Legislative & Youth Advocacy Organizer

Position: Legislative & Youth Advocacy Organizer

Salary: $50,0000

Type: Full-Time, Hourly Non-Exempt

Location: Richmond, VA

Reports to: Safe Schools Coordinator/Director of Advocacy

Application closing date: Open until filled

Impact Statement: Equality Virginia seeks an organized, knowledgeable, personable, and creative Legislative & Youth Advocacy Organizer who is passionate about educating others and building connections with lawmakers, community partners and community members in order to achieve equality for marginalized LGBTQ+ Virginians. This includes representing Equality Virginia at events and tabling opportunities, Pride Festivals, volunteer fairs, and coalition events, as well as organizing in-district meetings and community events. The Legislative & Youth Advocacy Organizer reports to Equality Virginia’s Safe Schools Coordinator/Director of Advocacy. This role requires a deep commitment to working in partnership with individuals of low or limited income, with people living in rural areas, with Black, Indigenous, and Latinx community members, and with transgender and gender non-conforming people. 

Position Summary: The Legislative & Advocacy Organizer is responsible for building connections and resources through advocacy, community organizing, education, and outreach to achieve equity for marginalized LGBTQ+ Virginians. This includes (but is not limited to) supporting Equality Virginia’s legislative trainings, and tracking, monitoring and reporting on legislation during the General Assembly session and school board meetings year-round. The Legislative & Youth Advocacy Organizer will build a team of volunteers to support their activities by developing & implementing a youth advocates program. Additional responsibilities include supporting Equality Virginia’s current partnerships and fostering relationships with like-minded organizations.

About the team and you: At Equality Virginia, we are committed to using an intersectional approach in our work. Equality Virginia’s work focuses on macro-level systems change and our success is inherently tied to the collective liberation of all oppressed peoples.

Frequently cited statistics show that femme, trans, and nonbinary people, as well as Black, Indigenous, and people of color of all backgrounds apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Equality Virginia encourages you to break that statistic and apply. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. Equality Virginia’s team engages in hard work and heart work and the team values authenticity, empathy, compassion, and kindness–we’re a close-knit team that works together regularly.

We look forward to reviewing your application.

Requirements

ADVOCACY 

• Collaborate with the Safe Schools Coordinator/Director of Advocacy to plan and execute Equality Virginia’s Youth Advocacy Day.

• Recruit and train community members for a speakers bureau. 

• Develop sustainable programs that train young LGBTQ+ community leaders and potential leaders. 
• Develop activists’ skills, and grow movement leadership and community ownership. 
• Provide intentional space for decision makers, influencers, and stakeholders to learn, grow, and evolve on LGBTQ+ equality.
• Build trust and credibility with stakeholders (including donors, activists, etc.) in urban, suburban, and rural areas quickly and effectively, while understanding and being responsive to the diverse needs of each area.

OUTREACH

• Identify and develop opportunities to work in coalition with local organizational partners on identified policy issues.
• Maintain an awareness of community events in priority regions or districts and seek opportunities to further policy goals through those events.
• Support Equality Virginia community outreach events, including on evenings and weekends, as needed.
• Develop subject matter expertise on issues relating to civil rights for LGBTQ+ Virginians. 
• Coordinate, conduct, and create training opportunities for community members on various LGBTQ+ issues, including presenting at Equality Virginia webinars, and other community education events.
• Recruit, train and support volunteers and local advocates to attend and participate at legislative hearings and/or school board meetings.

LEGISLATIVE & SCHOOL BOARD ORGANIZING- Tracking, Monitoring, Reporting

• At the direction of the Safe Schools Coordinator/Director of Advocacy, and in collaboration with the Community Organizer, coordinate with national, statewide, and local partners using available information and data to create robust legislative and school board organizing plans.
• Co-lead Equality Virginia’s Transgender Student Policy Workgroup (General Assembly session only).
• Draft and publish Salsa/EveryAction targeted action forms for legislative and school board actions.

• Experience using the Voter Activation Network (VAN), specifically with data entry, pulling lists, and creating virtual phone banks. In coordination with Equality Virginia’s Community Organizer, host supporter mobilization events (i.e.- phonebanks, textbanks, postcard parties).
• Monitor legislative committee hearings and school board meetings at the direction of the Executive Director and Safe Schools Coordinator/Director of Advocacy.
• Maintain and update Equality Virginia’s school board tracker year-round.
• Update Equality Virginia’s legislative tracker during the General Assembly session and maintain a tracker for committee and floor votes.
• Maintain Salsa/EveryAction database, manage and ensure accuracy of member systems, database, and reporting, in order to turn out Equality Virginia members to build power.

COMMITMENT: 

• Demonstrates a strong commitment to equality for all LGBTQ+ persons, and embraces an anti-racist and anti-transphobic approach based in an intersectional understanding of the experiences of our diverse constituency.

OTHER DUTIES

• Travel within the state as required by the position
• Participate in Equality Virginia development events and fundraisers
• Support Equality Virginia’s annual programs: Transgender Information and Empowerment Summit, Name Change & Gender Marker Update Clinic.

• Assist Executive Director and Development Coordinator with grant writing, reporting, and other activities as needed 

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications: 

• Experience working in partnership with individuals of low or limited income, with Black, Indigenous, and Latinx community members, and with transgender and gender-nonconforming people. 
• At least one year of experience with legislative and/or community organizing
• Familiarity with Virginia legislative process.
• At least one year of experience working with LGBTQ+ youth
• Virginia-based candidates are preferred
• Ability to manage and delegate tasks to others, as needed 
• Enjoys making connections with people and connecting individuals to one another 
• Experience with and ability to engage stakeholders with different levels of education and professional experience. 
• Strong writing skills. 
• Strong volunteer recruitment, management and training skills. 
• Highly organized and consistent across responsibilities. 
• Collaborative and flexible attitude, with a heavy dash of grit, and a sense of humor
• Ready to learn, gain new skills, and willing to request assistance and collaboration from coworkers
• Understanding of trauma informed practice as it relates to program development, implementation, and evaluation 
• Values language justice and disability justice, and has experience making programs accessible to a wide range of audiences

Benefits

Compensation: $50,000 annual salary. We offer an excellent benefits package including: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous paid time off and holidays, 401k plan with employer contribution, cell phone and travel reimbursement, paid parking, and a professional development stipend

You’ll have the opportunity to meaningfully contribute towards our mission and vision:

Our Vision | Virginia is a state in which LGBTQ+ people – every demographic, race, ethnicity, zip code, and experience – are valued and thriving.

Our Mission | Equality Virginia confronts systemic inequities to liberate the full spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination and oppression.

To apply:

Email resume (including names and contact information of 3 references), cover letter, to [email protected]. Please be sure to put “Legislative & Youth Advocacy Organizer” in the subject line of your email.