At Wellstone, we care about our impact in the world and we care about each other.
So we’ve built a pretty amazing organizational culture, one that’s grounded in
doing exceptional work; prioritizing racial, gender, and economic justice;
investing in our teammates’ success just as much as our own; and living our full,
whole lives as people who are going to be part of this movement for the long haul.
Here are just some of the benefits of working here:
HEALTH INSURANCE
Wellstone offers two excellent health plans, Gold and Platinum, from BlueCross BlueShield. The Gold plan is our
base plan, and Wellstone pays 90% of the premium costs for individuals, domestic partners (whether or not
you’re married), and families. We also offer staff the chance to buy up to the Platinum plan. And we regularly hear
from our team that both these plans and these terms are some of the most generous that folks have ever had, both
within and outside of our movement.
DENTAL INSURANCE
Wellstone offers a choice of two networks through Delta Dental, with Wellstone paying 90% of the premium
costs for individuals, domestic partners (whether or not you’re married), and families.
SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DISABILITY COVERAGE
Wellstone offers short- and long-term disability coverage through Unum. Staff contribute to these plans on a post
- tax basis, and enjoy a tax-free benefit if coverage is ever needed due to illness or injury.
PAID EXTENDED LEAVE
Wellstone offers up to 12 weeks of fully paid extended leave for staff who need it for serious illness, injury, or
the pursuit of parenthood (and that’s for both parents).
LIFE AND AD&D INSURANCE
Wellstone provides $100,000 in life insurance benefits, as well as AD&D coverage, at no cost to staff.
401K RETIREMENT BENEFITS
Wellstone offers a 401K plan (including a Roth 401K option) through John Hancock. Staff are vested immediately,
and Wellstone matches all contributions dollar-for-dollar, up to 4%.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT (FSA)
Wellstone offers an FSA program through Paychex to help staff take advantage of pre-tax dollars for unreimbursed
medical, dental, vision, orthodontia, and dependent care expenses.
WORK FROM ANYWHERE
Wellstone is a work-from-anywhere organization. While we’re headquartered in Minnesota, half of our
team works in states around the country and many members of our team work part-time or full-time from
home. We believe in building the best possible crew – we’re a national nonprofit, with national impact, and
supporting our staff to live wherever they live and can do their best work is a key part of our culture.
FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS
While our staff headquarters is open from 9-5 each day, most members of our team organize their work
schedules to accommodate the needs of their role along with their personal needs. This can mean starting
your workday sooner, ending your workday earlier, or otherwise adjusting your work week to be sure you can
achieve excellence in your role and deliver results while also balancing your personal and family priorities.
HOLIDAYS
Wellstone observes all Federal holidays and then some: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, President’s Day,
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous People’s Day (Columbus Day in other states), Veterans
Day, Thanksgiving Day, and the day after Thanksgiving. We also close down operations for a winter break from
Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day. And we support staff who celebrate other personal or religious holidays
outside of this list.
FLEXIBLE, GENEROUS PAID TIME OFF
Perhaps our most popular benefit, Wellstone offers one of the most flexible and generous paid time off policies in
our sector (or any other). We do not cap the amount of paid time off staff can request during the year.
Instead, we ask that staff take a minimum of four weeks off annually, and most members of our team choose
to take more time off than this throughout the year.
So you’re not going to keep track of sick time, vacation time, jury duty time, floating holiday time, conferences for
your children time, I desperately need a haircut time, my dog desperately needs a haircut time, or any other nonworking hours. Instead, Wellstone adopts a “freedom with responsibility” culture: you are trusted to manage your
work and your life, you are expected to deliver excellent results and make it possible for your colleagues to do the
same, and you’re also expected to check out, step away, and take good, long breaks throughout the year to refresh
and renew. This is the long game of winning justice in our communities, and we want you to stick with us
in this fight.
CELL PHONE AND INTERNET REIMBURSEMENT
For staff who are frequently on the road, you have the option of joining Wellstone’s AT&T company plan, and we
pay 100% for all the talk, text, and data you use, whether it’s for personal or business use. For frequently traveling
staff who don’t wish to join our company plan, we’ll reimburse you $60/month, and for staff who travel less often,
we’ll reimburse you $30/month for your cell phone use.
If you don’t work at Wellstone HQ, you’ll also receive $40/month in internet reimbursement to support you
staying connected to the crew, wherever you work and live.
OTHER COOL STUFF
Through participation in our health plans, staff can access other cool stuff, like:
▪ Care Line Service: 24/7 nurse line advice
▪ Babyline Service: advice for expectant and new parents
▪ Behavioral Health Personalized Assistance Line: support for behavioral health and chemical
dependency
▪ Fitness Club Discounts at select clubs/gyms
▪ Healthy Discounts on things like eyewear, allergy relief supplies, fitness equipment, children's swim
lessons, nutritional programs, and wellness services
▪ Vision Discounts at select eye care providers
▪ Smart Steps: an online wellness program
▪ Convenience Clinics: allowing coverage for common illnesses and vaccinations
▪ Will Preparation: an online will preparation tool that lets staff build state-specific customized wills
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND STAFF SUPPORT
If you have questions about situations in your personal or work life, Wellstone offers an EAP through Unum that
can help you sort things through. Staff have access to confidential telephone, in-person, and online support.
If staff are faced with a particular financial crisis, we’re often able to help there too, offering access to short-term,
interest-free loans in an emergency.
TRAVEL ASSISTANCE
Whenever you travel 100+ miles from home, Wellstone offers travel assistance through Unum for you, your
domestic partner, and your dependents that includes emergency medical, financial, legal, and communications help.
TSA PRECHECK
If you’re going to be traveling for Wellstone, we wanna make that a little easier. Enroll in TSA pre-check, on us.
COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION
Wellstone is committed to competitive compensation for every role in our organization, and we review our
salary structure annually to ensure we’re doing just that. We set base pay to be at least 50-75% of the market
median for our sector and size across all positions.
INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE (AND IN INFRASTRUCTURE, TOOLS, & TECH)
We invest in our people, making sure we each have the tools and tech needed to excel in our roles. Even
before coming aboard, you’ll talk with our operations team to assess what kind of equipment you need to do your
job well, and we’ll customize a plan for you that gets you the tools you need to bust out some great work once your
first day at Wellstone arrives. And we’ll keep assessing your needs each year to be sure we’ve still got it right and
you’re still able to be awesome.
We also provide a comprehensive orientation and onboarding process for staff, including 1:1s with each
member of the team and pulse checks at 45 and 90 days to ensure that new members of our team feel supported
by their manager and colleagues, are clear on their responsibilities, have access to frequent and ongoing
feedback, are encouraged to provide feedback in return, and feel included as full and valued members of our crew.
STAFF APPRECIATION
We’re serious about celebrating our successes and each other. So expect to be appreciated by your colleagues
at Wellstone. And expect to also appreciate your peers, on Wellstone’s dime. When your colleague does
something amazing, we have some funds set aside for you to recognize and appreciate them with good coffee, a
great meal, a terrific book, a bunch of flowers, or another treat that you know will mean something to the person
you’re giving it to. It’s pretty simple. But we hear it’s also pretty rare.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
We know you’re already great by the time you join our crew. And we’re also going to commit time and money to
further developing your skills and leadership for Wellstone and the movement. We have a dedicated staff
development budget, and we’ll work together with you to create a plan for where you want to grow and then
support you to get there.
We are Wellstone. We are people of color, women, working-class folks, immigrants, queer people,
survivors. We believe we all do better when we all do better. And we’ve created a workplace that lets us live
out our deepest values: for ourselves, each other, our communities, and our movement.
Thank you for wanting to join us.