Partner, Community Partnership & Advocacy

About RootED

We’ve set an audacious goal: all Denver Public Schools students will attend a high-performing school that prepares them for what’s next — success in college, in careers, and in life.

At RootED, we believe students, schools, and communities thrive when they have the access, tools, and resources to drive change. That’s why we provide funding and strategic support to schools and organizations that authentically engage their communities to create world-class public schools for every student in Denver.

Reaching our goal requires a departure from the status quo. The lack of access to a quality education disproportionately affects students of color, low income students, and students with disabilities. Many of these children, their families, educators, and surrounding communities are left out of efforts to improve their schools.

So, We’re investing in partners that ensure those voices are at the center of decision-making. Specifically, our funding priorities include:

• Empowering students, families, and educators — providing access, tools, and resources for traditionally underrepresented stakeholders to advocate for better educational outcomes
• Expanding high-quality non-profit schools — specifically those that successfully serve students who are low-income, students of color, and/or students of disability
• Recruiting, developing, and retaining strong teachers and leaders who reflect the diversity of the students they serve

RootED is an organization that utilizes a co-leadership partnership model where each Partner leads a key aspect of our work and where every Partner is involved in key organizational strategic decisions.

About the Role

You will play a vital role in achieving the goals of RootED by leading RootED’s community-driven partnership and advocacy work.  This will include the creation and implementation of RootED’s community/advocacy strategy,  leading all community investment activities, maintaining the essential community relationships for the organization as well as keeping the team informed on the landscape and community needs. This role will ensure that RootED is operating in partnership with the communities and the leaders who know them best so that our funding decisions and day to day operations are in line with our organizational values. In addition, as a Partner at RootED this person will be involved in making strategic decisions affecting the organization as a whole. Major areas of responsibility include:

Organizational Leadership

• Collaborating with other organizational Partners on all key organizational decisions
• Working in partnership with Managing Partner on fundraising efforts, including grant writing and grant reporting
• Development of RootED strategy and key focus areas
• Meeting with RootED and DPS boards to communicate RootED’s strategic direction and progress alongside Managing Partner; leading conversations around RootED’s community and advocacy initiatives

Grant Portfolio Management

• Developing and overseeing grantmaking strategy aligned with RootED’s community partnership and advocacy goals (‘Community Investments’)
• Managing a portfolio of grantees focused on grassroots, community-led and direct service nonprofit organizations, including prospective grantee relationship building, application review and evaluation, grant reporting support and evaluation, and fostering connections/collaboration among grantees

Community Relationships

• Developing and maintaining relationships among key education stakeholders and community partners across Metro Denver communities
• Developing and maintaining grassroots community partnerships throughout the city with the goal of expanding reach and impact
• Representing RootED in a variety of spaces across the education ecosystem (community meetings, convenings, fundraising events, organizational showcases, conferences, etc.)

Coalition Building & Advocacy

• Leading strategy and implementation of advocacy and community partnership initiatives
• Leading and managing a variety of projects to convene stakeholders across the ecosystem, build coalitions and affect policy change
• Partnering with the communications team to align RootED’s communications work with advocacy and community partnership goals and projects

Key Qualifications

Strong candidates will have the following skills and experiences:

• A minimum of 3-8 years of professional experience in community advocacy, community engagement, political campaigns, organizing, policy, or a related area, with a track record of executing successful campaigns/change initiatives
• An unwavering commitment to community-driven change and advancing racial equity in Denver 
• An ability to build trusted relationships and effectively communicate needs across lines of difference 
• Confidence in developing and communicating program strategy to senior stakeholders and system leaders
• Experience effectively implementing complex projects across multiple organizations and stakeholder groups to advance equity in the field of education or a related issue area (healthcare, workforce development, housing, etc.)
• Connection with the Denver communities most impacted by educational inequities and an appreciation of the nuance of Metro Denver neighborhoods (we encourage DPS alumni to apply)

Team Orientation

Strong candidates will have the following qualities:

• Collaborative: Oriented toward flat team hierarchies and highly collaborative decision making that frequently requires working through varying points of view to reach consensus
• Adaptable: Skilled at pivoting approaches based on changing needs and contexts
• Scrappy: Action-oriented, and able and willing to jump into a wide variety of tasks that advance the team’s mission, including tasks beyond their official job duties and tasks they haven’t done before
• Responsive: Able to make themselves available and accountable to stakeholders and to the RootED team (including on evenings and weekends as needed)
• No Ego: Oriented toward supporting and empowering grantees and communities to lead rather than centering RootED 
• Growth Mindset: Comfortable regularly giving and receiving feedback and making changes based on feedback to support the collective growth of the team

RootED is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.