Associate Organizer for Climate Justice

WHY WORK FOR COMMON GROUND?

Common Ground (CG) is a multi-racial, multi-faith, nonpartisan alliance of 40,000+ everyday people dedicated to building power to bring about more racial equity and economic justice, to hold elected and corporate officials accountable, and to create positive change in the Greater Milwaukee area. CG’s success is rooted in the commitment of its forty-five member organizations: congregations, neighborhood groups, non-profits, small businesses, unions, and schools.

Common Ground has a 17-year track record of creating meaningful change around foreclosure, education, youth jobs, health care access, voting, safe neighborhoods, public housing and more. We have taken on over 35 issue campaigns and won most of them, including creating the non-profit Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative which provides affordable health insurance to over 50,000 in Wisconsin, winning $33.8 million from big banks to repair the damage of predatory lending in Sherman Park, securing $6 million of annual state funding for driver’s education for low-income students across the state, getting new leadership at the Housing Authority.

We listen and identify everyday people who want to act on issues affecting them. We set daring goals, create savvy strategies, and are willing to stand up to powerful interests. We get results. You, too, can make an impact. Visit our website to read more: www.commongroundwi.org.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking an associate organizer to lead our climate justice work.  A major aspect of this work will center on helping low-income Milwaukee homeowners access funds for increasing energy efficiency.  Upgrading homes to be energy efficient is the best single action society can take to slow climate change.  Helping low-income Milwaukee residents access government funds and the related benefits (which, depending on circumstances, can include reduced utility bills, more comfortable living, air conditioning, upgrades, increased home equity) is also a matter of racial equity and justice. Furthermore, there is an opportunity to develop leaders and build lasting power to tackle other issues in neighborhoods that are often ignored.  By partnering with Green Homeowners United, we are also creating entry-level green jobs with training and union benefits for Milwaukee residents.  Another aspect of this work could be doing listening with CG leaders and developing an environmental campaign(s) that may or may not be connected to the neighborhood climate organizing.

THE STRATEGY

We are looking to co-create an external and internal strategy for this campaign. This may involve some or all of the following:

External

• Having relational conversations with residents in key neighborhoods to build relationships and to help residents access grants for low- or no-cost home energy efficiency and comfort upgrades.  This will include canvassing.
• Building neighborhood teams/associations in those neighborhoods that will work on climate/energy and other issues of importance to the residents.  Helping the residents and neighborhood stakeholders learn the skills of relational organizing and effective public action.  Leading them into action.

Internal

• Working with CG member organizations to help them access government dollars to upgrade their buildings, reduce energy consumption and costs, and build resilience.
• Engaging CG leaders in listening around environmental issues
• Building and supporting a CG Environmental Team and/or teams at some CG institutions and helping develop and run campaign(s).

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are Seeking Highly-Motivated Applicants with the Following Qualities:

• Relational and Curious: able to build relationships and work with people unlike you — people of other races, classes, generations, faiths; willing to invest in the slow, deep process of building power through relationships
• Us/We Mentality: committed to developing leaders and working with people to build collective power, not coming in to “save” people
• Acts on Righteous Indignation: gets angry at injustice and has a record of trying to correct wrongs.
• Willingness to Create Tension/Conflict in order to create change
• Imagination/Vision: imagines the world as it should be
• Success and Ambition: has a record of significant accomplishments in personal or professional life
• Intelligence: the ability to think, reflect, evaluate, communicate, challenge conventional wisdom, make judgments in complicated situations, and show flexibility.
• Interested in Growing and Developing themselves and others
• Entrepreneurial – able to recognize opportunities and act on them.
• Able to Work Independently and with Others

Experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish is desired, but not required.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND COMPENSATION

Responsibilities Include: 

• Setting up and conducting 15 one-to-one meetings per week or the equivalent in canvassing (A one-to-one meeting is a focused 45- minute meeting with a person to begin to build a relationship and to look for leaders for public action.)
• Going door-to-door in target areas to promote energy efficiency grants and build neighborhood associations.
• Finding and developing leaders
• Building organizing teams and working with them to identify and research issues and solutions, develop a power analysis and then taking action with those leaders to get results
• Raising money by  recruiting new member organizations, collecting organizational dues and soliciting individual Friends of Common Ground gifts
• Participating in local and national trainings; learning to lead trainings
• Writing a weekly report and reflection and participating in a weekly check-in with the Lead Organizer.  Participating in staff and Strategy Team meetings.

• Effective oral and written communication.
• Stay abreast of news and politics.

Compensation and Benefits: 

• $50,000 – $70,000 based on experience
• Health Insurance Stipend
• Holidays and Paid Time Off
• Expense and travel reimbursement

Common Ground is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Women, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ are strongly encouraged to apply.