Application Guide
How to Apply for Qualitative/Mixed-Methods Researcher
at Magic Cabinet
🏢 About Magic Cabinet
Magic Cabinet is a philanthropic foundation that disrupts traditional power dynamics by centering community voices through trust-based philanthropy and participatory grantmaking. If you want to use research to shift resources to those most impacted, this is a rare opportunity to work at the intersection of equity and innovation.
About This Role
This role is the backbone of Magic Cabinet's learning and accountability: you'll design mixed-methods research that captures both the impact and the lived experience of grantees and communities. Your work will directly inform how millions in grants are deployed and how the foundation evolves its participatory processes.
💡 A Day in the Life
You might start the day by reviewing survey data from a grantee cohort, then hop on a call with an external evaluator to align on interview protocols. After lunch, you'd analyze interview transcripts using thematic coding, and end the day drafting a visual summary for the program team that highlights both trends and outlier stories.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Magic Cabinet Is Looking For
- You have 5+ years designing and leading mixed-methods research, with a track record of integrating qualitative insights (e.g., interviews, ethnography) with quantitative data (e.g., surveys, outcomes) to inform decision-making.
- You are fluent in liberatory methodologies (e.g., Indigenous, critical race, feminist) or human-centered design, and can articulate how these approaches challenge traditional evaluation paradigms.
- You are a self-directed project manager who can juggle multiple studies, coordinate with external evaluators, and synthesize complex findings into clear, actionable narratives for diverse audiences (board, staff, community).
- You have high emotional intelligence and strong communication skills, able to navigate sensitive conversations with grantees and translate data into stories that honor community expertise.
📝 Tips for Applying to Magic Cabinet
In your resume, highlight specific examples where you used participatory or liberatory methods—e.g., co-designing research questions with community members, using storytelling as data, or adapting methods for cultural relevance.
Tailor your cover letter to show you understand trust-based philanthropy: mention how your research approach avoids extractive practices and centers the needs of those being studied.
Prepare a portfolio or writing sample that demonstrates your ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data into a compelling narrative—e.g., a report with both statistics and quotes.
Address remote work explicitly: describe your experience working independently, managing your time across time zones, and building relationships virtually with diverse stakeholders.
Show your systems thinking: in your application, briefly outline how you would design a feedback loop that connects grantee stories to the foundation's strategic decisions.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your commitment to equity and how your research practice actively disrupts power imbalances (e.g., by sharing data with communities before publishing).', 'Specific examples of mixed-methods projects where you combined qualitative depth with quantitative breadth to drive change.', 'Your experience with participatory grantmaking or similar community-led processes, even if in a volunteer capacity.', 'How you would build trust with grantees and external partners, ensuring they see research as a resource rather than a burden.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read Magic Cabinet's blog and annual reports to understand their language around 'community-centered philanthropy' and see how they currently share findings.
- → Familiarize yourself with the principles of trust-based philanthropy (e.g., from the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project) and how they differ from traditional grantmaking.
- → Explore critiques of participatory grantmaking to show you understand potential pitfalls (e.g., tokenism, burden on community).
- → Look up the foundation's current grantees and any public evaluations they've funded to see the kind of research they value.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't use jargon like 'stakeholder' without explaining how you center marginalized voices; 'community' and 'grantee' are more aligned.
- Avoid presenting yourself as the 'expert' who will teach the community; instead, frame yourself as a learner and facilitator.
- Don't submit generic evaluation examples; ensure your samples show participatory or liberatory methods, not just standard surveys or focus groups.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!