Description
The TU Associate Organizer is responsible for helping grow and develop a unique tenant organization in Greater Milwaukee that focuses on building and wielding power to address issues facing tenants. The CG Northside Associate Organizer will work to identify and develop community leaders in the Northside of Milwaukee to build power, and take action for racial justice and the common good. Both Associate Organizers will be supported and coached by Common Ground staff.
Common Ground and Tenants United offer a unique opportunity to build broad-based lasting power, get significant wins, develop as an organizer, and find a lasting career with ambitious, caring colleagues.
Why you’ll love working with us:
We strive for a culture of learning, growth, and development in both staff and members.
Developing leaders and professional organizers is central to our mission. We provide coaching, shadowing, mentoring, and training. We “run” with you and have you run with us each week.
91% of our funding comes from dues and individual gifts from our member organizations and leaders—local, “hard” money. Because we are not dependent on grant funding, we are free to take on the campaigns and targets that we choose, and to continue a campaign as long as necessary.
We are offering the chance to try and learn our style of organizing, grow as an organizer, and pursue a rewarding, challenging, and secure career with us and our network, The Just Power Alliance.
Responsibilities
Collaborate with community members, tenants, allies, and other staff to build the organization and campaigns.
Set up and conduct 15 one-to-one meetings per week or the equivalent in canvassing. Meetings are to build relationships, listen for issues, and look for leaders..
Canvass in target neighborhoods or properties to build an organizing team.
Find and develop leaders.
Build and work with teams of leaders through the organizing cycle: Identify and research issues and solutions, develop an analysis of where the power lies and who the decision makers are, and then take action to get results.
Help raise money by recruiting new dues-paying members, assisting with grant writing, relating to philanthropic organizations, and soliciting individual Friends of Common Ground gifts.
Participate in local and national trainings on organizing skills (e.g., relational meetings, power analysis, self-interest), organizing principles, how to run an issue campaign, and more; learn to eventually lead trainings.
Write a weekly reflection and participate in a weekly check-in with supervisor and coach. Participate in CG staff and Strategy Team meetings.
Stay abreast of news and politics, locally, statewide, and to a lesser extent, nationally.
The work schedule includes evening and weekend meetings and events, as necessary. It is not a strictly 9am-5pm position.
Requirements
A combination of education and training equivalent to the below will be considered.
Some personal or professional history of standing up to a bully or standing up for some positive change;
0-1 year of organizing experience for the CG Northside Organizer and 1-2 years of organizing experience for the TU Organizer;
Valid driver's license and access to a vehicle able to be used for work;
A Bachelor’s degree preferred;
Bilingual Spanish fluency desired, but not essential.
