Role: Community Organizer, Northeastern, NC
Location: Northeast Region of North Carolina (travel required)
Start Date: Immediate
Reports to: Organizing Manager
Details: This is a full time and temporary role: 37.5 hours/week from August 1 through December 1, 2023
Essential functions: We are looking for a Community Organizer who will be responsible for outreach to new and current members in the Northeastern region and surrounding areas. This is an exciting, public-facing opportunity for a creative and engaging organizer to work closely with our community to help build our member base, connect members to Common Cause North Carolina, and ensure they have the tools they need to stand up for our democracy.
This role has the potential for full-time, temporary work through December 2024, subject to a midpoint re-evaluation for the candidate at the conclusion of the initial period in December 2023.
Responsibilities
Build Community engagement:
- Lead non-partisan voter education and engagement, and election advocacy and protection activities
- Recruit and train up to 50 volunteers for election protection, county board of elections monitoring, and canvassing and phone banking, among other duties as assigned.
- Represent Common Cause North Carolina in civic education and outreach activities (for example: identify target voters for direct voter outreach activities; creating phone lists for phone and text banks) in the Northeast region with a focus on locations serving HBCU students like Elizabeth City, NC
- Plan and attend Common Cause North Carolina member events and meetings, including local supporter calls
- Build and nurture strong relationships with community partners in the Northeast region
- Promote regional activities through traditional and social media
- Engage members, supporters, and other key stakeholders via digital organizing tactics (for example: Voter Access Network (VAN), Relay, Relational Voter Program)
- Work with student fellow to organize Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) students, faculty, and staff, and other local schools around pro-democracy events and actions
- Build and nurture relationships with ECSU faculty and administration
- Help recruit Common Cause student interns and Democracy Fellows
- Attend Brighter Future Institute organizing fellowship training and coaching sessions
Build support for Common Cause’s work and campaigns:
- Coordinate rapid response in-person events that may include petition deliveries, rallies, stand-up news conferences, and other creative actions that earn media attention
- Provide input on and edits of voter education resources (for example: factsheets, blogs, emails, graphics, etc.) to inform and educate our members and the public
- Coordinate grassroots actions with coalition partners to advance campaigns, including redistricting transparency, anti-disinformation, voting rights, ethics, and money and politics
Build and diversify our membership:
- Represent Common Cause North Carolina at coalition events, convenings and other spaces.
- Support our work to grow and diversify our membership base through recruitment and leadership development of grassroots members, especially young people, people in rural areas, and people living in low-income communities
- Stay abreast of legislative and organizational developments on our issues we care about, especially those impacting communities of color, low-income communities, and young people
Qualifications
You will thrive in this role if you have:
- A strong commitment to Common Cause’s mission and to advancing racial equity through our democracy agenda
- A commitment to equity, both in the goals of our work and in how we work with staff and other stakeholders
- Ability to quickly build relationships and credibility with multiple stakeholders from diverse backgrounds
- A track record of working collaboratively with others
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills
- Critical thinking skills, and a resourceful approach to problem-solving
- Strong organization skills, and an ability to manage your time independently
- Ability to manage multiple short and long-term projects simultaneously, and comfort with juggling multiple and shifting priorities
- Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth
- Ability to incorporate data and research into organizing resources including presentations, phone scripts, and other organizing materials
The following is required:
- At least 1 year of experience in organizing, advocacy, project management, fundraising or similar fields
- Experience with Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Canva; and experience using social media platforms to engage others
- Ability to travel in-state at least 3-4 times per month
- Candidates may not currently be in elected office or running for office
We have a preference for candidates who also demonstrate the following:
- Understanding of statewide democracy issues, including voting rights, redistricting, money in politics, ethics, and more
- Capacity to implement small organizing and advocacy campaigns that connect to an overall strategic plan, that have clear components with measurable goals, and that use flexible tactics but remain oriented to advance that strategic plan
- Familiarity with VAN, Vote Builder, and various texting platforms
Compensation: $21,000 for the four-month term, plus generous benefits package
Classification: This position is classified as temporary and therefore not included in the union-represented collective bargaining unit.
To Apply: Please submit resume and cover letter to hr@commoncause.org and include Community Organizer (Northeastern, NC) in the subject line. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated.
About Common Cause
Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.
Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Common Cause has more than 1.5 million members (about the population of New Hampshire) and supporters living in every Congressional district in the United States, and offices in 30 states around the country.