Alabama Forward is seeking a Shake the Field Digital Organizer (part-time, contract position)

To begin immediately. Due to the community-centric nature of this role, primary Alabama residency is strongly preferred. Out-of-state candidates with strong personal ties to Alabama will also be considered. We encourage applications from people with a wide range of career backgrounds, including social media management, organizing, community outreach, and equity work.

About Us

Alabama Forward is a statewide civic engagement network committed to bringing together nonpartisan organizations to work together in building power around progressive civic issues and movement towards greater freedom. We aim to civically engage 1 million Alabamians by 2031.

Role and Responsibilities

Alabama Forward has a robust need and opportunity for a passionate digital organizing professional to support digital community education and outreach efforts housed primarily under the Shake the Field program umbrella.

Reporting to and in partnership with the Deputy Director and other Alabama Forward staff as appropriate, the Shake the Field Digital Organizer will support content development and outreach strategy as it relates to Alabama Forward’s digital civic engagement education and outreach efforts. To achieve this, we are seeking a Shake the Field Digital Organizer who will both strengthen the Table’s current overall outreach capacity and expand the organization’s presence across multiple outlets, including social media and email.

The work of defending and expanding democracy in the South has long been overlooked - we are seeking a passionate individual to help expand the Table network’s capacity to bring more young Alabamians into spaces that nurture their gifts and passions, while motivating them to become more civically engaged in their communities.

Principal Responsibilities for the Shake the Field Digital Organizer include:

• Produce and manage content for social media, email, and text campaigns in collaboration with the Deputy Director, Communications & Creative Director, and other Shake the Field team members
• Develop and implement strategies that continuously grown the Shake the Field base of through digital advertising, organic social media, texting, and other digital tools
• Keep up to date on trends regarding content optimization strategies, tools, and tactics
• Collaborate with the Communications & Creative Director to identify and collect compelling stories and information from across the Table network
• Collaborate with the Communications & Creative Director in executing earned media events, creating visuals, social media posts, and other forms of content to highlight the work of the Table, its members and partners, and Shake the Field affiliates such as the STF Ambassadors

Qualifications

• A commitment to racial and gender equity and a passion for protecting and expanding democracy across the state of Alabama
• Two years or more of experience in organizing, community outreach, social media management, or a closely related field
• 2 or more years of experience using a various digital organizing tools, such as CRMs (ActionNetwork, EveryAction, NationBuilder), texting tools (Hustle, ThruText, Strive, Spoke), relational organizing tools (OutreachCircle, Reach, Team), online advocacy tools (New/Mode, Phone2Action), and story collection tools (Soapboxx, Flipgrid).
• Proven skills engaging with a social media audience on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tik-Tok to generate engagement and mobilization around issue advocacy work
• Experience managing Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and other paid digital programs
• Experience using social media listening, scheduling, and analytics tools to inform creative decisions and processes
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Drive
• Experience managing relationships with vendors and partners
• Ability to work well under pressure, while maintaining a high level of detail orientation and meeting deadlines
• Sound judgment and critical thinking skills
• Ability to work with a broad range of people possessing different skill and knowledge levels
• Must be able to work professionally and communicate effectively with staff at all levels of the organization as well as members, partners, external contacts, constituents, and vendors

Compensation and Schedule

• Compensation will be $3,333/month
• A work plan and regular weekly work schedule will be developed by the Alabama Forward Deputy Director and new Shake the Field Digital Organizer once hired. Schedule is flexible, but will be based on a total of 100 work hours per month.

To apply, please email a resume and cover letter to info@alforward.org with subject, “Shake the Field Digital Organizer”, by COB Friday, March 31 2023.

Alabama Forward is developing a popular education style public policy and civic engagement curriculum series called Build the Block Party. This curriculum series will be distributed through Alabama Forward’s Shake the Field branded platforms and initiatives. To produce the first iteration of this series, we seek to work with an experienced writer, editor, and project manager to lead a collaborative production process involving Alabama Forward members, staff, and Liberation Lab participants.

Purpose

This curriculum is designed to explain connections between lived experiences and community level institutions that our audience members are likely to value, public finance, and the relevant public policies that shape those experiences and institutions. Ultimately, this Build the Block Party content will be engaged by members of our target audiences interested in high quality content that is both well researched, entertaining, educational, and easily shareable.

Target Audiences

The target audiences for this curriculum and its associated multimedia content are:

1. 18-49 year old Alabamians who are nonwhite, LGBTQ+, immigrants, students, and/or emerging from financial struggle and
2. The field workers, organizers, and volunteers within the Alabama Forward network seeking to directly engage these 18-49 year old community members.

Production Process

The Build the Block Party production process will reflect the principles of popular education and participatory democracy. We will collaborate with our target audiences and Alabama Forward member groups throughout the production as co-creators, focus group members, and advisors. While we could pay some sort of public relations consultant firm to produce all of the content, that process would not build leadership or capacity within our member group networks and the communities we serve. We need the people we are hoping to communicate with deeply involved in building the blocks of content. Ideally, those same people will be involved in the organizing, education, training, community service, and activism needed to actually build the fabric of their communities, block by block. We certainly hope the content inspires our learning communities and target audience members to do the same.

Current Status of our Curriculum Production Process

• Currently, we have a foundational set of research that has been completed by student members of our target audience pool. This research can be reviewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LQlocCtC3DEK9c4WT0JOiRLDQfTSxuGn/edit
• We have also developed a content production guide designed to direct novice content creators and writers through the process of translating policy information into language and styles most relevant to their social work members: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NMTbCf2gOCwWZoRanRin9nvMhXvXWbGXswtF fC6rSrk/edit

Current Task Objectives

Our task now is to further translate our current cache of written content and additional research into a format that features idioms, dialects, metaphors, images, and examples most relevant to our target audiences. Ideally, each policy area will feature a summary primer translated into a style most accessible to Alabama’s public high school juniors, i.e. written at an 11th grade reading level. We will then further develop that foundational document into a variety of media content including:

• Social media posts
• Short talking head videos
• Extended interviews
• Photography posts
• Short scripted videos using humor or drama
• Original music and poetry

Project Manager Responsibilities 

• Editing, Research, and Writing 
  • Edit current content and produce original research and written content. 
  • Work with Alabama Forward’s Creative and Communications Director to source multimedia content ideas from learning.
  • Further refine the Build the Block Party content production process.
• Niche Community Engagement 
  • Build a robust network of K-12 and post-secondary staff willing to collaborate as advisors and volunteers in development and distribution of curriculum.
  • Build, manage, and document collaboration with a network of 16-49 year old Build the Block Party content co-creators identified by Alabama Forward member groups.
  • Facilitate meetings with learning communities and focus groups to review content and incorporate feedback.
• Administrate Formal Structuring of Content
  • ​Work with legal services to monitor application for related trade marks, common copyrights, and other legal protections.
• Internal Communications with Alabama Forward Staff
  • ​Provide status reports directly to Alabama Forward’s Deputy Director at least once a week. 
  • Participate in team meetings with Alabama Forward staff related to Shake the Field content and activities.
  • Work closely with Creative and Communications Director to ensure consistency of formatting and visual design across Alabama Forward/Shake the Field platforms.

Timeline 

• Month 1 - Begin familiarization with content. Conduct initial outreach with Alabama Forward member groups and Liberation Lab participants (i.e. learning community members). Build list of contacts and present finalized Phase 1 production plan. Begin editing content and producing original research/writing as needed.
• Month 2-3 - Deepen engagement of learning communities via focus group meetings and 1:1 interactions. Incorporate feedback into documents. Work with Creative and Communications Director to publish initial cache of BTBP resources in private Alabama Forward member spaces. Begin building list of K-12 and post-secondary contacts. Begin fielding ideas for multimedia production from learning community members. Continue editing content and producing original research/writing as needed. Initiate exploratory investigation regarding licensing, legal protections, bundling of content for use by educational institutions.
• Month 4-5 - In collaboration with our learning community members, further refine written materials. Begin managing the process of producing multimedia content ideas with full involvement of learning community members. Provide updates on progress to Alabama Forward members and education community members more broadly. Begin publishing BTBP content online via Shake the Field Instagram, Facebook, and website platforms. Evaluate and incorporate feedback. Continue editing content and producing original research/writing as needed. Manage printing and distribution of content for unveiling during Now or Never Democracy event.
• Month 6-7 - Continue building list of K-12 and post secondary contacts. Complete remaining multimedia production. Expand distribution of BTBP content onto YouTube, TikTok. Continue to engage with learning community members and incorporate feedback. Continue editing content and producing original research/writing as needed. Develop printed and bound versions of content.
• Month 8-9 - Reach out to K-12 and post-secondary contacts during summer and fall season to pitch licensing of content. Continue to engage with learning community members and incorporate feedback. Continue editing content and producing original research/writing as needed. Observe analytics and refine promotional strategy.

Submitting a Proposal

Please prepare a proposal that includes the following information and requested materials:

• Summary of motivation for taking interest in the project (200-250 words)
• Assessment of the written materials we have produced to date and our intended content production process ( 300-350 words)
  • What is required to take what we have and create what we want?
  • How have you worked collaboratively in the past to translate content to wider audiences?
  • How do the goals of our content production process intersect with your own goals?
  • How can the policy materials we currently have in our Build the Block outline be translated for a wider audience?
• Narrative description of how you would approach moving from the written content we have to the first iteration of the content we want to create (750-1000 words)
  • Timeline ■ How much time would you allocate for their various phases?
    • How would you lay out the proposed timeline over the months remaining in this calendar year?
    • Would you deviate or tim from the general timeline outlined in the RFP? If so, how?
• Milestones for each phase of project and deliverable related to that milestone
  • ​Once this phase of the project has been completed, what deliverable item would have been produced?
  • How do we evaluate that item?
  • How do we develop that phase of the production process?
• Proposed budget that features estimations of costs associated with the project including (as many words as needed)
  • ​hourly rate or total salary for the Project Manager 
  • fees for tools
  • fees for relevant subcontractors

***If you can conceive of more than one budget/timeline option, feel free to present more than one option (this is what 20 vs. 40 hours per month looks like vs. 160 hours per month).***

• Resume + two references who can speak to candidates professional services
• Feel free to include appendix containing no more than 3 examples of prior work products that would be relevant to our consideration.

Proposals should be submitted via email to info@alforward.org by EOD Friday, April 14th. Please include “Build the Block Party Curriculum Production Manager” in the subject line of your email.

Position: Outreach & Engagement Manager (FL)

Location: Remote, based in Florida

Start Date: Immediate

Reports to: Program Director Florida

This is a full-time role.

Essential Functions: The Outreach and Engagement Manager works in collaboration with the Florida Director and national staff in a multifaceted role. Primary functions include the development, management and implementation of Common Cause Florida’s digital organizing and community and member engagement strategies. This position offers a significant opportunity to expand the reach and influence of the organization.

Responsibilities:

Program Leadership

●      Collaborate with the Director to develop and execute strategies aimed at advancing a more inclusive, representative, open, and accountable democracy.

●      Assist in the development and implementation of campaigns to advance and win reforms.

●      Represent Common Cause Florida coalition meetings, speaking to community groups, and other forums for increasing grassroots activism.

Community and Member Engagement

●      Develop and implement outreach to members, supporters and partners, to build their connection to Common Cause and provide the tools they need to take action and stand up for our democracy.

●      Support implementation of the Florida Election Protection program for the 2024 cycle, including recruitment and training of volunteers.

●      Represent Common Cause Florida in civic education and outreach activities.

●      Conduct member and community events and meetings.

●      Assist in developing materials (factsheets, blogs, emails, graphics, etc.) to inform and educate our members and the public.

●      Stay abreast of legislative and organizational developments across constituencies (i.e., know what’s going on across the issues we care about and know which ones are most important to historically disenfranchised communities in Florida).

Digital Organizing

●      Working with the Director, develop, implement, and manage the organization’s digital organizing, website and social media approach.

●      Ensure that all social media channels remain responsive, collaborative, and engaging.

●      Create original content for social media platforms (including original text, images, and video) that garners high engagement and represents the voice of Common Cause.

●      Propose, draft, edit, and send high-quality emails to Common Cause Florida’s 45,000+ online supporters to engage members, raise money, and build grassroots power.

●      Publish, edit, and update website pages and blog posts, ensuring the website content is accurate and up to date.

●      Successfully execute live streaming events on social media (e.g., Facebook Live, Instagram, LinkedIn Live).

●      Identify and engage in trending topics and social media moments relevant to our mission with the goal of reaching new audiences and being a part of the conversation.

●      Identify high-impact opportunities to increase the visibility of Common Cause, our programs and campaigns, and our advocacy work.

●      Create toolkits to make it easy for internal and external stakeholders to amplify content.

●      Evaluate new media channels and establish a presence on any deemed worthy.

●      Work with the national digital team to send action alerts, membership updates, and fundraising appeals to our members and supporters.

Qualifications:

Education and Technical Skills

●      Three to five years of relevant experience.

●      Bachelor’s degree OR equivalent combination of education and experience. Preferably in public policy, journalism, marketing, or another related field.

●      Hands-on knowledge using social media platforms in a professional setting and the ability to identify and deploy new platforms as needed.

●      Experience working in or demonstrated ability to understand WordPress and other digital tools.

●      Ability to design simple graphics (with Illustrator, Canva, Adobe Spark).

●      Demonstrated ability for clear, concise, and persuasive writing.

General Competencies

●      Demonstrated dedication to Common Cause’s mission of upholding the core values of democracy both nationally and in Florida.

●      Strong organizational skills and a demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, manage competing priorities, and work independently as part of a team.

●      Flexible, detail-oriented, and able to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple competing priorities.

●      Must maintain a high level of professionalism, honesty, and reliability.

●      Experience working with many kinds of people and a working knowledge of the dynamics of power, privilege, and bias.

●      Vision, creativity, enthusiasm, and excellent interpersonal skills.

●      Able to work a flexible schedule with evening and some weekend availability.

Preferred Qualifications

●      Ability to read, write and speak Spanish is strongly preferred, but not required.

●      Familiarity with Florida state and local politics and government a plus.

Salary Range: $57,000-$64,000

Classification: This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit and specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining negotiations. 

To Apply: Please submit resume and cover letter to hr@commoncause.org and include Outreach & Engagement Manager (FL) in the subject line. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Covid-19 vaccines are required, except where prohibited by law. Reasonable accommodations will be provided when required by law.

Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated.

About Common Cause

Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Common Cause has more than 1.5 million members (about the population of New Hampshire) and supporters living in every Congressional district in the United States, and offices in 30 states around the country.