ABOUT GRASSROOTS COLLABORATIVE
Grassroots Collaborative (501c3) is a woman of color led, BIPOC-centered coalition located in Chicago and Peoria, IL, that builds power with working families through strategic community-labor organizing, grassroots leadership development, civic engagement, and research. Grassroots Collaborative aims to create bold change by building united fronts to fight for progressive policies and systems-change, centered on low-to-moderate income residents and communities of color. Grassroots Collaborative utilizes popular education to build consciousness, and build a coalition that unites residents to create transformative change for a more just society. Their affiliated 501c4, Grassroots Illinois Action, works to build community political power through issue advocacy and electoral strategies. This organization has a strong record of leading cutting-edge campaigns that shift the narrative, challenging white supremacy, austerity and corporate power. Currently their campaigns focus on taxing the rich, defunding the police, and winning a Green New Deal.
Grassroots Collaborative builds power with working families through strategic community-labor organizing, grassroots leadership development, civic engagement, and training. It started in Chicago – our 10 member organizations and their 125,000 members, along with an effective and diverse set of ally organizations across movements, create transformative change to win fully funded resources for our public schools, social services, and affordable housing that working families depend on.
By convening coalitions in Chicago and Peoria, Grassroots Collaborative brings the power of strategic alignment and shared ideology to win transformative change in Illinois. Their aspirational campaigns link Black and Latinx displacement, criminalization and corporate greed within a Rights framework, raising up and activating those most affected by systemic oppression. We aim to build powerful, rooted institutions which can serve as instruments for change, as well as create opportunities for those looking for ways to become agents of change in their home organizations and communities.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Grassroots Collaborative is seeking a passionate, dedicated, collaborative, and visionary professional to assume leadership of the organization by serving as the next Executive Director. The Executive Director (ED) is responsible for fulfilling Grassroots Collaborative’s mission by providing leadership, direction, and oversight to all areas of the organization.
Our ideal candidate:
- Loves building alignment amongst a group of multi-racial labor and community stakeholders through fostering spaces of trust, connection and radical hope;
- Wants to co-create a world rooted in Black liberation, equity, sustainability and abundance;
- Thrives off off of unleashing the leadership of your staff team;
- Is skilled and experienced in raising funds to power campaigns.
The Executive Director provides dynamic leadership and strategic direction of Grassroots Collaborative (501c3) and Grassroots Illinois Action (501c4). The Executive Director is responsible for ensuring the financial stability and sustainability of the organizations, providing clear vision and key support to the Leadership Team, as well as making sure that the overall work of the organizations is aligned with the organization’s values and powers forward bold and impactful campaigns and capacity building. The Executive Director reports to both the Grassroots Collaborative (c3) and Grassroots Illinois Action (c4) Boards of Directors.
Leadership and Staff Management
- Provide overall leadership to Grassroots Collaborative and Grassroots Illinois Actions’ multi-year structural change work to win a Green New Deal by Defunding the Police and Taxing the Rich; Provide strategic and thoughtful guidance to GC’s and GIA’s campaigns and coalition work;
- Build and nurture the Leadership Team to translate the vision and strategic plan into achievable steps; Actively promote the purpose, theory of change, vision, and values statements and ensure staff incorporate these beliefs and values into their daily work practice;
- Continually build alignment with our member organizations; Hire, train, mentor, and supervise several staff members;
- Build and nurture relationships with leadership and staff of other organizations; Serve as the compelling, passionate, and visible spokesperson and as a prominent leader throughout the organization with staff, stakeholders, and the broader Illinois community; and
- Set the tone for an organizational culture of care and integrity; support and foster the development of relationships and trust with all GC/GIA staff, and with the next generation of leaders in the organization.
Organizational Management
- Ensure systems, processes, and work plans across the organization are aligned to a common vision and that day-to-day operations are set up for maximum impact;
- Work with Director of Development and Director of Communications to develop annual fundraising and communications plans and goals; Develop and cultivate relationships with funders, donors and individuals who can assist in fundraising efforts;
- Work to create greater cohesion and alignment within GC/GIA, including but not limited to Peoria and Chicago organizing, c3 and c4 strategies, and local and statewide powerbuilding; and
- Oversee legal, financial, compliance, human resources, and operational functions of a growing organization.
Board Management
- Provide strong partnership, collaboration, and leadership to the c3 and c4 Boards of Directors, ensuring open lines of communication and set the tone for a culture of engagement and participation;
- Ensure Board members have the tools and information they need to engage constructively in important organizational matters during and between Board meetings; and
- Maintain an active and smooth Board Development process to recruit new Board members that reflects GC/GIA’s values.
The Executive Director will have a deep understanding and commitment to GC’s and GIA’s vision, mission, analysis, and theory of change. They will have a strong commitment to winning transformative structural change and be aligned with GC’s coalition model and practice. They will have strategic and comprehensive campaigning skills and significant experience working with women and communities of color for social change in issue areas aligned with GC’s and GIA’s priorities.
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
- At least five years of experience in a senior leadership role at an organization with a comparably sized staff and budget; strong understanding of the best practices for leading organizations with both c3 and c4 arms;
- Experience in labor and/or community organizing with a track record of coordinating complex multi-issue coalitions and strategies;
- Familiarity with and enthusiasm for c4-based electoral strategies to build durable power with low-income and BIPOC communities toward a multiracial democracy that centers racial equity;
- Ability to facilitate space to build trusted relationships amongst organizations and leaders with clear and empathetic communication;
- Experience in navigating through complex conditions, keeping low income BIPOC leaders at the center through it all;
- Excellent staff management and facilitation skills, including a demonstrated ability to build, retain, and grow a strong leadership bench;
- A proven track record of building capacity for the long run and being a strong advocate for developing sustainable internal systems, structures, and policies;
- A demonstrated ability to work effectively in politically sensitive and high-pressure environments; ability to effectively navigate and resolve complex internal and external political issues;
- Demonstrated track record in fundraising, ideally with knowledge of and existing relationships with major funders in racial, economic, and environmental justice spaces; capable of establishing, deepening, and leveraging relationships with donors and other key stakeholders;
- Have excellent communications, public speaking, and media spokesperson skills; and
- Be willing to work long and irregular hours and be on-call during organization-wide shutdown periods; be willing to travel regularly when it is safe to do so.
The position is salaried, exempt, full-time position with a salary range of $90,000 - $105,000 annually, depending on professional and lived experience. Additionally, Grassroots Collaborative offers a competitive benefits package, including but not limited to medical, vision and dental insurance, professional development and work tools, paid vacation, sick days and holidays, with most Fridays off. There is a retirement plan with an employer contribution of $166.67/month.
Grassroots Collaborative has retained Morten Group, LLC to conduct this search. Applicants should complete the form available at https://bit.ly/GC-ED including the submission of a cover letter (including salary requirements) and resume in PDF format. Cover letters will be evaluated as a writing sample. For best consideration, applications should be received by Tuesday, September 13, 2022. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Grassroots Collaborative is an equal-opportunity employer. Black, Indigenous and People of Color, LGBTQIA+ folks strongly encouraged to apply.