Job Title: Student Assistant – Our State of Generosity
Hours per Week: 15 hours minimum
Wage: $10 per hour
Employment Start Date: July 2015
Supervisor: Robin Leonard, project coordinator for Our State of Generosity
Job Description:
The Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University is seeking to fill a student
assistant position beginning in July 2015 to work with the Johnson Center’s Our State of Generosity project at
201 Front Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, MI. The successful candidate will be available to work a minimum of 15
hours per week.
Our State of Generosity is capturing the past 40 years of Michigan’s unique history and lessons learned related to
philanthropy. The final products will include an interactive online platform about Michigan’s philanthropic
leaders, their lessons in leadership, and the history of how the four infrastructure organizations (Council of
Michigan Foundations, Michigan Nonprofit Association, Michigan Community Service Commission, and the
Johnson Center for Philanthropy) came into existence.
The primary responsibilities for this position include file management of all historical documents for partner
organizations. This process includes scanning, organizing, and archiving historical. The historical documents are
then stored securely for future use by researchers and scholars. Use of qualitative research and content analysis
software will be used to compile documents, analyze connections, establish coding list for themes, and organize
the materials for future integration into the GVSU libraries and Our State of Generosity’s online platform.
In addition, work for this position includes research, writing, review/revision of transcriptions from interviews,
and other special projects related to Our State of Generosity. The student assistant will work closely with the
project coordinator, the authors, and managing editor of Our State of Generosity to obtain and utilize materials
offered by partner organizations and the Johnson Center Philanthropy Library and Archives.
Travel may be required; approved expenses as outlined in GVSU’s travel guidelines will be reimbursed.
Qualifications:
 Dependable, highly motivated, organized, and detail oriented
 Flexibility, willingness to learn, and ability to work with minimal supervision
 Computer fluency and solid typing skills
 Excellent writing and research skills
 Effective communication and interpersonal skills
 Ability to learn new software programs
 Ability to organize work time and manage multiple projects
 Basic understanding of the Michigan nonprofit sector
Preferred:
 Experience with Wordpress and website content management
 Advanced skills related to technology
 Volunteer experience and an understanding of philanthropy