Director of Organizing ActIN FaithIN $75-$90k
Garrett Nelson
BASIC INFO
Job Title: Organizing Program Director
Salary range: $75-90,000 (DOE)
Location: Indianapolis, IN
The OPPORTUNITY
Faith in Indiana seeks a seasoned organizer to develop the next generation of organizers and drive ambitious multi-year, strategic organizing programs to change the material, political and cultural conditions that perpetuate racial, economic and gender injustice.
The central purpose of Faith in Indiana is the development of people to be powerful public leaders within a collective and shared political project. The Organizing Director will build escalating campaigns at the state level that align the work of our chapters to add up to more than the sum of its parts. This position will be primarily responsible for stewarding the development and supervision of other organizers, lead organizers, and other strategy staff.
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 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:
Develop Organizers. Recruit, hire, and create the conditions for organizers to be successful in a base building, leadership development oriented power vehicle. You will teach, coach, and hold a growing team of talented organizers accountable.
Create Formation Centers. Agitate and inspire people to take on bold risks and responsibility. Design formation programs that equip people with the tools to take collective action at all levels of the organizations – clergy, staff, and grassroots leaders.
Make Big Plans. Run complex, multi-year state-wide campaigns that escalate power and deliver wins on criminal justice reform, immigrant rights, police reform, climate justice, housing for all, and protect democracy. Write your plans down so they can be owned broadly and free people up to act.
Be a Political Architect. Together, our growing network of organizations and allies is aligning around a long-term roadmap toward governing power. We’re building a new center of gravity around communities and base-building organizations, and extending our leadership to the highest offices in the land.
Build Voter Power. We are flipping the formula. With a focus on people of color, women, and youth we will engage them year-round, center ongoing relationships, and ultimately turn non-voters into voters who can shape the issue environment.
Bring to Bear Sophisticated Tools. From the Race-Class Narrative to the VAN, overlaying digital organizing and large-scale grassroots fundraising - shape our infrastructure to amplify the on-the-ground organizing and bring far more people than we can personally touch into our movement community.
Model our Values and Culture. Shared Power. Radical accountability. Trust. Courageous and direct conversations. Development of People is the priority. Inclusion. Money is power. Risk and Reward. Bake this into all we do and build it into our staff and organizational culture.
Race at the Center. Recognizing the impact of white supremacy on all of our lives and creating new ways of being is our central purpose. Model and create systems to practice racial equity, inclusion, and intersectionality at all levels of our work.
Be a Leader. Bring your full self and brilliance to think with the Executive Director and top clergy, leaders, and staff to shape our power analysis, theory of change, vision, and long-term power building goals, strategy, and plans.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES WHO:
Can share examples of building a base of people - workers, faith leaders, neighbors - and led multi-year, escalating campaigns that have put more power in the hands of ordinary people
Can point to intentional relationships you’ve built to align coalition partners toward a goal bigger than what your organization could have achieved on its own
Can demonstrate the core competencies of public leadership and strategy, and how you’ve created the conditions to teach these competencies to others
Performs high level project management of strategic program, with a rigorous culture of accountability to maximize capacity to build and wield power
You have mastered coaching and developing organizers on core competencies, public leadership and strategy
Has a track record of fundraising and the development of philanthropic partnerships
Are deeply committed to the political formation of people, cultivating the agency and power of real people in the real world.
COMPENSATION
This will be a full-time, exempt position based in Indianapolis, IN with significant evening and weekend work. The compensation for this role includes a salary of $75-90,000 (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:
Why are you applying for this job? (Suggested word limit: 200)
How is your personal mission and story connected to your drive for social justice and grassroots organizing? Be Specific. (Suggested word limit: 200)
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 “Organizer, Northwest Indiana” 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.