Community Engagement Associate

Location:  Kansas City Metro Area | Office located in Overland Park, KS

Mission Statement
It is our mission to protect and defend the constitutional rights and civil liberties of every individual in Kansas regardless of creed, race, religion, gender identification, or class. Our efforts are focused on serving and defending reproductive rights, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, First Amendment rights, immigrant rights, voting rights, criminal justice reform, and privacy rights.

The ACLU of Kansas protects the civil rights of segments of our population that have traditionally been marginalized, including women, people of color, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people, prisoners, people with disabilities, immigrants, and the poor. We defend the freedoms of all residents of Kansas without consideration of political partisanship.

Job Summary
The Community Engagement Associate builds and maintains volunteer capacity to help achieve the ACLU of Kansas’s short- and long-term strategic objectives. They build an active base of community leaders who can mobilize other advocates and volunteers to participate in actions such as meetings, hearings, and delegations, and they create volunteer leadership development processes that empower the community. The Community Engagement Associate builds relationships with organizations working on the same relevant campaign and project issues as the ACLU of Kansas. The Community Engagement Associate collaborates with team members on all of the Affiliate’s statewide campaign plans.

In addition, the Community Engagement Associate is responsible for the following, as assigned by the Advocacy Director: 1) assist the Advocacy Director with policy analysis and education, 2) manage the volunteer database systems and communications, and/or 3) develop and implement staff and volunteer leadership training programs.

Reporting Relationship and Organizational Impact

• Position reports to: Community Engagement Manager
• Manager or Non-Manager Role: Non-Manager
• Manages the following employees: May occasionally supervise interns
• Bargaining Unit Status: This position is part of the bargaining unit
• Internal and External:
  • Coordinates volunteer engagement; develops volunteer leaders who will carry out the goals of the campaign; provides policy analysis and education
  • Has regular contact with fellow Advocacy/Community Engagement staff
  • Has regular contact with all affiliate staff
  • Has some influence over campaign plans and strategy
  • Has some influence on department procedures and policies
  • Has influence on tracking progress and actions
• Budget Authority: None
• Influence
  • Has some influence over campaign plans and strategy
  • Has some influence on department procedures and policies
  • Has influence on tracking progress and actions

Professional and Personal Competencies

Required

• Demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and civil rights
• A commitment to diversity; embraces a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, religion, ability and socio-economic circumstance
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including effective public speaking and the ability to influence and persuade others
• Has very strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships
• Willingness to interface with community members and be an Affiliate champion
• Ability to translate strategy into action
• Ability to develop local leaders who are racially and ethnically diverse and mobilize them for approved Affiliate actions and events.
• Demonstrated capacity to be diplomatic and respectfully communicate with co- workers and work within an integrated advocacy model
• Ability to work independently and remotely and maintain open channels of communication
• Demonstrated commitment to confidentiality and respect for personal/professional boundaries

Preferred

• Ability to understand and work within an integrated advocacy model

Skills

     Required

• Campaign planning and execution skills
• Demonstrated skills as an effective trainer, including: webinars, virtual phone banks, and P2P texting platforms
• Can perform at an intermediate level of Word, Excel and Outlook
• Experience with volunteer management databases and/or VAN
• Driver’s license
• Spanish language skills a plus

Knowledge

• Background in relevant issues related to social justice
• Experience navigating issues associated with power, privilege and systemic racism” To Community Engagement Coordinator job description
• Knowledge of the Kansas political landscape, including geographic differences
• Has completed multiple successful community engagements where leaders were empowered, a target was polarized against, a leadership team was developed, and/or a strategy was implemented, and some demands were met or gains were made
• Solid understanding of power, privilege and system racism
• Basic understanding of how government operates

Education and/or Experience

• Solid background in community organizing including at least four years of community engagement, case management, and education work (may include unpaid work)
• A Certificate of Completion of Organizing Training is a plus

Duties and Responsibilities

Base Building through outreach to potential volunteers – 25%

• Train and support volunteer leaders in planning and recruitment for ACLU outreach events throughout Kansas; educate new and potential volunteers about the issues and policy solutions
• Delegate and supervise volunteer leaders in doing one on one meetings with potential supporters and volunteers to assess where they fit into campaign and to build relationships
• Train and support volunteer leaders to do community-based outreach to populations directly impacted by the relevant issue
• Do outreach in new counties and to community leaders

Leadership Development – 25%

• One on one meetings with volunteer leaders to build relationships, offer individualized leadership development support, and manage their campaign activities
• Plan, recruit for, and execute leadership development trainings
• Manage a team of core issue leaders
• Create toolkits for volunteer leaders

Coalition or Network Development – 10%

• Support volunteer leaders in educating volunteers on the relevant issue, its current state in Kansas, and the role of social and structural constructs.
• Support volunteer leaders in planning, recruiting for, and executing volunteer events
• Support volunteer leaders in mobilizing other volunteers to action
• Assist development and program staff in preparing grant applications
• Ensure accurate record-keeping of grant application materials, deadlines, payment schedules, and required reports

Campaign Strategy and Policy Analysis – 10%

• Participates in campaign strategy development including some policy analysis as needed in conjunction with Advocacy Team
• Plan Advocacy Team tactics to engage volunteers, coalition or network members, and stakeholders in order to achieve campaign goals
• In collaboration with Advocacy Director, conduct volunteer and leadership analysis and regularly reassess progress towards goals

Volunteer Mobilization – 15%

• Support volunteer leaders in educating volunteers on the relevant issue, its current state in Kansas, and the role of social and structural constructs.
• Support volunteer leaders in planning, recruiting for, and executing volunteer events
• Support volunteer leaders in mobilizing other volunteers to action

Database Management – 10%

• Volunteer data management including creating events in multiple databases, and documenting attendees and actions steps in those databases
• Develop, support, and train others on all data policy and procedures

Special Projects as Assigned – 5%
 
Working Conditions

• This job is primarily sedentary work which requires extended periods of sitting and/or standing in an office setting.
• This job requires standing, sitting, and walking for the purposes of outreach in outdoor settings.
• This job requires extended periods of driving, up to 8 hours at a time (but more often 2 – 3 hours).
• Evening and weekend hours are required on a regular basis which may cause a workday to exceed 8 hours. Flex hours may be used to achieve, on average, 40-hour work weeks.
• This position requires ability to lift thirty pounds on regular basis, move tables, and put together light furniture. Reasonable accommodations will be made for applicants with physical limitations.

Travel Status

• Frequent travel in the state of Kansas. Limited travel in the United States.

Additional Information

• The starting salary for this position is $48,000 on an annualized basis.
• The ACLU of Kansas offers an excellent benefit package including employer paid health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, 401k match, 14 paid holidays, a generous paid vacation/sick leave policy, and a flexible work schedule (as appropriate for the position).
• To apply for this position, forward your resume and cover letter to Ms. Vanessa Phipps at [email protected]