HR Associate – Donor Development (Volunteer)

Remote

Volunteer

Human Resources

Entry Level

HR Associate – Donor Development (Volunteer)

Note: This is an unpaid, volunteer role designed for those who want to contribute their HR skills to a mission they care about, while gaining experience in nonprofit people operations.

Important: Candidates must be available to attend bi-weekly Donor Development team meetings on Tuesdays at 12:00 PM ET.

Use your HR skills to help build the team behind our donor engagement strategy — ensuring every new team member is ready to fuel the mission of independent, fearless journalism.

We’re seeking an HR Associate to support the Donor Development team by owning and executing core HR tasks — from job postings and candidate screening to interviews and onboarding — while collaborating with the central HR team for alignment. This is an ideal opportunity for someone looking to take a more active, end-to-end role in people operations within a mission-driven environment.

Who We Are

WhoWhatWhy is a nonprofit investigative news organization producing deep-dive journalism on the most pressing issues of our time. Our global volunteer network and small core staff work together across continents to deliver fact-driven, independent reporting — free from corporate or political influence — to readers worldwide.

About the Role

As an HR Associate dedicated to the Donor Development department, you will play a key role in ensuring our team is staffed with skilled, mission-aligned volunteers who can help sustain our funding and outreach efforts. Success in this role means donor development positions are filled efficiently, onboarding is seamless, and new team members feel welcomed and connected from day one.

Your responsibilities will include:

Collaborate with department leads to identify staffing needs and role requirements
Contribute to job description development and finalize approved versions for posting
Post roles, monitor applications, and screen candidates based on departmental needs
Conduct interviews and assist in selection and hiring recommendations
Coordinate onboarding for new team members in collaboration with central HR
Ensure new volunteers feel welcomed, informed, and connected from day one
Maintain candidate tracking and internal documentation related to open roles
Represent HR in bi-weekly donor development meetings (Tuesdays at 12:00 PM ET)
Help foster a values-aligned team culture by supporting communication and engagement efforts
Act as a point of contact for HR-related questions within the Donor Development team

What We’re Looking For

Some experience in HR, recruiting, or team support (students and early-career professionals welcome!)
Confidence and professionalism in interviewing and screening candidates
Organized, responsive, and reliable in a remote setting
Comfortable making decisions and moving processes forward with autonomy
Interest in the donor engagement and nonprofit fundraising space
Strong communicator and collaborator

What You’ll Gain

Know that your work directly helps sustain the funding and growth of independent, investigative journalism.
Build hands-on experience in HR strategy, interviewing, and onboarding — all in a real-world, nonprofit context.
Collaborate with professionals across HR, fundraising, and leadership who can become part of your professional network.
Enjoy a flexible, remote schedule outside of one required team meeting.

Commitment

We ask for a commitment of 5–7 hours per week for at least 6 months — enough time to see your efforts make a tangible impact and become part of our team’s success. We offer flexible scheduling outside of the required team meetings, so you can contribute meaningfully while balancing other commitments.

How to Apply

Please send:

Your resume
A thoughtful cover letter telling us why this role speaks to you

To help us get to know the real you (and confirm you’ve read this description closely), in your cover letter, please include the phrase ‘Committed to Fearless Journalism’ and name one cause or topic you believe deserves fearless investigative journalism.

If there’s no place to attach a cover letter, email it to [email protected]. Check your spam folder for responses — they sometimes land there.

Your submission should reflect your voice and genuine interest in our mission. We value thoughtful, authentic applications over generic templates.

Join Us

Join us and be part of a global team shaping the future of independent journalism — one mission-aligned hire at a time.

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