Community Organizer

Northern Plains is a grassroots non-profit organization of people from the plains and mountains, cities and towns. We are everyday Montanans who love where we live. We stand up, shoulder-to-shoulder, to protect this place we all call home. We believe that true prosperity begins with healthy land, water, and air. We believe that our families, farms, ranches, schools, businesses, governments, and communities thrive when we are good stewards of these resources. We believe that if we look beyond our fences, listen to one another, and keep our minds open, we will find creative solutions to secure a clean, healthful environment for all. We are working toward a future where we live in harmony with nature, where our economy serves the people rather than the people serving the economy, where neighbors work side-by-side to build a world that lives up to our ideals of fairness, inclusion, and justice. Since 1972, Northern Plains Resource Council has helped Montanans organize to protect water quality, family farms and ranches, and our unique quality of life.

Job Overview

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Each of our organizers works with Northern Plains’ grassroots membership as a whole, with our local affiliates (mostly in small, rural communities), and with our issue task forces to further the mission of Northern Plains. As a Northern Plains 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. During non-pandemic times, overnight travel averages perhaps 2-3 times a month for this position.

In order to keep our staff and members safe during COVID, Community Organizers must be able to organize remotely if needed. This requires having access to reliable internet from your home, convening and attending virtual meetings, conducting phone calls, and deploying creative problem solving.

This is very much a “people” job.

This is a permanent, salaried, and exempt position.

SPECIFIC DUTIES INCLUDE:

• Execute campaigns as developed by members;
• Conduct research on Northern Plains’ issues, decision makers, and communities;
• Participate in grassroots fundraising efforts;
• Train members in organizational skills;
• Organize and facilitate meetings and events;
• Communicate clearly, orally and in writing;
• Recruit new members;
• Generate turnout for events;
• Help members make contact with public officials and the press;
• Assist with duties such as member renewal, special events, and routine office tasks;
• Help produce earned media in the form of letters to the editor and press coverage.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Commitment to Northern Plains’ issues and values
• Commitment to the democratic process, including a willingness to hear diverse opinions and build consensus among groups
• Ability to get along well with people from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of personalities
• Strong speaking and writing skills
• Ability to travel and be away overnight
• Ability to lift equipment up to 50 lbs, stand or walk for long periods of time, and work in all weather conditions
• Willingness to work long hours when needed.

Also helpful:

• Experience (either as a volunteer or staffer) with a nonprofit organization working for social change or on environmental issues
• Experience on a political campaign
• General familiarity with the workings of legislative bodies and agencies
• Familiarity with environmental and agricultural issues, or familiarity with broader movements for social, economic, and environmental justice
• Experience with the media and fundraising.

TO APPLY:

Applications will be accepted up to February 21.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity in all forms and in all aspects of our work. Applicants from all walks of life and identities, including persons of color, LGBTQ+, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Email the following to Caroline Canarios, Deputy Director of Organizing and Legislature, at [email protected]:

• Cover letter (tell us why you want the job);
• Resume;
• Contact information for 3 professional references.

Special Benefits

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Our compensation philosophy and transparent salary structure flows from our belief that our people are the most important part of our organization. We offer thriving wages, ample benefits, and opportunities for growth and development.

The salary for this position is $41,000 to $46,000 depending on experience. This position also comes with the added benefit of a pay differential of $2,040 annually designed to acknowledge the challenges that travel and intermittent evening and weekend work bring to maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

We also offer options for fully and partially employer-paid health insurance, 20 days paid vacation plus 13 paid holidays (including the week from Christmas Eve through New Year), 12 days paid sick and personal leave, and 8 weeks of parental leave with the option to extend utilizing other leave types. In addition, we offer, a retirement plan, an employer paid cell phone plan, and a sabbatical program.  This is a permanent, salaried, and exempt position.