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Description
Horizons for Homeless Children (HHC), an organization dedicated to improving the lives of homeless children and their families for over 20 years, seeks a Director of Grassroots Advocacy to be based in Boston, Massachusetts. This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled and experienced grassroots organizer to create and manage an advocacy network to support the organization's policy and development goals.
HHC helps homeless children learn how to play, read, share and enjoy exploring their worlds. We help homeless parents learn how to be nurturing and involved in the growth and development of their children, and help them learn and grow through enrollment in job training, GED and college programs. We help to stabilize families so that they can weather any crisis, and thus help to break the cycle of homelessness that too often occurs.
HHC founded the Playspace Programs in 1990. To make healthy play possible for children living in shelters, we collaborate with shelter residents and staff to design and build age-appropriate, "kid-friendly" spaces that come equipped with libraries, building blocks, art supplies and more - all-important tools to challenge children physically and creatively and allow them to have a place to play, use their imaginations and be just who they are…kids. The program recruits, trains and places volunteers in the shelter Playspaces to supervise and engage children in fun, educational play so that they can grow and develop, as all children should.
More than 1,400 trained volunteers known as Playspace Activity Leaders (PALs) participate in educational play activities with children each week in over 140 family shelters in Massachusetts. To date, HHC has trained more than 14,000 members of the community to become PALs. These PAL Alumni are now scattered across the country.
The Director of Grassroots Advocacy will create and implement a nationwide grassroots initiative to mobilize PAL volunteers and alumni into an "army of advocates." The Director will engage the network through a variety of media to support policy, advocacy and development efforts at both the state and national level.
Key Responsibilities
- Build a grassroots network of PAL volunteers/Alumni; initiate outreach and collect information on PAL volunteers/Alumni to create a current, comprehensive database of 14,000 active and retired PALs.
- Maintain meticulous records of PAL volunteers/Alumni's contact, event attendance, advocacy efforts and financial contributions.
- Analyze the capacity, affinity, timing and relationship potential of PAL volunteers/Alumni in promoting state and national policy and fundraising goals.
- Respond to all inquiries from PAL volunteers/Alumni.
- Supervise the development of a PAL Alumni website and online community, and collaborate with communications, policy and development team to manage data.
- Develop and contribute website material, including: policy updates, blog posts, social networking opportunities and volunteer/Alumni news stories.
- Work closely with policy and development staff to establish online campaigns for political action and fundraising appeals; track and report outcomes.
- Collaborate with staff to develop, write and edit advocacy messaging for PAL volunteers/Alumni, including: Action Alerts, Fact Sheets, News Releases and Policy Briefs.
- Determine the strategic targets and timing for mobilizing PAL volunteer/Alumni grassroots campaigns to maximize participation, ensure effective advocacy and prompt media coverage.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree. Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in grassroots organizing.
- Proven track record devising and executing successful advocacy campaigns.
- Demonstrated effectiveness at volunteer mobilization and management.
- Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills.
- Experience with databases, e-advocacy, software systems and Web 2.0 tools necessary to execute online campaigns.
- Ability to think creatively and strategically to design innovative and compelling campaigns.
- Capacity to work independently while also functioning as part of a team.
- Keen attention to detail and a high level of organization.
- Knowledge of issues relating to homelessness, children and/or early education.
- Commitment to the mission, purpose and values of Horizons for Homeless Children.
- Ability to travel as needed. Travel requirement less than 10%.
- Ability to work weekends and evenings as needed. Limited expectation for working outside of normal business hours.
Salary and Benefits
Salary for this position is commensurate with relevant professional experience. HHC offers a competitive benefits package that includes health, dental and disability insurance; paid vacation, sick and personal leave; and a retirement plan.
How to Apply
Please submit a cover letter and resume to kbovio@horizonsforhomelesschildren.org
Horizons for Homeless Children is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in its work and staff.
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