About ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE PROJECT INC

AVP New York is a grassroots nonprofit that has spent decades bringing experiential, volunteer-led conflict transformation workshops into New York State prisons, schools, and community organizations. What makes it unique is its deep commitment to restorative, nonviolent practice inside and outside the system—staff and volunteers genuinely live the values of affirmation, cooperation, and personal growth. Working here means supporting a mission-driven community rather than a corporate bottom line.

About the role

As the part-time remote Office Administrator, you are the operational backbone of AVP NY: handling email, phone, and mail inquiries; maintaining records; supporting financial administration and reporting; coordinating meetings; and working directly with the Board on fundraising and funder expansion. This role directly enables volunteer facilitators and participants across New York State to keep workshops running smoothly. It's an impactful position for someone who wants to apply strong administrative skills to social justice work.

A typical day

A typical day might start with triaging email and voicemail from volunteers, DOCCS contacts, and community partners, then updating records and processing financial paperwork or reports. Later, you might coordinate a Board meeting, draft a fundraising update, or help plan logistics for an upcoming workshop. Since it's remote and part-time, you'll largely set your own schedule while staying responsive to the organization's needs.

Who ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE PROJECT INC is looking for

Has prior nonprofit or mission-driven administrative experience, ideally with some exposure to boards, volunteers, or criminal justice/reentry organizations.
Is highly self-directed and organized in a remote, part-time setting—able to manage email, phone, mail, recordkeeping, and financial tasks without constant supervision.
Demonstrates a genuine commitment to social justice, nonviolence, and AVP NY's values, not just a general interest in nonprofits.
Communicates clearly and warmly with diverse stakeholders, including volunteers, Department of Corrections and Community Supervision contacts, funders, and Board members.
Is comfortable with basic financial administration and reporting, and willing to support fundraising efforts and funder outreach alongside the Board.

Tips for this application

Address your cover letter specifically to AVP New York and mention the organization's use of experiential workshops in correctional facilities—shows you understand their model, not just their mission statement.
Highlight any experience working with volunteers, boards, or corrections/reentry populations, even if it was unpaid or part-time.
Demonstrate remote-work readiness explicitly: describe tools you've used for recordkeeping, scheduling, email/phone triage, and financial tracking in a distributed setting.
Show you can handle sensitive information with discretion, since the role involves interfacing with Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and maintaining organizational records.
If you have personal or professional experience with conflict transformation, restorative justice, or AVP-style workshops, name it directly—this will set you apart from generic admin applicants.

What to cover in your cover letter

Emphasize your commitment to AVP NY's mission of reducing violence through experiential workshops; your ability to independently manage day-to-day operations remotely (communications, records, financial admin, reporting); your experience supporting a Board with fundraising and funder expansion; and your comfort interfacing with volunteers, corrections personnel, and community partners in a warm, organized way.

Draft a cover letter

Research before applying

Read about AVP NY's workshop model and its 'Transforming Power' philosophy so you can speak authentically about the organization's approach to conflict transformation.
Look up AVP NY's history and current programs in New York State correctional facilities, schools, and community organizations to understand the scope of their work.
Review any publicly available AVP NY annual reports, newsletters, or Board listings to understand their funding sources and recent organizational priorities.
Learn the basics of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and how nonprofits typically interface with it, since this role involves that interaction.

ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE PROJECT INC website

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

How would you handle a high volume of email, phone, and mail inquiries while keeping records accurate and deadlines met in a remote part-time role?
Tell us about a time you supported a Board or leadership team with fundraising or funder outreach—what was your role and what did you learn?
How do you maintain confidentiality and professionalism when interacting with corrections staff, volunteers, and participants?
Why are you drawn to AVP NY's specific approach of experiential, volunteer-led workshops rather than a more traditional nonprofit service model?
Describe your experience with financial administration or reporting in a nonprofit context—what tools or processes have you used?

Practise interview questions

Common mistakes to avoid

Submitting a generic cover letter that could apply to any nonprofit admin role—AVP NY will notice if you don't mention their specific workshop model or corrections work.
Overpromising availability or remote-work capacity without acknowledging the part-time, self-directed nature of the role; be realistic about your schedule and independence.
Focusing only on administrative skills and ignoring the social justice/mission component—this organization deeply values alignment with its nonviolence philosophy.

Deadline

No deadline is listed. Roles without a deadline usually close once the employer has enough candidates, so apply soon if you are interested.