Food Shift, a Project of Earth Island InstituteFood Shift, a Project of Earth Island InstituteOur multifaceted work draws on a diverse portfolio of skill sets, and our team spans a range of positions in workforce development education, food recovery, food production, fundraising, communications and more.
We are committed to fairness and inclusion in our hiring practices, work culture and all interactions with our partners and community. Available positions are listed below.
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Currently accepting Volunteer and Intern applications, see below.
Our internship program welcomes individuals interested in community health, racial justice, and food waste, and accommodates a wide range of skill sets. Past intern projects have included social media management, food ecosystem mapping, and crafting justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) based onboarding procedures.
At this time we are unable to offer monetary compensation for internships. However, we work to make internship experiences valuable through mentorship, capacity-building, professional development opportunities, and by providing opportunities to create significant work products that interns can leverage as they move forward in their careers.
To join us, please fill out our internship intake form here. We are currently looking for a six-month time commitment.
“My experience as an intern at Food Shift was an eye-opening glimpse into the world of nonprofit work. I was genuinely impressed with each and every staff member’s desire to better themselves individually and better the organization as a whole through intentional reform. I’ve never worked in such a mission-driven environment before, and it pushed me to work harder and look at every experience as an opportunity to learn and grow. Nonprofit work can be all-consuming and overwhelming at times, which is why it’s so important to work smarter, not harder. Under Yuka and Audrey’s tutelage I’ve learned how to manage my time better, developed a greater understanding of the food system as a whole, and gained both operational and holistic collaborative skills that will benefit me throughout future positions.”
-Sabina Mahavni, Community Intern
Food Shift offers several volunteer opportunities: on-site and remote or virtual, short and long term, and varying hours of commitment. We have established programs for formal engagement such as Executives or Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and student internships. We engage volunteers with a broad range of skills in social media management, web design, databanking, research, community organizing, food recovery, and more.
Want to share your skills? Explore our available positions below. If your particular skill set doesn’t match our position descriptions, we still want to hear from you! We design volunteer opportunities based on the professional skills our volunteers have to offer, whether it’s photography, communications, database management, or anything else you have experience with.
To join us, please fill out our volunteer intake form here. Contact info@foodshift.net with any questions, and include your program of interest in the subject line.
During this challenging time, Food Shift is glad to serve our community through Operation Together, our COVID-19 relief effort, by rescuing food from waste and nourishing vulnerable neighbors. Since March, Operation Together has recovered and distributed 60+ tons of food, and we want to keep growing.
We’re seeking food recovery volunteers to sort and load donated food on-site at Food Shift’s office in Alameda, with social distancing and safety protocols observed. View the flyer below for more information, and please share this link to it in your network to spread the word! Interested volunteers can email info@foodshift.net with their availability and resume, with subject line “Operation Together Volunteer.” We request 10+ hours of service per month.
“As someone who’s self-employed and mostly works from home I was looking for a volunteer opportunity that would connect me to a wider community, would let me use some different skills, and hopefully teach me some new ones too. It’s been all that and more. There’s always a really positive spirit of teamwork, where everyone is valued and everyone learns from each other.”
-Martin Webb, food recovery volunteer and kitchen volunteer
This program is designed for executives who are in transition or shifting gears on their career path, and would like to give their time to a project at Food Shift that leverages their strengths and talents.
Residencies give executives exposure to a nonprofit organization and an opportunity to make an impact. The program can be customized with an average of 10 hours a week for a minimum commitment of three months.
“As someone who’s spent a lot of time in the corporate/tech world, it’s been amazing to be able to look inside and learn the nonprofit world, particularly through the lens of Food Shift, whose mission is one that I’m personally very passionate about (Food Waste and Social Justice). I’ve been able to lend my ‘talents’ in a multitude of ways, from management, strategy, and coaching, to helping with technical projects, and to helping with the food recovery operation. That I get to contribute in all these ways (really, anything that I can help with, I try to) is especially rewarding for me.”
-Rizwan Dhanani, Executive-In-Residence and Chief Technical Consultant
We welcome professional chefs interested in giving back to the community by teaching a guest workshop with a curriculum of their choice. Only off-site virtual workshops are currently possible due to the pandemic.
“I support Food Shift because they are one of the few organizations that make the connection between food insecure communities and food system inefficiencies. And it’s their innovation where they are able to create their own ecosystem to provide work, food and community to food insecure communities. We need more Food Shifts in every community in the world.”
-Tu David Phu, Top Chef Finalist and Local Chef Activist, Guest Chef