Cleveland, Ohio
Community Organizer Job Opening in Cleveland, Ohio - Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC) is a multi-faith, multi-racial, county-wide power organization in Cleveland, Ohio. GCC is made up of congregations, community organizations and schools from across the county organizing poor, working and middle class families on issues like education, jobs, criminal justice, healthcare, and gun violence. Over 6 years, GCC has organized victories to help pass three Cleveland Municipal School District levies. These three levies will bring over $100 million dollars for operational purposes and build/renovate over 40 schools. GCC led the fight to reduce low-level nonviolent crimes charged as felonies which resulted in a 25% overall reduction over four years. In 2013, GCC was the leading organization to form the Northeast Ohio Medicaid Expansion Coalition made of hospitals, foundations, community organizations and faith communities. GCC pushed for Medicaid by door-knocking in key neighborhoods, organizing statewide actions, and gathering thousands of signatures for support. In 2014, the state of Ohio expanded Medicaid and as a result over 700,000 Ohioans now have access to healthcare.
GCC is an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) , the nation?s first and largest network of faith, community and civic organizations. IAF has seven decades of experience winning tough battles across the nation including: winning the first living wage ordinance in Baltimore, establishing crisis intervention centers in Chicago to decriminalize mental illness, expunging hundreds of records to allow citizens a fresh start in NYC, building 39,000 affordable housing units along the East Coast and nearly $1 billion in school construction financing in Baltimore.
What?s different about IAF?
We teach the proven power of relational person-to-person organizing
We invest in building power in communities long-term, not just swooping in during an election cycle
We win concrete victories that people can see
IAF and GCC seek to recruit, train, and develop the next generation of grassroots organizers. We are looking for people from community organizations, colleges, graduate programs, seminaries, business and law schools, political campaigns, and other professions who are interested in exploring careers in organizing. Candidates selected to work with GCC will primarily focus on key issue areas of Education and Criminal Justice Reform.
Qualities of a Successful Organizer:
NATIVE INTELLIGENCE ? not necessarily degrees, but the ability to think, reflect, communicate, challenge the conventional wisdom, make judgments in complicated situations, and show flexibility.
ANGER AND EDGE ? not temper, not ideological fervor, not an abstract commitment to ?the people,? but a clear sense of what?s wrong, impatience in the face of that wrong, and a drive to address it.
RELATIONALITY, ESPECIALLY ACROSS RACE AND CULTURE ? ability to build deep trust with people, especially people unlike oneself, people of other races, classes, orientations, faiths, etc.
A TRACK RECORD ? some evidence, in high school, college, the local community, the workplace of attempting to relate to people and to respond to situations that seemed to demand responses; and some success in whatever field, career or endeavor has occupied the individual?s time.
HUSTLE
Bilingual applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. GCC trainees and organizers are full-time, salaried positions with health care benefits. GCC's salary is highly competitive.
Interested?
Please send 1-page or less story of self that tells us why you want to be an organizer or why you became an organizer and a short (1 page or less) resume. Include your contact information (address, email, mobile number).
Job Type: Full-time
Job Location:
Cleveland, OH
Required experience:
community organizing: 1 year
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