The ACLU of Alabama is one of the nation’s foremost defenders of civil liberties and civil rights. We are a part of the American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with 54 local affiliates across the country. Our mission is to protect and advance the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights and the US Constitution by working through public education, legislative advocacy, and litigation.
The ACLU of Alabama is steeped in a relational organizing model to build power with our partners statewide. Our work is focused on pursuing specific integrated advocacy campaigns to achieve measurable goals that will expand civil liberties and civil rights while building the long-term power of the ACLU and our partners statewide.
As a result of this relational approach, the ACLU of Alabama’s organizing model focuses on developing leaders, mobilizing grassroots support for campaign objectives, and educating Alabama residents about campaign objectives through public education and person-to-person engagement. ACLU of Alabama organizing is intended to engage both existing ACLU members/supporters/volunteers in the movement and reach new constituencies. Organizing at the ACLU of Alabama, the experiences and leadership of directly impacted people and engages directly impacted people in the work while also ensuring that non-impacted allies engage in effective and substantive action.
The ACLU of Alabama seeks a dynamic, innovative, self-starter to serve as its full-time Voting Rights Organizing Manager. This is a newly created position with responsibility for helping to implement and develop metrics for success around the affiliate’s Project MOVE Campaign and statewide voting initiatives, stewarding the Alabama Voting Rights Coalition work, and helping build a base of civically engaged volunteers and ACLU ambassadors statewide.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Building relationships and cultivating volunteer leaders
- Function as the primary facilitator for meetings and convenings specific to our coalition or fellowship programs.
- Continue building and implementing the Project MOVE Campaign focused on statewide HBCU engagement.
- Volunteer data management in VAN.
- Power mapping decision makers and the supporter base.
- Develop and execute tactics to serve campaign goals including:
- One-on-one meetings
- Facilitating meetings with community leaders, elected officials and other decision makers
- Monthly calls to action
- Leading political education trainings
- Canvassing, digital organizing, storytelling and letter to the editor trainings, tabling and crowd canvassing
- Cultivate a supporter base that is empowered and connected to each other.
- Identify and train fellows, volunteer leaders, and strategic partners throughout Alabama to share ownership of campaign objectives.
- Develop and implement training that builds the capacity of ACLU members, supporters, and activists to be strong leaders, advocates, and messengers for the civil liberties and civil rights movement.
Building the base of ACLU of Alabama supporters
- Develop and implement strategies to expand the ACLU of Alabama’s volunteer corps through recruitment, training, recognition, thanks, and ongoing engagement.
- Build the base of new supporters through events, engagement with community partners, digital organizing, and outreach.
- Execute programming that offers a consistent opportunity for new supporters to take action.
- Expand support for state-based civil liberties issues among the ACLU of Alabama’s members and non-member supporters.
- Build trust and strong relationships with community leaders and grassroots organizations led by and centering the voices of directly impacted individuals and communities disproportionately impacted by violations of civil liberties and civil rights; seek their input to help shape ACLU’s priorities.
Experience & Qualifications:
- An understanding of and enthusiasm for civil liberties and civil rights and personally committed to advancing the ACLU’s values, mission, goals, and programs.
- Commitment to racial equity and other forms of equity, both internally in our organization and externally in the communities that we serve.
- Awareness of, and willingness to engage in, the difficult and transformative work of challenging systems of oppression, institutional and structural racism, and implicit bias.
- Ability to participate in, create and sustain inclusive and engaging spaces for all races/ethnicities, genders, ages, classes, and geographies.
- At least two (2) years of experience in organizing, political, ballot initiative, and/or legislative campaigns, with an emphasis on implementing effective field organizing strategies.
- Knowledge of and familiarity with organizing and advocacy software and tools, especially VAN.
- Knowledge of current political and movement landscape in Alabama.
- Ability to travel across Alabama, as necessary, and participate in regular evening and weekend meetings.
- Strong communications and interpersonal skills.
- Strong organizational skills; the ability to manage competing priorities and timelines.
- Creative, results-oriented, self-starting, and willing to learn.
- Strong task and time management skills.
- A commitment to centering organizing work around the experiences of directly impacted people.
- Ability to work evenings, weekends, or travel when needed.
Compensation and Benefits:
Salary is commensurate with experience and within the parameters of the ACLU of Alabama: $65,000 - $68,000 (pending on experience). Benefits include medical and disability insurance, 401(k) and vacation, holiday and sick leave.
Application Process:
Please submit a letter of interest, current resume and salary requirements via email to: [email protected] with “Voting Rights Organizing Coordinator” in the subject field.
The ACLU of Alabama is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, people of color, persons with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, non-binary, and transgender individuals.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this job description restricts the Executive Director's right to assign other duties or responsibilities to this job at any time. The ACLU of Alabama is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, and veteran status and commits to comply with all applicable equal opportunity and nondiscrimination laws and to refrain from unlawful discrimination.