attend college, who have gone on to become nurses, social workers, teachers and more.
Guided by the spirit of Jeannette Rankin, a social and racial justice advocate, we embrace diversity, equity and inclusion in all that we do and how we do it. It is the policy of the Rankin Foundation to make financial awards to people who self-identify as women without regard to race, creed, religion, color, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, or physical and cognitive disability.
The Rankin Foundation defines women as all those who suffer under the material conditions that have historically been assigned to women, which includes Two-Spirit, trans and nonbinary people, intersex and agender people, and queer people.
We believe education can mean the difference between minimum wage and a living salary, between a life of poverty and a promising future.
We believe it takes more than books and tuition to succeed in college. Our unrestricted, non-tuition grants are dedicated to women and Two-Spirit students pursuing a technical or vocational education, first associate’s degree or their first bachelor’s degree.
The Rankin Foundation seeks a highly collaborative, mission-driven individual to serve as Tribal Scholar Support Specialist, helping us expand and strengthen our Tribal Scholar initiative.
You bring lived experience and care deeply about Tribal women and the value of education in transforming futures. You excel at multi-tasking, goal setting, accountability and workload prioritization. You have confidence in your skills and knowledge and humility to reflect, listen to understand and be changed. You create a climate of trust and openness, are authentic, transparent, approachable, and demonstrate inclusivity and equity in all you do. You are known for your love of education, sense of humor and your “no task too small” attitude. You model leadership through empathy, respect, sensitivity and engagement. You can operate in the weeds as well as think strategically. You have excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills including negotiation and conflict resolution skills. You are entrepreneurial, courageous enough to take risks, shoulder responsibility, fail occasionally and continually learn.
Support the implementation of the Rankin Foundation Tribal College Scholar program.
Collaborate closely with the Scholar Grant Program Director, Scholar Support Specialist and the regional Tribal Support Specialist. You will also interact with the Executive Administrative Associate and seasonal Associates.
Provide value-added support throughout the Scholar Grant application and selection process.
Implement outreach and recruitment initiatives with all Tribal Colleges in Montana and beyond.
Liaison with the Scholar Grant Program Director, Scholar Support Specialist and the Rankin Foundation’s contact at each Tribal College to assist with the Scholar Grant application and selection process.
Participate in Office Hours for current Scholars.
Participate in Applicant Support Hours for potential Scholars.
Verify the enrollment status for each Scholar.
Establish and maintain meaningful relationships with Scholars and engage them in the Rankin Foundation’s program through all forms of communication including phone, email, letter and Facebook.
Coordinate Scholars’ attendance and/or speaking at special events
Meticulously maintain Scholar records.
Assist and encourage Scholars who may be experiencing difficulty in school.
Communicate with Rankin Tribal Scholars to ensure our program meets their unique needs as nontraditional students, women with financial need and single head of household responsibilities.
Assist Scholars seeking information by responding to phone calls and emails daily.
Manage database for Tribal Scholars.
Associate's Degree required, Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
Tribal affiliation as enrolled or descendant citizen of the U.S. Federally Recognized Tribes or First Nations.
Proven ability to develop diverse relationships, networks and partnerships to further the mission and impact of the Jeannette Rankin Foundation.
Ability to address setbacks, troubleshoot issues and seamlessly direct multiple priorities at the same time.
Understanding of the complexity and interconnectedness of issues contributing to poverty.
Comfortable speaking in public and connecting individually with people of various interests and backgrounds.
Demonstrate excellence in organizational, managerial and communication skills.
Strong technology skills and working knowledge of databases.
Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively interface with leadership, Rankin Foundation’s board of directors, volunteers and staff.
Proficiency in Word and Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets, etc.
Nontraditional student experience preferred.
Tribal College experience preferred.
Compensation and Benefits
Jeannette Rankin Foundation offers full-time employees a competitive salary and generous benefits package. The salary range for this position is $45,000 – 55,000 a year, depending on education and relevant experience. This position is remote. Travel will be required to Tribal Colleges and occasionally to Athens, Georgia and other parts of the country. All work-related travel expenses incurred are covered by the Rankin Foundation.
Benefits include:
Health insurance, dental insurance and vision insurance with the monthly copay paid for by the Rankin Foundation.
$25,000 of life insurance.
Short-term and long-term disability.
Flexible Spending Account. (FSA)
401K - Company will match up to 8%.
Generous Paid Time Off package
80 hours of Universal Time
96 hours for Regular Paid Time Off.
12 paid holidays
Paid support for continuing education and/or national conferences.
Position open until filled. Resumes will be reviewed as received. Preference given to applications received by Tuesday, September 2, 2024. Please email a resume and cover letter expressing how the mission of the Rankin Foundation aligns with your personal and professional goals to:
JaShondra Flanigan
Rankin Foundation
jashondra@rankinfoundation.org
Learn More
Jeannette Rankin was from Montana. She was the first female Congresswoman representing Montana and a passionate social justice advocate. We are able to provide unrestricted Scholar Grants to Tribal Women attending Tribal Colleges. Our unrestricted non-tuition Tribal College Scholar Grant is dedicated to women and Two-Spirit students at Tribal Colleges who are 25 and older, demonstrate financial need, are pursuing a technical or vocational education, first associate’s degree or a first bachelor’s degree and can show proof of enrollment in a Tribal College, Tribal affiliation and Pell/SNAP eligibility.