Environmental Justice Organizer

ONE Northside is seeking an energetic and highly organized Environmental Justice Organizer to make sure low-income people and Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color benefit from the transition to the green economy.  A successful candidate for this position is an individual who takes initiative, has a track record of working with a diverse group of people, and wants to engage in organizing for change on the local, state and federal level. An ideal candidate is someone with an appetite to be a community organizer, build power, and who is rooted in a deep commitment to racial and social justice. 

POSITION SUMMARY

The ONE Northside Environmental Justice Organizer will recruit and organize a base of community members interested in, and who will benefit from, the transition to the green economy, reducing utility bills and our carbon footprint, ensuring effective implementation of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) in Illinois, and winning Healthy Green Schools. This will involve regular, independent door-to-door canvassing and phone banking, coalition work, and organizing marginalized populations in the community. The organizer will do this by building relationships within our member institutions, people living in affordable housing, parents, students, teachers/staff, and the broader community; identifying leaders and developing their leadership abilities; organizing and attending campaign, coalition, and other organizational meetings; working with identified grassroots leadership to coordinate comprehensive campaign strategies; conducting research; assisting with organizational events and trainings; and other tasks as needed.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizing

• Build a base of people and institutions directly affected by environmental injustice, including young people, parents, low-income people, people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ people. This will include independent canvassing and other outreach efforts. Mobilize base members to participate in ONE Northside environmental justice campaigns, such as the Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance (CABO) and Healthy Green Schools, and other organizational activities such as training, direct actions, large public meetings, and canvassing.
• Cultivate the leadership of community members to tell their own stories, build their own bases, and develop and execute strategies to win campaigns in our environmental justice work. This will include using tactics such as meeting with elected officials, public education, direct action, strategic communications, and more.
• Create and lead popular education and skill building training to develop the leadership of grassroots members.  
• Meet with grassroots and grass-roots community members to understand their interests and move them to action with ONE Northside. Organizers are expected to do at least 5 one-on-one meetings per week.
• Work with grassroots leaders to participate in city, statewide, and national coalitions that advance our campaigns
• Plan events and meetings from start to finish including preparing the agenda, securing the logistics, ensuring radical hospitality, and generating the turnout. Support on meetings and events planned by other team members.
• Support the activities of ONE People’s Campaign, our 501c4 sister organization

Administration/Fundraising

• Prepare written reports, meeting summaries, press releases, and related materials as they pertain to the work
• Participate in quarterly grassroots fundraising tactics and support grant fundraising by identifying and drafting grant proposals and reports, participating in and preparing leaders for site visits.
• Participate in weekly staff meetings, quarterly staff retreats, quarterly Membership Council meetings
• Develop and maintain relationships with leaders in our institutional members, engage them in our quarterly membership meetings, and help recruit new institutional and individual members.
• Assist the management team with other tasks, as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

An ideal candidate is someone with a deep hunger to build power to win organizing campaigns and who is rooted in a commitment to environmental and social justice. A successful candidate for this position is a deeply relational individual who is detail-oriented, able to juggle multiple projects, eager to engage with the community and is dedicated to winning concrete changes through organizing. They should have a strong interest in working with a diverse group of people and will thrive within an organizational culture that emphasizes creativity, accountability, growth, and community.

Required

• 2+ years of community organizing experience and familiarity with a diverse range of organizing tactics and strategies
• Proven ability to work with a diverse constituency, across lines of race, class, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion and other differences
• Serious appetite and excitement to go door-to-door, make calls, meet new community members and bring them into the work
• Commitment to racial equity and overcoming white supremacy, you recognize the role of race, income, age, immigration status, and other identities in shaping disparities among communities and you consistently amplify community voices to advocate for more equitable solutions. You recognize how your own identities show up in the work, and welcome, reflect on, and act on feedback with an eye toward continuous learning about race, ability, and other lines of difference.
• Deep self-interest in building relationships with people who interact with the environmental justice movement
• Willing to use confrontation as a tactic for winning justice
• Proficient with Google Suite and other computer skills
• Must be a motivated self-starter who can juggle many moving pieces
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Effective communication skills
• Effective and creative problem solver
• Innovative, creative, mature thinking and reasoning
• Demonstrated commitment to (or interest in) the profession of community organizing

Preferred

• Fluency in a second language is a plus
• Experience working in coalitions
• Commitment to training and agitation methodology as a tool for growth and accountability
• BA degree or equivalent life experience
• Having a car is preferred

This is a community organizing job and will require attendance at night and weekend meetings. ONE Northside is an equal opportunity employer.