Organizer (Berks & Lancaster Counties) - Pennsylvania, United States - ACLU of Pennsylvania

Description

The ACLU of Pennsylvania seeks a dynamic, innovative, and professional full-time organizer to mobilize grassroots supporters in Berks and Lancaster counties on voting rights issues. This is an ideal opportunity for a talented, experienced organizing professional to have a significant impact on civil liberties and civil rights in Pennsylvania. This is a temporary position and will run until December 31st 2024.

The ACLU-PA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest organization, dedicated to defending and enhancing personal freedoms protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights through litigation, legislative advocacy, and community education. It is a dynamic environment that addresses issues with precedent-setting solutions. The ACLU-PA has three offices, ten volunteer chapters, around 40,000 members and donors, 40 employees, and a $5.3 million operating budget.

The organizer will be tasked with growing and managing a volunteer base that will work to put pressure on county leadership to protect and ensure voters' rights and equitable access to the ballot. The organizer will report to the field director and play a key role in mobilizing ACLU of PA members and developing a strong volunteer base.

The organizer will work directly with ACLU of PA members and other activists, expanding the ACLU of PA's footprint, planning and executing actions, holding events, and managing volunteers. This position will organize ACLU members and supporters and plan/implement strategic work with grassroots activists in order to achieve ACLU public policy priorities. This position will be based in Berks or Lancaster County with occasional travel to the ACLU-PA's Harrisburg and Philadelphia offices. We currently offer a hybrid, flexible work schedule. This is a full-time position that will require irregular hours including nights and/or weekends.

ORGANIZING APPROACH

The ACLU of Pennsylvania is focused on pursuing specific integrated advocacy campaigns to achieve measurable goals that will expand civil liberties and civil rights, while building the long-term power of the ACLU and the civil liberties movement.

ACLU-PA organizing is intended to engage both existing ACLU members/supporters/volunteers as well as to reach new constituencies. The field team works with Pennsylvania residents to influence decision-makers, via direct contact of decision-makers by residents and by holding events and actions. The field team focuses on identifying and supporting volunteer leaders willing to work to mobilize contacts with their own networks, in order to expand the size, reach, and power of the movement.

Organizing at the ACLU of Pennsylvania is oriented towards systemic change and policy action—moving people to take strategic actions that lead to decision-makers making different decisions, ones that result in the advancement of specific campaign objectives. These strategic actions can take place in the electoral, legislative, legal, and community education contexts.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• Executing the organizing strategy for the ACLU-PA in Berks and Lancaster counties; including building and managing the ACLU-PA's volunteer base in this region.
• Developing and using organizational strategies to achieve the organization's campaign objectives and training volunteers in these methods and tools.
• Developing and implementing strategies to expand the ACLU-PA's volunteer corps through recruitment, training, recognition and thanks, and ongoing engagement
• Planning and coordinating campaign field activities, lobby visits, phone banking, and events for our policy campaigns in target counties.
• Mobilizing, training, and educating member leaders and activists in target counties around voting-related issues.
• Attend county commissioners and board of elections meetings.
• Working collaboratively with the volunteer coordination team to engage members and volunteers.
• Ensuring successful implementation of advocacy technology tools, including volunteer management software, social media, text messaging, e-mail, and phone calls to increase engagement by the organizing staff and volunteers.
• Provide feedback to the field director about implementation of campaign plan and best practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

The organizer should possess the following experience and personal attributes:

• Personally committed to advancing the ACLU's values, mission, goals, and programs, with an understanding of the range of civil rights and civil liberties issues and their implications; personally committed to raising and centering the voices and leadership of people who have been directly impacted by the issues the ACLU champions.
• Two to four years of experience as a community or field organizer.
• Experience with a range of organizing styles and models, including electoral field programs, constituency organizing, and organizing for long-term issues and legislative advocacy, is preferred.
• Fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, including an ability to navigate and resolve conflict in a manner that values and respects relationships with colleagues inside and outside of the ACLU.
• A firm understanding of intentional relationship building, including conducting 1:1 organizing meetings and training volunteer leaders and activists to cultivate sustainable organizing relationships.
• A flexible team player who works collaboratively and shares responsibility and credit.
• A commitment to diversity; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability and socio-economic circumstance.
• Demonstrated ability to create and sustain coalitions of diverse individuals or groups preferred.
• An energetic person who can handle and prioritize multiple activities and responsibilities with strong time management skills and the ability to work under pressure, including short-term crisis management and rapid response.
• Strong organizational skills. A self-starter and finisher with a demonstrated ability to manage details and follow-through with minimal direct supervision.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral. A positive, confident, professional and outgoing presentation.
• Willingness and ability to speak in public and to facilitate meetings and trainings.
• Willingness to travel and work overtime or irregular hours, including some weekends.
• Access to reliable transportation.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This is a temporary position ending December 31, 2024. ACLU-PA offers paid time off and participation in an employee retirement account. The annual salary for the position is $60,000. This position is full-time, salaried, and nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

To apply, send a letter of application, resume, via our career page . No calls, please.

DEADLINE

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, at which time the job announcement will be removed from our website, .

The ACLU-PA is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU-PA encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or record of arrest or conviction.

The ACLU-PA comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union (the "Union") of Pennsylvania and the ACLU Foundation (the "Foundation") of Pennsylvania. The Union is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, and ACLU membership dues fund its lobbying work. Donations to the Union are not tax-deductible. The ACLU Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Foundation funds support litigation and public education efforts. Donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible. The organizer is an employee of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.

Both the ACLU of Pennsylvania and the ACLU Foundation of Pennsylvania have the same overall mission, and share office space, employees, and the same board of directors. The two entities are jointly known by the term "ACLU of Pennsylvania."

ACLU-PA's hiring process will comply with Philadelphia's Fair Criminal Records Screening Standards ("Ban the Box") ordinance.