Community Organizer - Fresno County
Department: CA - Faith In The Valley
Location: Fresno, CA
Job Code: 529

Description

Community Organizers - Fresno County
 
Faith in the Valley-Fresno is seeking a Community Organizer to join our talented and diverse staff team in Fresno County. Community Organizers with Faith in Fresno work to engage and develop grassroots leaders based in member congregations and their surrounding neighborhoods. Community Organizers train individual grassroots leaders and organizing teams to identify priority community concerns, research potential solutions and secure commitments from policy makers to implement these solutions to improve the community.
 
The Organization:
 
Faith in Fresno is a multi-faith, multi-racial coalition of congregations and organizations working towards a more racially and economically just, compassionate, equitable, and thriving City and County of Fresno. Faith in Fresno is a chapter of Faith in the Valley, organizing to advance economic and racial justice in Kern, Fresno, Merced, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties. We have a vision for the Central Valley that embraces human dignity, values the full participation of every human being, and promotes the health, safety, and economic security of people across the Valley. Therefore, we are building local, county-wide, and regional power to disrupt systems of oppression, and advance a multi-issue agenda that is fundamentally about shifting the politics and the economy of the Central Valley in ways that make life better for all people.
 
Faith in the Valley does this through an organizing process that develops local leadership and conducts research on how to have our collective voices heard by holding those in positions of power and authority accountable for serving the common good. We do this out of our faith - different faiths, but united in how it compels us to fight for justice, dignity, and opportunity. 
 
Our Work:
 
Our organizing work will focus on issues like immigration, ensuring dignity and pathways to citizenship; creating healthy and affordable housing; reforming our criminal justice and law enforcement systems to push for greater community input into reforming our local law enforcement and criminal justice systems; positively serving all communities, ensuring children in every zip code can breathe healthy air; expanding access and affordability of our health care system to all families, and
other issues lifted by local community members.
 
Responsibilities Include:
 
  • Train and develop community leaders and clergy to take action effectively in the public arena.
  • Identify, engage and develop community members (grassroots leaders and clergy of various faith traditions), by conducting one-on-one relational meetings.
  • Build, support and train organizing teams in faith institutions and community settings that are developing power.
  • Work regionally with staff, faith and community leaders who are working on specific campaigns (e.g. Live Free, environmental justice, education, quality housing, etc)
  • Participate in the PICO National Network’s state and national policy campaigns.
  • Support volunteer Organizing Teams in outreach, research, and strategic planning leading to large community action meetings at the local and county-wide levels.
  • Create and deepen relationships with staff from strategic partners in community organizations, academia, labor, and public policy organizations.
  • Work effectively as a team of Faith in Fresno and Faith in the Valley staff with clergy, and lay leaders in regular professional development sessions.
  • Meet on a regular basis with the local Director and other Organizers to shadow, plan and evaluate work progress.
 
Skills:
 
  • BA degree, or equivalent work experience
  • Strong interest in community and social justice issues
  • Ability to train and develop community leaders to take action effectively in the public arena
  • ​Ability to work with diverse faith institutions and racial/ethnic communities
  • Deep respect for, curiosity about, and relative comfort with faith leaders and faith institutions 
  • Strong and effective communication skills
  • Discipline and ability to work effectively in highly unstructured environment
  • Ability to analyze policies and institutions
  • Strong interpersonal and relational skills 
  • Capacity to think strategically and analytically about social, economic, cultural, and political issues affecting a community
  • Desire to learn and openness to challenge yourself and others
  • Ability to work as part of a strong staff team in a dynamic learning environment as well as independently
  • Strong writing skills (previous fund development or communications experience a plus-grant writing, individual donors, press releases, etc.)
  • Ability to speak a second-language, preferred
  • Excellent strategic thinking skills
  • Experience with public policy analysis, voter engagement, advocacy or organizing, preferred
  • Willing to work as member of and contribute to a staff and regional team 
  • Previous organizing experience and/or social justice experience, highly desirable
  • Experience using on-line and social media tools, preferred
 
Compensation and Benefits:
 
  • This is a full-time, exempt position.
  • Includes regular evening work and some weekend work.
  • Opportunities for advancement within FIV.
  • Salary is very competitive and based on experience.
  • Benefits include health plan and retirement plan. 
 
Application Procedure: 
 
All applicants must apply for this position online. (Click the “Apply for this Position” button below)  Please have the following documents ready to upload to your online application:
 
  1. An electronic file of your resume (preferably in PDF format) including 3 references;
  2. A cover letter (stating how your past experience makes you the ideal candidate for this position);
Candidate must successfully complete group and one-on-one interviews.
 
If you need assistance or experience any technical difficulties with your online application, please contact careers@faithinaction.org.  Resumes will not be accepted via this email address.
 
Deadline:  
 
Resumes will be accepted on a rolling basis.  However, interviews will begin almost immediately.
 
 
FAITH IN ACTION is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against otherwise qualified applicants on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, national origin, disability or handicap, or veteran status.
 

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