Job Announcement: Part-time Community Organizer - Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action

Posted: January 29, 2020
Application deadline: February 19, 2020 or until position is filled

Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action is seeking a part-time community organizer to join our team. Designed for 20 hours a week with a flexible work schedule. Position can be based in Ridgway, Ouray, or Montrose, CO.

Job Description: As a community organizer, you won’t be tied to a desk, you’ll meet lots of people, and you’ll make change happen at the grassroots level. Your role will be to bring people together to build their collective clout, to empower them to gain seats at the tables where decisions are made, and to train them to be not only campaigners but also leaders and potential decision-makers.

About Western Colorado Alliance: Formed in 1980, the Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action brings people together to build grassroots power through community organizing and leadership development. We believe that right now, today, we have the ability and opportunity to create a future where engaged local voices are leading communities across Western Colorado that are healthy, just and self-reliant. We work on many issues in our area, ranging from clean and renewable energy, to local food and agriculture, to social justice, and natural resource and public land conservation.

Specific Duties Include:

Recruit new members
Plan and implement strategy on issue campaigns
Conduct research
Participate in grassroots fundraising efforts
Train members in organizing skills
Communicate clearly, both orally and in writing
Plan and generate turnout for events
Help members in their contacts with public officials and the press

Essential Qualifications:

Commitment to Western Colorado Alliance’s issues and values
Ability to get along well with people from diverse backgrounds
Ability to work independently, think strategically and be organized in a fast paced working environment
Talent for getting people together and guiding them towards collective action
Desire to seek out and learn from feedback
Strong speaking skills
Familiarity with computers and Microsoft Office
Ability to work some evenings and weekends, and to occasionally travel out of town for 3-4 days at a time

Preferred Qualifications:

First-hand experience of western Colorado, and a good understanding of the area’s culture and issues
Experience working for a nonprofit organization working for social change, on environmental issues, or on a political campaign
Experience in communications or fundraising
Strong writing skills
Experience with online organizing and outreach tools

Salary and Benefits:

Starting salary $18k-$20k, depending on experience. Benefits include opting into group health insurance and two weeks’ vacation.

Application must include:

cover letter (tell us why you are interested in the job)
resume
contact information for 3 professional references

Send application materials to: organizer_search@westerncoloradoalliance.org.

All documents should be in either Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf).

About the author

Arn McConnell

Arn's career includes more than 35 years of experience in broadcast media, online advertising and branding in both Western Colorado and New York City. He is a four-time Colorado Broadcast Award winner and has also won multiple Colorado Press Association Awards. Arn also teaches Film Expression at the college level. He lives with a dramatic pit bull and a grandiose cat and enjoys painting, animating, and exploring cinema in his spare time.