Nonprofit Policy & Advocacy Fellow

The Nonprofit Policy & Advocacy Fellowship allows recent graduates and early career professionals to collaborate with leaders across the nonprofit community. Reporting to the Policy Director, the Fellow will work closely with SVCN’s Policy Team, conducting original research, offering critical resources and learning opportunities for nonprofits, curating content for SVCN’s Policy Update newsletter, and producing insightful policy briefings, reports, and publications.

The Fellowship will run for (1) year and may be extended (6) additional months depending on project needs. This is a full-time, non-exempt position with a hybrid schedule in our office at the Sobrato Nonprofit Center in San José, California.

Examples of Duties

Policy & Advocacy

• Monitor, analyze, and interpret the impact of local, state, and federal legislative actions on nonprofits and their missions.
• Develop and implement advocacy campaigns, providing nonprofits with the resources and tools needed to effectively engage in policy advocacy.
• Draft public comments and position statements representing SVCN’s stance on policy issues, contributing to communications such as the policy e-newsletter.
• Support the policy and advocacy efforts of the Race Equity Action Leadership (REAL) Coalition.
• Collaborate with other nonprofit associations (e.g., Behavioral Health Contractors’ Association, Community Health Partnership, Thrive Alliance, CalNonprofits) on joint advocacy initiatives.

Government Relations

• Support the Policy Team in cultivating and managing SVCN’s relationships with local elected officials and their staff.
• Educate policymakers about issues critical to nonprofit organizations.
• Coordinate and organize convenings between nonprofits and elected officials or other policymakers.

Non-Profit Member Engagement

• Support the Learning and Member Engagement Team to conduct outreach and assess the needs of the nonprofit community.
• Facilitate opportunities for nonprofits, including members, to collaborate on advocacy efforts.
• Support the planning and execution of SVCN events, such as professional development workshops, summits, conferences, town halls, member events, and special meetings.

General Duties

• Work closely with the Policy & Advocacy team to execute assignments, manage outreach, and distribute the Policy Update newsletter for members.
• Provide administrative support, including scheduling and coordinating team meetings with external partners.
• Assist with other organizational tasks as needed.

What are we looking for? 

You bring strong attention to detail and a passion for solving complex problems, with the ability to manage and prioritize tasks effectively in a sometimes fast-paced environment. Being adaptable and solutions-oriented, you can meet the evolving needs of the nonprofit community and our growing organization. We value your ability to work collaboratively within a diverse team, proactively addressing equity, bias, and inclusion issues with actionable solutions. Your communication style is characterized by reliability, warmth, humility, and a good sense of humor, helping you build strong relationships and engage with the community we serve in a customer-service mindset. You take ownership of your work, combining creativity with accountability. You contribute to a supportive, culturally competent workplace with an energy that balances productivity, creativity, and fun.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Graduate degree from an accredited school. We encourage applications from those with a degree/expertise in public policy, urban planning, political science, law, sociology, economics, or related fields or commensurate professional experience.
• Demonstrated passion for being a change-maker, interested in advocacy or community organizing, nonprofit work, and learning about the nonprofit sector.
• Strong desire for building and maintaining positive relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Experiences with problem-solving, exercising sound judgment, taking initiative, working independently, and following through.
• Commitment to advancing social justice, racial justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to work as a team, take on different roles, and juggle multiple priorities with a positive, solution-oriented attitude.
• Comfort using a variety of software platforms including Microsoft Office Suite, Box, G Suite, Salesforce, Asana, Zoom, Slack, Trello, and Mailchimp.
• Lived experience with systems of inequity or conditions that nonprofits work to address—such as homelessness, poverty, incarceration, discrimination, or reliance on safety net services—is highly valued and welcomed as a vital form of expertise.