Opportunity: Black Church Organizer, Northwest Indiana Faith in Indiana

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Garrett Nelson

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Nov 30, 2022, 1:39:00 PM11/30/22
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BASIC INFO

Job Title: Organizer, Black Church Coalition

Salary range: $50-$65,000 (DOE)

Location: Gary, IN


The OPPORTUNITY


Faith in Indiana seeks a passionate, tenacious, people-oriented person to support our Black Church Coalition in Northwest Indiana to win structural reforms that promote the well-being and safety of Black people. 


The new organizer will build powerful relationships of trust based in mutual self-interest in Black-led institutions, develop organizing teams that engage hundreds of people from directly impacted communities in Gary, East Chicago, and Hammond to build cross-racial solidarity and take collective action.  Initial campaigns will likely include; expanding mental health and crisis response services, criminal justice reform, environmental racism, and quality public education.



ABOUT FAITH IN INDIANA (FaithIN) 


Faith in Indiana unites tens of thousands of people across faith, race, and place to work together for racial and economic justice.  Act Indiana is our 501(c)4 organization that gives us a platform to organize and advocate directly in our state’s elections and political process.


In our work, we center the leadership of Black people, immigrants, Muslims, returning citizens, women and young people. 


Faith in Indiana is dramatically scaling up our organizing efforts to build a new people-centered democracy and win real change; reduce mass incarceration and gun violence, a caring economy, climate justice, immigrant rights, and freedom to vote. 


Our chapters, including our newest chapter in Northwest Indiana, are run and led by our grassroots leaders. People of color are in positions of authority and leadership, and low-income people of color are the drivers of our campaigns and strategies.  Through six geographic and constituency based chapters, we work with 125 congregations and partner organizations with deep roots in the communities we organize. 


In addition to believing strongly that power must be shared equitably in our organization and our society, we also believe that leaders are developed, not born; and that relationships grounded in trust and vulnerability coupled with radical accountability and direct, courageous communication allow for each of us to bring our full, brilliant selves to the table. 


Faith values are also a big part of what drives us. We organize people through faith institutions, in partnership with Indiana’s 17 largest religious traditions. We amplify the prophetic voice of clergy from diverse backgrounds.   



THE ROLE

In this role you will:


  • Recruit and develop leaders. Agitate and inspire people to take on bold risks and responsibility. Demonstrate a disciplined focus on intentional leadership development through one to one conversation, identify self-interest, invite grassroots leaders into the public arena. Organizers average 15 one-on-one meetings a week.

  • Build teams. Deeply invest in people, who develop the leadership of others. We are known for leader-driven organizing at scale. Organizers coach and support leaders to engage 300+ leaders in public events, direct action, house-meetings, and campaigns

  • Develop yourself. First year organizers are apprentices learning the practices and principles of the craft of community organizing from a seasoned organizer. This includes shadowing, personal reflection, real-time direct feedback. Be willing to try-on new ways to approach something even if you’re not sure it will work. Be eager to receive direct challenges from peers and supervisors to address personal barriers to leadership development.

  • Co-create big plans. Co-create with grassroots leaders, long-term strategic plans that escalate power and deliver wins on racial and economic justice. Write your plans down so they can be owned broadly and free people up to act. 

  • Build Vote Power.  We are flipping the formula to grow the vote power of people of color, women, and youth and turn non-voters into voters.  Faith in Indiana staff are contracted by Act Indiana to run large scale voter engagement programs  throughout the year. 

  • Build Money power. We understand money to be abundant, liberatory, and a core source of our collective power. All our top leaders and organizers take responsibility for ensuring congregations and individuals grow financial contributions and stability. 

  • Amplify on the ground organizing with sophisticated tools. We equip leaders with sophisticated tools to amplify the on-the-ground organizing and bring far more people than we can personally touch into our movement community. For example; integrating tested-messages that inoculate dog-whistle racism and build cross racial solidarity; , support leaders to collect data and track supporter participation; overlay digital organizing and large-scale grassroots fundraising. 

  • People at the Center. Bring your full self and brilliance into a strong accountable relationship with your supervisor and peers. Be willing to develop yourself through direct feedback, challenge/agitation, ongoing reflection, reading, and learning from staff, leaders, clergy, and others.

  • Model our Values and Culture. Shared Power. Radical accountability.  Trust. Courageous and direct conversations.  Development of People is the priority. Inclusion. Money is power. Take bold risks. Model these values in all we do. 



HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE A GOOD CANDIDATE?

You can be great for this role if you are someone who is:

  • Able to act with integrity and has a strong work ethic, “grit”, and willingness to persevere until you succeed.

  • A self-starter who can independently set goals and use them to guide daily actions.

  • A curious and active listener, capable of establishing rapport with people from different backgrounds.

  • A quick learner and eager to develop their leadership and to help others to do the same.

  • Willingness to apprentice to an experienced organizer, this includes; direct feedback in real-time, shadowing, evaluation, and direction from their supervisor and peers.

  • Unafraid of being pushed and challenged by their peers and supervisor in order to more deeply reflect on and address personal barriers to leadership development.


HOW WE KNOW IF YOU’RE A GOOD CANDIDATE?

We are looking for candidates who:

  • Can articulate how working for social justice and grassroots organizing is connected to their personal mission and story rather than a desire to “serve or save” others.

  • Can demonstrate an ability for independent decision-making, management of multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, and sound judgment on when to seek advice and support from team members.

  • Can share examples of achieving success when straightforward solutions aren’t available through problem solving and apply flexible thinking.

  • Can lead from behind and from in front. Successful organizers develop new leaders, who are often trying-on public roles for the first time. Be ok with hours spent making phone calls, reaching out to people you don’t know, and many vital but unglamorous activities that create the conditions for change.

  • Can share examples of developing  leadership in the Black Church Context, among Black youth, and diverse Black leadership spaces. 

  • Can speak to their ability to effectively work with diverse faith communities, racial groups, and diverse stakeholders.

  • Is comfortable using a range of computer programs and smartphone apps, including Google suite, Internet applications, and other common software.


COMPENSATION


This will be a full-time, exempt position based in Indianapolis with significant evening and weekend work.  The compensation for this role includes a salary of $50-$65,000 (depending on experience) and excellent benefits including full medical and dental coverage, a 5% retirement match after 2 years, and generous paid time off. We also provide a cell phone, zoom subscription, with unlimited talk and data and a computer at the beginning of employment.  

 

HOW TO APPLY


Please email your resume, answers to the questions below to: car...@faithindiana.org


In lieu of a traditional cover letter please answer the following questions:


  1. Why are you applying for this job? (Suggested word limit: 200)

  2. How is your personal mission and story connected to your drive for social justice and grassroots organizing? Be Specific. (Suggested word limit: 200)

  3. In the About this Role section of this job listing (see above) there is a list of bullet points under the heading “How will I know if I’m a good candidate…” Which of these bullet points do you believe you bring to the table? Please list examples of how you’ve demonstrated these characteristics with a few words of explanation if that’s useful. Note, where there is a list of different ways to meet the criteria of a single bullet point, please specify which one(s) you bring to the table.


In addition, please be sure to include your last name and “Black Church Organizer” in the subject line of the email.


Questions about this position or the application process can be sent to car...@faithindiana.org.


Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with applicants encouraged to apply ASAP for first consideration.


Please note: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities are based on organizational needs and may change at any time with or without notice.

Faith in Indiana provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, criminal history, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. We believe that marginalized communities must be centered in the work we do and strongly encourage people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women and LGBTQ people to apply.


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