Organizer, Central Valley

Job Title: Organizer, Central Valley

Reports To: Senior Organizing Manager

Location: Fresno preferred, though candidates may reside in any of the other major Central Valley cities, including Bakersfield, Stockton/Modesto, Visalia/Tulare, or Merced

Status: Full-Time, Hybrid role, 40 hours/week, Exempt

Company Overview

Golden State Opportunity is a nonprofit dedicated to ending poverty by providing all Californians with the tools to build financial wellbeing and thrive. GSO is led by doers who educate, engage, and empower working families. Our groundbreaking, culturally relevant work in thirteen languages reaches millions of low-income Californians and connects them with the financial resources they need to survive and then thrive.

We get things done through grassroots advocacy and partnerships with community-based organizations, and what we learn from this on-the-ground work informs our policy advocacy. GSO began with a legislative victory led by and for low-income workers and families. Since then, we have fought to expand access to the CalEITC, federal EITC, higher wage jobs, and other anti-poverty solutions.

Job Summary

Organizers at Golden State Opportunity (GSO) are movement builders. In the Central Valley, this role has a foundational, entrepreneurial focus—establishing GSO’s presence in a region where free tax preparation, ITIN support, and community-based anti-poverty infrastructure are still emerging. The Organizer will build from the ground up: developing new community partners, launching a regional VITA network, and cultivating trusted relationships across a diverse, multi-county landscape. The Organizer will also build strategic relationships with city, county, and state elected officials to strengthen regional support for free tax preparation, ITIN access, and anti-poverty initiatives.

The Organizer expands awareness of CalEITC+, ITIN benefits, and financial resources while building the Community Connect ecosystem-our statewide network of nonprofit grantees that provide free tax preparation, education, and outreach needed to deliver these services at scale. They unite grassroots leaders, community organizations, institutions, and civic partners committed to fighting poverty.

As the anchor for GSO’s work in the Central Valley, the Organizer ensures community insights shape GSO’s statewide strategy and represents the organization across events, coalitions, and partner spaces—strengthening local capacity and laying the foundation for long-term, equitable anti-poverty infrastructure.

Geographic Scope & Community

This role serves the Central Valley across rural towns, farmworker communities, unincorporated areas, and cities including Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton/Modesto, Kern, Visalia/Tulare, Kings, Merced, Madera, and San Joaquin. The region’s diverse communities face barriers to financial resources and free tax preparation. Consistent presence and culturally grounded relationship-building are essential, and the Organizer must understand—or be ready to learn about—the Valley’s diversity, economic challenges, and community traditions.

Key Responsibilities

Community-Based Organizing

• Establish GSO’s Central Valley presence from the ground up, building relationships with community-based organizations, faith-based groups, local agencies, and leaders across rural and urban communities.
• Identify, cultivate, and onboard new VITA partners capable of offering free tax preparation services; support them through technical assistance, capacity-building, and consistent relationship management.
• Lead the creation of a regional VITA network, supporting partners in coordination, volunteer recruitment, site development, outreach, and data-informed planning.
• Conduct ongoing regional reviews to identify service gaps, high-need areas, and emerging opportunities to expand free tax prep and ITIN services.
• Build GSO’s Community Connect ecosystem by developing new partnerships where none currently exist, strengthening the region’s anti-poverty infrastructure.
• Represent GSO at community events, public meetings, coalition tables, and partner spaces; present GSO’s programs and policy positions clearly and persuasively.
• Engage city, county, and state elected officials and their staff to build support for free tax preparation, ITIN access, and anti-poverty initiatives; cultivate these relationships as part of a long-term regional power-building strategy.

Listening, Engagement, and Community Mobilization

• Conduct weekly one-to-one conversations with leaders and community members to understand local needs, barriers, and opportunities and move them into action.
• Spend at least 40% of time in the field—showing up consistently at community events, partner meetings, and outreach locations to strengthen on-the-ground relationships and build trust.
• Coordinate, plan, and execute impactful public events and large-scale outreach activations—such as Tacos & Taxes, CalEITC Bus campaign, community forums, town halls, and media opportunities.

Program & Campaign Implementation

• Support partners in designing and executing their own outreach plans, drawing from GSO tools, materials, and best practices.
• Mobilize community members, partners, and volunteers to expand awareness of tax credits and connect families to free tax preparation.

Volunteer & Fellow Development

• Build a scalable volunteer pipeline to support future VITA partners and regional tax prep expansion, including GSO anti-poverty campaigns, as well as build, support and train organizing fellows aligned with GSO’s strategic goals.

Field Operations & Data

• Build and maintain GSO’s database of key contacts, coalition partners, field interactions, and organizational relationships.
• Track progress toward regional goals, document impact, input new partner contacts into GSO’s database, surface needs, and consistently report field learnings.

Remote & In-Person Work Expectations

• Remote work includes planning, coordination, virtual meetings, reporting, and administrative tasks.
• In-person work includes outreach, tabling, education, partner meetings, trainings, coalition gatherings, and major events such as Tacos & Taxes and It’s Not Too Late to File bus campaign, etc.
• Applicants must be able to shift between remote and field work based on program needs and seasonal demands.

Other

• Perform all other organizing duties as assigned in service of GSO’s mission to eliminate poverty in California.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proven ability to build trust and strong relationships across diverse, low-income, immigrant, and multilingual communities.
• Experience organizing in low-income communities, communities of color, or multiracial coalitions.
• Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to plan, execute, troubleshoot, and adapt in a fast-paced environment.
• Clear and accessible communication skills; able to explain complex information simply.
• Collaborative, flexible team player who works well with partners, coalitions, and internal teams.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial, economic, and social justice, including applying equity and inclusion principles.
• Strong time management, organization, and self-direction; able to manage multiple priorities independently.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace
• Willingness to work evenings/weekends during peak outreach seasons.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of experience in grassroots or community organizing, with ability to implement effective field strategies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual or multilingual skills (Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Russian, or Hmong strongly preferred).
• Lived experience in low-income communities or with tax credit programs, public benefits, or immigrant-serving services.
• Salesforce or other CRM experience.

• Employer sponsored medical, dental and vision coverage for employee and family
• 401k plan
• Flexible time off
• 10 days of sick time
• 20 paid holidays per year

Bilingual or multilingual skills (Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Russian, or Hmong strongly preferred).