Great job opportunity!
Connections for the Homeless seeks a Community Organizer.
Submit cover letter and resume here.
Summary of Position.
The Community Organizer will expand Connections for the Homeless' advocacy work into the communities it serves through its advocacy coalition, Joining Forces for Affordable Housing.
The Community Organizer’s focus is to build a strong and diverse membership base that raises the voices of people struggling with housing costs or who are homeless--for the purpose of making systemic change.
In addition to working with community members at large, the Community Organizer will engage members through partnerships with human services agencies, civic organizations, municipal staff, and elected officials.
A key function of the Community Organizer will be outreach to people of color and low-income households to increase representation and include the important voices of people who experience housing-cost burden and instability resulting from systemic racism and socio-economic inequities.
Specific Duties:
Enhance and manage the Joining Forces membership function.
• Recruit new organizational and individual members; • Maintain member information; • Maintain strong relationships with members via personal contacts, surveys, etc.; • Meet with member agencies to create and monitor advocacy plans; • With the Director of Advocacy, plan and conduct member meetings.
Develop community advocates to work for systemic change through education, organizing, and lobbying of elected officials.
• Develop and manage grassroots advocacy groups comprising Connections’ clients • Develop grassroots community advocates in the communities Connections serves • Schedule and coordinate advocacy training sessions; • Assist in leadership of training sessions.
Create and manage a “Speakers Bureau” of individuals who are interested in telling their housing stories.
• Provide mentorship and train community members to deliver their stories; • Publicize the speaker’s bureau to the community and coordinate speaking engagements.
Manage advocacy-related meetings, including committee meetings, member meetings, and attendance at municipal meetings.
Manage communications to members and the advocacy community including social media presence and maintain the Joining Forces website.
Other:
• Adheres to the Code of Conduct and Core Values of Connections for the Homeless. • Performs other duties as assigned.
The following qualifications are requirements for the position:
• Community organizing, affordable housing advocacy and/or similar experience • At least two years of experience working in a corporate or social services setting • Strong communications skills, both verbal and written • Excellent relationship building skills with people from all walks of life • Experience with facilitating meetings and training, developing educational material, and organizing community events • Proficiency in use of technology for scheduling, project management, contact management and document creation • Experience with social media • Self-motivated, with the ability to work in a fast-paced collaborative and professional environment • Deep personal commitment to social justice • Ability to lift up to 30 pounds • Must have a valid Illinois driver’s license
Other requirements:
• Must be able to submit to a background check • Must have evidence of a recent TB screening or complete a TB screening with Connections
