Foster Coordinator | Lawrence Humane
Animal Welfare + Foster Engagement + Program Management
Do you believe animals deserve a chance to thrive outside of a shelter environment?
Do you enjoy building relationships, developing programs, solving problems, and creating systems that make a real impact?
Lawrence Humane Society is seeking a dynamic Foster Coordinator to lead and grow one of our most important lifesaving programs.
This is not an administrative position.
This hands-on role combines animal welfare, foster engagement, program management, communications, marketing, and operational strategy. You will serve as the driving force behind our lifesaving foster program, helping more animals find temporary homes, reducing shelter length of stay, and improving outcomes for vulnerable animals.
Every foster placement creates space, saves lives, and changes futures. As the Foster Coordinator, you'll help make those placements happen.
About Lawrence Humane Society
The mission of Lawrence Humane Society is to nurture the human-animal bond by providing shelter, care, and advocacy for homeless and vulnerable animals while supporting the people and pets in our community.
Each year, our organization supports more than 6,000 animals through sheltering, adoptions, foster care, community programs, animal services, and lifesaving initiatives.
We believe animal welfare is about more than sheltering animals. It is about supporting people, preserving families, and strengthening our community.
Our work is guided by our C.A.R.E.S. values: Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Empowerment & Sustainability
--- What You'll Do ---
Lead & Grow the Foster Program
You'll be responsible for the overall success and growth of Lawrence Humane Society's foster program.
Responsibilities include:
- Recruiting, onboarding, training, and retaining foster volunteers
- Expanding foster capacity through strategic outreach and engagement
- Developing new initiatives that improve foster participation and animal outcomes
- Monitoring program performance and identifying opportunities for growth
- Building strong relationships with foster caregivers and volunteers
- Creating systems that support long-term program sustainability
Support Lifesaving Outcomes
You'll work closely with shelter teams to identify animals who would benefit from foster placement, including:
- Large dogs
- Behavior support animals
- Medical cases
- Long-stay animals
- Underage puppies and kittens
- Nursing mothers and litters
You'll help ensure foster families have the resources, support, and information needed to help animals succeed.
Marketing, Communications & Storytelling
Great foster programs are built on great communication.
Responsibilities include:
- Writing foster pleas and placement requests
- Developing newsletters and foster communications
- Creating compelling animal biographies and adoption profiles
- Coordinating photos, videos, and success stories
- Lead and manage foster recruitment campaigns
- Maintaining foster-related website content
- Promoting program accomplishments and impact
Systems, Data & Program Administration
Strong programs require strong systems.
Responsibilities include:
- Managing foster records, contracts, and placement documentation
- Maintaining accurate data in shelter software and volunteer systems
- Supporting reporting and outcome tracking
- Monitoring program metrics and trends
- Developing workflows, forms, SOPs, and operational processes
- Identifying opportunities to improve efficiency through technology and automation
Collaboration & Leadership
This role works closely with all areas of shelter operations:
- Medical Team
- Behavior Team
- Animal Care Team
- Adoptions Team
- Pet Resource Center
- Animal Services
- Volunteers and Community Partners
You'll serve as a connector across departments to ensure animals, foster caregivers, and staff remain informed and supported.
--- What Success Looks Like ---
Success in this role may include:
- ✓ Growing the number of active foster homes
- ✓ Increasing foster volunteer retention
- ✓ Reducing shelter length of stay
- ✓ Increasing placement opportunities for medical and behavior animals
- ✓ Supporting positive adoption outcomes
- ✓ Improving program efficiency and data quality
- ✓ Building a foster program volunteers and foster homes are excited to be part of
--- What We're Looking For ---
The ideal candidate is:
- Passionate about animal welfare
- An excellent communicator and relationship-builder
- Highly organized and detail-oriented
- Comfortable managing multiple priorities
- Creative, proactive, and solutions-focused
- Experienced working with volunteers, customers, or community members
- Comfortable using technology, databases, and digital tools
- Able to balance compassion with accountability
Qualifications & Requirements
- Minimum age of 18
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Valid driver's license with insurable driving record
- Ability to pass a background check
- Minimum two years of experience in animal welfare, animal sheltering, rescue, veterinary medicine, or a related field
- Experience safely handling dogs and cats of varying sizes and temperaments
- Previous experience in communications or customer service
Preferred:
- Experience managing scalable programs
- Experience with community outreach or public engagement
- Experience with shelter software or client management systems
- Experience creating communications, newsletters, social media content, or marketing materials
- Experience coordinating projects, programs, or operational workflows
Work Environment
This position combines desk work, foster engagement, and hands-on animal care.
Employees regularly work around animals with unknown histories and may be exposed to:
- Animal bites and scratches
- Allergens and animal dander
- Cleaning chemicals
- Infectious diseases
- Strong odors
- Emotionally challenging situations involving animal welfare
The position requires regular walking, standing, lifting up to 50 pounds, animal handling, and extended computer use.
Occasional on-call, evenings, weekends, and holidays are required.
>>>>> Why Join Lawrence Humane Society?
When you join Lawrence Humane Society, you become part of a team committed to creating a more compassionate community for animals and the people who love them.
This role offers the opportunity to:
- Make a direct lifesaving impact every day
- Build and grow a high-impact community program
- Help shape the future of animal welfare in our region
- Work alongside passionate and dedicated professionals
- Create meaningful relationships with fosters, adopters, and community members
If you're looking for a role where strategy, compassion, communication, and action come together, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today and help more animals find their way home!
Learn more and expedite your application at https://www.lawrencehumane.org/careers
Lawrence Humane Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applicants from all backgrounds and experiences to apply.ple alike.
Pay: $18.00 - $24.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Bereavement leave
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Loan forgiveness
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
