Experienced Community/Policy Organizer

Experienced Community/Policy Organizer

Overview

Join us in building a grassroots movement of parent leaders – particularly parents from Black, Brown, and immigrant communities across Illinois – working for economic, racial, and social justice for families. Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI) builds the leadership, power, and voice of parents in historically marginalized communities to fight for equity on behalf of their children and families.

COFI is looking for an experienced Organizer to support city and statewide policy campaigns – with an initial focus on early childhood and K-12 education. This position will inform statewide policy strategies in these issue areas and support local change-making campaigns guided by the needs and priorities of parent leaders in POWER-PAC IL. Candidates will be considered who want to learn and implement COFI’s organizing model, The COFI Way, and who have 3-5 years of organizing experience, with a strong preference for bilingual (Spanish/English) candidates.

Who We Are

Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI) is a center for The COFI Way, a family-focused parent leadership development, community building, and organizing model. We emphasize relationship-building the interconnection between personal struggles and broader community issues and build capacity for parent leaders to address these issues through collective action. COFI's mission is to advance racial and gender equity in education, economic, and social outcomes by increasing the power of families of color, especially families experiencing economic disadvantage. Through systematic leadership development parents and community members develop skills, confidence, and the organized power to shape public decisions and win improvements at the city, state and federal levels that directly affect their lives and the lives of their children and families.

COFI currently supports parent-led organizing teams of POWER-PAC IL in Chicago, Aurora, East St Louis, Elgin, Evanston, and we are continuously growing our impact to more communities statewide!

What You Will Do

The COFI Policy Organizer will work with parent leaders and other COFI organizers on leadership development, community organizing and parent-led policy campaigns. Specific responsibilities:

1. Work with organizing team to coordinate and move forward parent-led city and statewide organizing and public policy campaigns.

• Participate in the development of strategy and long-term planning around COFI/POWER-PAC IL policy initiatives, particularly in the areas of early childhood and K-12 education
• Support coordination of POWER-PAC IL statewide governance, membership activities, and build relationships between parents and community organizations, advocacy groups, and policymakers across the state
• Research and analyze complex policy issues and interpret into meaningful and accessible resources and community engagement materials
• Provide leadership support, training and mentorship to parents and staff in the public policy process
• Organize and coordinate meetings, trainings, and activities for policy campaigns
• Work with leaders and staff to evaluate, modify, and improve COFI's city and statewide organizing and public policy work

1. Develop expertise in utilizing The COFI Way of Family Focused Organizing model

• Participate in all phases of COFI's organizing model
• Provide support and training to COFI’s statewide (POWER-PAC IL) parent leaders
• Support Local Organizers in at least one parent team for at least one year in order to gain direct experience in the organizing model
• Engage in direct organizing at the local level on an ongoing basis in partnership with Local Organizers in order to support engagement and connections to the policy campaigns
• Practice and model the techniques being taught to leaders, trainers, and organizers

1. Conduct administrative, organizational, and clerical tasks necessary to support organizing work

• Follow through on all commitments and decisions in a timely and professional manner
• Document and record meetings, one-on-ones, and events
• Record, organize, and file information related to contact lists, resources, partners, etc.
• Attend and actively participate in weekly staff meetings for information sharing, strategic planning, work planning, and updates
• Complete general employee administrative forms: expenses, timesheets, lobbying reports, etc.
• Provide written quarterly and weekly work plans and reports
• Participate in the annual performance review process

1. Contribute to the effectiveness and development of COFI as an organization

• Be a trustworthy, dependable, and supportive member of the COFI staff team; honor COFI’s values and culture
• Represent the work of COFI / POWER-PAC IL with respect and integrity
• Provide training and presentations on COFI's model, as requested
• Support COFI communications pieces, as needed
• Assist with grant writing and fundraising, as needed
• Work with senior staff on strategic planning and organizational development, as requested

Who You Are – Required Qualifications

• 3-5 years of organizing experience
• Experience developing and supporting local or policy campaigns
• Demonstrated commitment, knowledge and understanding of racial, economic and gender equity and the empowerment of communities of color (particularly women); commitment to building the power and voice of parents of color facing economic barriers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Must have a car, and must have and maintain a valid Illinois driver's license and automobile insurance coverage
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including some evening and weekends
• Willingness to travel to statewide COFI offices, the State Capitol, and national conferences

Other Skills

• English/Spanish bilingual fluency strongly preferred
• Familiarity with the early childhood and/or K-12 education policy landscape in Illinois
• Experience supervising and/or coaching other organizing staff
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills: ability to relate easily with a wide range of people, particularly women of color and people experiencing poverty
• Excellent organizational skills: planning, time management, prioritization, computer skills, and information management
• Creativity, flexibility, and good problem-solving skills

What Else You Should Know

If hired, you will join a team of dedicated organizing staff working across Illinois. You will coordinate closely with other COFI organizers to support the leadership and policy change work led by POWER-PAC Illinois, COFI’s statewide network of grassroots parent leaders. You will be supervised by COFI’s Senior Organizing staff. Women organizers and organizers of color are strongly encouraged to apply. COFI is an equal opportunity employer. More information about COFI is available at www.cofionline.org

Generous family friendly benefits include health, disability, life, 403(b) with employer match, paid time off, flex benefit, flexible scheduling, paid sabbatical after 10 years, and optional vision and dental. Out-of-pocket expenses and car mileage are reimbursed by COFI.

Spanish bilingual fluency highly preferred.