CARE Leader

Time Commitment: 10-15 hours per month

Compensation: $325 per month

The Organization 

Lighthouse Foundation of Chicagoland is a Black LGBTQ+ led, multiracial social justice organization that advances justice for Black LGBTQ+ people across Chicagoland through empowerment, education, and entertainment. Since LF’s founding in July 2019, we have forged collaborations with 25 partner organizations, planned over 100+ events with 4,000+ participants, and launched the nation’s first Black Queer Equity Index (BQEI). LF is a small but rapidly growing organization that is poised for growth over the next year.

We work for Black LGBTQ+ liberation externally through Lighthouse Foundation’s CARE (Coalition of Accomplices for Racial Equity), which is a coalition of accomplices and Black LGBTQ+ people who support Black Queer liberation through building community, exploring faith and spirituality, and doing justice. 

Building Community: CARE fosters community by hosting monthly CARE Connects, which offer individuals a platform for networking and discussing various topics. These events aim to facilitate connections among people looking to engage with others and expand their professional and personal networks.

Exploring Faith and Spirituality: CARE brings together individuals from diverse professional, geographic, and spiritual backgrounds. CARE encourages discussions about spirituality through its events, allowing participants to share their personal practices and perspectives. These gatherings provide a space for exploring and understanding different spiritual experiences and beliefs.

Doing Justice: CARE supports the work of the Black Queer Equity Index (BQEI). The BQEI is Lighthouse Foundation’s flagship racial justice program, which seeks to improve nonprofit cultures for Black LGBTQ+ staff and board members. We evaluate nonprofit cultures by publishing an annual report card and offering interventions. Lighthouse Foundation contends that when Black LGBTQ+ employees and board members are centered and empowered in their organizations, those organizations are best positioned to serve communities. CARE advances the BQEI by hosting programs for accomplices within BQEI-surveyed nonprofit organizations that emphasize the importance of being an active accomplice to Black LGBTQ+ people.

CARE prepares constituents to meet with Illinois legislators through workshops and training. Lighthouse Foundation believes it is essential to prepare individuals seeking LGBTQ+ justice to work with the tools they need to advocate for justice in front of legislators. CARE members also commit to joining Lighthouse Foundation in advocating for equitable government funding so that our programming for and services to the Black LGBTQ+ community can expand.

CARE also pursues intersectional justice through Lighthouse Foundation’s Racial Equity Accomplice Partnerships program (REAP). REAP is a partnership between Lighthouse Foundation and for-profit businesses offering equity training, a racial and LGBTQ+ equity commitment, a seal of approval process, and marketing visibility. 

Finally, CARE is led by Lighthouse Foundation’s Manager of Organizing, who serves as CARE’s Program Manager. LF’s Manager of Organizing leads the planning and implementation of crucial CARE initiatives and activations, including monthly meetings, public events and ceremonies, and CARE-wide events.

The Role

CARE Team Leaders will report to the Manager of Organizing and will help assist in project management, event planning, and advocacy initiatives. This role involves interfacing with internal and external partners within the Lighthouse network. CARE Leaders will support the overall work of CARE under the leadership of the Manager of Organizing. This part-time contract role is primarily a remote position with some in-person requirements in the Chicagoland area. 

Responsibilities

Project Assistance (40%)

• Responsible for assisting in launching Lighthouse Foundation’s new outreach program, REAP
• Identifying and contacting businesses to participate in the REAP program

Event Execution (30%)

• Work with Lighthouse’s Manager of Organizing to plan CARE events throughout the year
• Attend CARE events that happen throughout the year
  • Between 5-6 events per year
• Help with hospitality at events
• Assist with the setup and breakdown of CARE-sponsored events

Justice and Advocacy (20%)

• Educate and train accomplices who want to join the work of CARE 
• Speak to legislators and advocate for equitable funding for Black LGBTQ+-led and Black LGBTQ+-founded Illinois nonprofits  

Community Building (10%)

• Identify individuals and organizations thatcould become members of CARE

Requirements

• Lives in the Chicagoland area
• Ability to attend one virtual leader meeting each month, four virtual leadership council meetings per year, and one in-person annual leadership council retreat
• Understanding of the work of Lighthouse Foundation
• Commitment to LGBTQ+ justice 
• Commitment to advocating on behalf of Lighthouse Foundation
• Experience in organizing 
• Experience in event planning 
• Reside in the Chicagoland area
• Support with setup and teardown of events