Deadline: 5/31/17

Organization: Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest

Position Summary

Nebraska Appleseed is seeking a full-time Community Organizer to coordinate grassroots, community-driven advocacy and engagement efforts around issues of health care access and poverty in Nebraska.

Broad areas of work include:

• Long-term relationship building and leadership development among populations affected by health care access and poverty issues.
• Grassroots advocacy campaigns engaging community members to take action on health care access and anti-poverty public policies.
• Increasing awareness and understanding on issues of health care access and economic justice in Nebraska.

The Community Organizer will report to the Director of the Economic Justice and Health Care Access Programs and will also work in close collaboration with the Field Director, the Economic Justice and Health Care Access teams, other Nebraska Appleseed staff organizers, and community partners.

 

Organization Profile

Nebraska Appleseed is a nonprofit organization that fights for justice and opportunity for all Nebraskans. Appleseed takes a systemic approach to complex issues – such as children’s welfare, immigration policy, affordable healthcare, and poverty – and we take our work wherever we can do the most good, whether that’s in the courthouse, at the statehouse, or in the community. For more information, visit neappleseed.org.

Nebraska Appleseed is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, LGBTQ people, individuals with disabilities, individuals with personal experience with poverty, and those from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Nebraska Appleseed does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic background, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

 

Responsibilities

• Work with community members and community partners to identify issues raised by the community.
• Involve community members in the development of policy and legal solutions, identify key individuals to connect with to promote change, and develop organizing strategies to solve problems raised by the community.
• Coordinate and support grassroots engagement in advocacy campaigns, with an emphasis on issues important to those affected by health care access and poverty issues.
• Identify, build, and mobilize a base of Nebraskans in support of health care access and poverty issues.
• Set and meet benchmarks for grassroots engagement, volunteer recruitment, and leadership development.
• Connect organizing efforts with relevant national and statewide networks and campaigns.
• Work with the Field Director, the Economic Justice team, and the Health Care Access team to ensure short-term grassroots campaigns are connected with a long-term vision for capacity building and leadership development among affected populations.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration on issue-based organizing, civic engagement, and leadership development among leaders, organizations, and individuals involved with other statewide organizing efforts.
• Work with the Field Director and the Director of Information Technology to create effective systems for tracking data, contacts, and community engagement within the work.

 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and/or two years experience in the nonprofit field or community outreach required.*
• At least one year experience with grassroots organizing preferred.
• Spanish language fluency, including speaking, reading and writing, preferred.
• A facilitator with strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work with a range of personalities and skill levels to build consensus from diverse groups and produce high quality results.*
• A deep understanding of and comfort with interacting with different cultures, and experience with working with communities from diverse backgrounds (e.g., immigration, multicultural, rural/urban).*
• A self-starter with lots of initiative who can manage multiple projects, next steps, and deadlines.*
• A strategic thinker who keeps the big picture in mind.*
• A leader who develops leadership in others and can manage from strategic to tactical levels.*
• Experience training and managing volunteers and interns is a plus.
• A valid driver’s license and a flexible schedule with the ability to work some evenings, weekends, and conduct statewide overnight travel as often as once a month.*
• A team player who is curious, creative, energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive.*

* Denotes essential qualifications.

 

Salary and Benefits

Competitive nonprofit salary based on experience plus benefits including health, vision, dental, 401(k), paid sick days and paid vacation.

 

To Apply

The application deadline is May 31 and the target start date is mid-July. Please send a cover letter, resume, and a brief writing sample (letter, memo, excerpt from a paper or report, presentation, etc.) and list of three references via email to ehutchison@neappleseed.org. If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Hutchison at 402-438-8853 x122.