Community Organizer

CONECT (Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut) seeks a full-time Community Organizer to work with its growing base of leaders and member institutions under the supervision of and with the support of the Lead Organizer.

CONECT is a broad-based organization of 36 member congregations and institutions in New Haven and Fairfield Counties, bringing Black, white, Latino, & Asian, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Quaker & Unitarian, urban and suburban leaders together to take action on the social, racial, economic justice issues affecting their communities. Now 12 years old, CONECT has won victories on multiple important issues (automated expungement, immigrant issues, mental health parity, policing and safety, school funding, etc.) as well as victories on a number of local issues in Bridgeport, Norwalk, New Haven, Hamden, etc.

Organizer will be assigned to work with a subset of CONECT member congregations (with more general organizing responsibilities, such as building relationships, identifying leaders, organizing teams, etc.) and to work on one of CONECT’s existing or developing issue areas or campaigns (Criminal Legal Reform, Housing, Immigrant Solidarity, Gun Violence, etc.). Additionally, the Associate Organizer will be expected to help identify new leaders, new congregations / institutions, and new issues to engage and organize around over time. Initiative and drive are critical in this position.

Key Qualities seeking:

NATIVE INTELLIGENCE – not necessarily degrees, but the ability to think, reflect, communicate, challenge the conventional wisdom, make judgments in complicated situations, and show flexibility.

ANGER AND EDGE – not temper, ideological fervor, nor a vague commitment to “the people,” but clear sense of injustice, an urgency to address it, and the resolve to take meaningful action.

A WILLINGNESS TO BRIDGE RACIAL, RELIGIOUS, CLASS, AND CULTURAL DIVIDES—demonstrating an ability to collaborate with individuals different from oneself, across diverse backgrounds and experiences

A TRACK RECORD – some evidence (in the community, the workplace, high school, college, etc.) of engage with others to respond to situations that seem to demand action/change; and / or some success in your chosen field, career, or causes.