Job Description
We are seeking the next member of our team! We are looking to hire a motivated person to jump in with our chapter and issue based community organizing in Eastern South Dakota.
Dakota Rural Action (DRA) organizes people and builds leadership while developing strong allied relationships. We protect environmental resources, advocate for resilient agriculture systems, and empower people to create policy change that strengthens their communities and cultures.
We envision an active and engaged membership promoting healthy, beautiful, and just food, agriculture, and energy systems that protect clean air, water, and soil for all the current and future inhabitants of South Dakota.
The priority application deadline is September 21st.
Are you a good fit for this role?
The following questions may be helpful to think through whether you would succeed in this role!
- Are you curious about others?
- Are you a good listener?
- Can you build relationships with people different than you - or who disagree with you on important issues?
- Are you responsible & do you follow-through on commitments?
- Are you coachable and open to learning new things?
- Do you handle conflict and accountability well?
- Are you curious about power, and how the world actually operates around you?
- Do you have experience working with a group towards a specific goal in public life?
- Are you comfortable sitting in places of tension, or even creating situations of respectful tension in the goal of accomplishing change?
General Duties of Organizers
“The duty of the organizer is to provide people with the opportunity to work for what they believe in” - Organizing Axiom
- The overall duty of the organizer is to build powerful relational organizations that maximize the participation and power of the members in order to win on its issues
- Build the membership of the organization by involving new people and developing existing leaders, primarily through the practice of relational 1-1 meetings
- Ensure members and allies build strong strategies and campaign plans and strategies, maintaining a focus on action
- Organizers are passionate about and dedicated to justice, specifically racial and economic justice, and focus on building the power and agency of those with the least in our communities. They are curious about understanding how differences are used to divide our communities and state
- Organizers listen to their members, who know the community, and let people go at their own pace while also helping them develop the self-confidence to try new things
Core Responsibilities
Organizers may have duties in all or some of these areas.
Chapter Organizing
Dakota Rural Action is based on community grassroots organizing. The organizing structure we use is the community chapter made up of diverse members of a defined community.
Chapter organizing can include:
- Local campaign development. Working with members and leaders to identify and select a campaign focused upon local issues and decision makers. Facilitating the development of a campaign plan with members and leaders. Managing the campaign and following up with members. Building relationships between chapter members and allies. Reaching out for help from senior staff and other resources to help develop important components of a campaign including: power analysis, message and narrative development, and research needs.
- Investing in the leadership of our members. Organizers are always looking for existing or potential leadership qualities in community members, and take the time needed to train, coach, and follow up with people as they take action in public life.
- Base building / membership recruitment. Organizers need to focus on the development of new members in the chapter for a number of reasons. They are the power of the chapter and organization to make change and they are potential new leaders. Membership recruitment is both a direct responsibility of the organizer and also a skill the organizer helps build in chapter leaders.
Statewide Issue Campaigns
Statewide issue campaigns develop when an issue impacts a broad area of membership and involves decision makers at the state and/or national levels.
Statewide campaign organizing can include:
- Issue assessment - conduct a large number of relational meetings with people across a certain issue to analyze issue viability and leader identification
- Campaign development
- Leadership development
- Member recruitment
- Base development. An increasing base is a group of people the campaign can call upon to take action in order to put pressure on decision makers. A base will include membership and nonmembers who have indicated an interest in the campaign and willingness to take action. Nonmember base also represent a good prospect list for membership recruitment.
- Supporting member legislative engagement and the wider DRA legislative program
- Ally relations. Allied organizations can be an important part of a statewide campaign. Building these relationships and a diverse and powerful group of allies is important.
- National and Regional Coalitions. Participating in and developing a strong relationship in these coalitions can also be important.
Administrative
- Filling out monthly time sheets, work plans, expense reports and other office paperwork, as appropriate;
- Writing newsletter and website articles on subjects appropriate to the position;
- Participating in and assisting with trainings for staff, member leaders and other members for their leadership development;
- Ensuring that the DRA membership database is kept up-to-date by providing prospect and member information;
- Attending staff meetings, Board meetings, DRA’s annual meeting, WORC’s summer staff & board meeting, and other meetings and events as required; and
- Taking on additional assignments when other staff persons are absent and/or as requested by the staff director.
- Additional tasks or assignments to further the mission of Dakota Rural Action.
Necessary Qualifications:
- You are aligned with Dakota Rural Action’s mission, issues, and values;
- You are committed to building the power of regular people through member-led, grassroots community organizing;
- You are a good listener and are capable of establishing rapport with people from different backgrounds;
- You have strong communication and interpersonal skills;
- You are a quick learner, eager to develop your own leadership and help others do the same;
- You have a highly motivated, proactive work style with excellent organizational skills and follow through;
- You’re capable of working collaboratively with teams of both staff and member leaders;
- You are open to evaluation and direction from your supervisor and peers; and
- You have the flexibility to travel and be away overnight.
- Knowledge of South Dakota and its people is a plus.
We understand that the right candidate may have experience in different areas. If you don’t meet all the requirements above but have an interest in learning, we still encourage you to apply.
Compensation and Benefits:
- Health, vision and dental insurance with fully paid premium, less a $25/biweekly employee contribution
- Paid Time Off and Sick Leave benefits
- 9 paid holidays each year
- 4 weeks of paid parental leave
- Retirement plan, including an employer contribution of up to 4.5% of salary after three months of employment and 500 hours worked.
- After five years of exceptional service, you would be eligible to apply for a sabbatical including up to three months of paid leave and up to three months of unpaid leave.
Starting salary is $50,000, depending on experience.
Please send your resume, a writing sample, and three references to DRA Organizing Director Chase Jensen, chase@dakotarural.org. The priority application deadline is September 21st. After that, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Dakota Rural Action is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.