What: ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMARY: Grassroots Collaborative (501c3) builds power with working families through strategic community-labor organizing, grassroots leadership development, civic engagement, and research. We organize to win progressive policies and systems change that improve the lives of low-to-moderate income people and communities of color. We utilize popular education to build consciousness, and build organization that unites residents, community and labor organizations to create transformative change for a more just society. Our affiliated 501c4, Grassroots Illinois Action, works to build community political power through issue advocacy and electoral strategies. We are based in 2 locations, Chicago and Peoria.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Grassroots Collaborative engages in campaigns to make corporations, big banks, and the rich pay their fair share. Our member organizations are facing the combined impact of public financial crises (state and city budgets) and decades of disinvestment from communities of color. In the summer of 2017 we launched an initiative to begin building labor-community alliances in additional Illinois cities, beyond Chicago, to grow the power of working families and communities of color beyond Chicago and across the state. This was the origin of the Peoria People’s Project (P3), which was launched with founding members Peoria Federation of Teachers, Change Peoria and SEIU Healthcare IL&IN. The Peoria People’s Project seeks to win economic and racial justice for working families in the Peoria area, through issue organizing, voter engagement and effective labor-community coalition building.
POSITION SUMMARY: We are seeking an experienced community or labor organizer, preferably based in Peoria, or a nearby Central Illinois community. The organizer will work closely with Grassroots Collaborative member organizations and ally organizations in Central Illinois, to engage grassroots leaders in statewide campaigns against austerity and for progressive revenue and racial justice. The organizer will also coordinate the Peoria People’s Project efforts to organize parents in low-wealth communities and to build campaigns on other local issues that are identified by those leaders. The organizer will help recruit and develop coalition partners, contribute to campaign strategy, communicate with and motivate existing and potential members, assist in legislative efforts, educate and mobilize low information voters, conduct popular education sessions, and lead public actions. The ideal candidate will be reliable, engaging, and hold a deep commitment to leadership development and empowerment.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Coalition Building – Identify and recruit new Peoria People’s Project supporters and members, that want to work together in a labor-community coalition. Maintain regular communication with partners and engage them in digital, legislative and street actions. Facilitate the monthly leadership meetings and coalition decision-making and strategy development processes.
- Political Education & Leadership Development– Conduct workshops and presentations that educate union members and grassroots leaders about the origins of our fiscal crises and the current and historic realities of structural racism and disinvestment. Develop workshops on various campaign topics – as needed. Coordinate an annual leadership development series for emerging leaders. Coordinate an annual summer organizing internship program for union members and grassroots leaders.
- Communications – Work with the Grassroots Collaborative Communications Director to build our social media presence.
- Coordinate media relations – including distributing press advisories and releases as necessary.
- Campaign Development – In collaboration with our partners, lead the process of developing and executing organizing campaigns to advance our joint agenda and objectives. This includes planning and holding strategy sessions, conducting issue research, recruiting allies and leaders to play roles in the campaigns, coordinating direct actions, and conducting digital outreach.
- Legislative – Coordinate lobbying visits to Springfield and also to local officials in Peoria. Assist in developing legislation as needed for organizing campaigns.
- Voter Engagement – Coordinate canvassing, phonebanking and peer-2-peer texting programs designed to increase voter engagement. Develop field plans and recruit and manage canvassing teams. Organize volunteer canvasses and phone banks. Manage data generated by voter engagement efforts.
- Other roles: Participate in Grassroots Collaborative staff retreats, weekly meetings and other organization-wide meetings and activities. Coordinate the annual P3 fundraiser. Participate in the annual Grassroots Collaborative fundraiser. Pursue individual professional development opportunities to ensure continued development and learning as an organizer. Additional roles and responsibilities as assigned.
- A minimum of 2 years full-time labor, community or constituency organizing experience
- Strong organizational, leadership, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to motivate and inspire others
- Willingness to work irregular hours, including evenings and weekends, and travel
- An energetic commitment to social justice and working within an anti-oppression framework
- Coalition building and coordination skills
- Excellent verbal communication and writing skills.
- Ability to communicate effectively with staff and grassroots leaders
- Demonstrated ability to lead direct actions and events
- Spanish language skills are a plus
- Proficient in Excel, Powerpoint, Word, Zoom, Google Meet, Facebook and Instagram
- Excellent team player, able to meet deadlines and work independently, innovative, creative
- Valid Driver’s License
Travel within Central Illinois, between Central Illinois and Chicago is required. Occasionally, some out-of-the-area travel may be expected
Workplace is a smoke-and drug-free environment