Progressive Maryland
Summary: Progressive Maryland was founded to empower communities to act for social and economic justice by developing leaders and cultivating allies in order to build a grassroots movement with the power to advance economic, racial, and environmental equity. We are made up of over 125,000 individual members and supporters and dozens of affiliated religious, community and labor organizations statewide.
Community Organizer: The Organizer will work to sustain and expand Progressive Maryland’s organizing work in their region by developing the local PM chapter(s) and engaging community members in ongoing campaigns. They build an ongoing base of members, volunteers, and grassroots leaders who identify with and support the mission of Progressive Maryland and participate in statewide issue campaigns in solidarity with Progressive Maryland members from other chapters across the state. The Organizer also builds relationships with allied organizations, elected officials, and candidates for office in their region. Under the supervision of the Director of Organizing, the Organizer works in concert with our team of organizers across the state to execute grassroots power-building plans that further Progressive Maryland’s programmatic and electoral goals.
Responsibilities
● Build a base of members, volunteers, and grassroots leaders in their region (Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, the Eastern Shore, or Montgomery County)
● Recruit, develop and train Progressive Maryland members to take positions of leadership within their local Progressive Maryland chapter and on statewide issue campaigns
● Work with our members to grow their local chapter of Progressive Maryland
● Recruit, manage, and train Progressive Maryland members to canvass and phone bank before, during, and after election season
● Mobilize our base to take action (turning out to events, submitting testimony during legislative session, signing petitions, etc.)
● Use phones, social media, and community outreach techniques to recruit and identify prospective members
● Invite folks to become dues-paying members of Progressive Maryland
● Meet base building and outreach goals, which are tracked and reported in an accurate and timely fashion each week
● With the support of the Director of Organizing, develop and implement grassroots basebuilding plans
● Represent Progressive Maryland at community events and meetings across their region
Qualifications
● Experience leading on a social justice issue and/or progressive electoral campaign
● Direct experience in grassroots community organizing, canvassing, and phone banking
● Basic computer literacy and a willingness to quickly learn and use new digital platforms
● Ability to meet deadlines under pressure while handling multiple projects
● Ability to work independently, as a member of a team, and a team lead
● Ability to train and manage member volunteers
● The ability to think, reflect, communicate, challenge the conventional wisdom, make judgments in complicated situations, and show flexibility.
● A clear sense of the challenges our communities face, impatience in the face of those wrongs, and a drive to address them
● Residence in or a willingness to relocate to Maryland or DC
Pluses (but not required)
● Familiarity with Maryland political systems on the city, county, and state level
● Experience with Votebuilder/VAN and other campaign platforms
● Experience working on and/or understanding of healthcare reform and environmental justice
Travel: All positions require reliable access to a vehicle and a valid driver’s license, laptop, phone, and willingness to travel throughout your region regularly and elsewhere in Maryland as needed.
Salary, Benefits, and Position Details: Salary is commensurate with experience between $45,000-$55,000. Benefits include health, vision, and dental insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan, 2 weeks paid vacation, personal days, and holidays.