Helena and Great Falls Community Organizer

“Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world.” - Dolores Huerta, community organizer

Northern Plains is a grassroots organization of people from the plains and mountains, cities and towns. We are everyday Montanans who love where we live. We stand up, shoulder-to-shoulder, to protect this place we all call home.

We believe that true prosperity begins with healthy land, water, and air. We believe that our families, farms, ranches, schools, businesses, governments, and communities thrive when we are good stewards of these resources. We believe that if we look beyond our fences, listen to one another, and keep our minds open, we will find creative solutions to secure a clean, healthful environment for all.

We are working toward a future where we live in harmony with nature, where our economy serves the people rather than the people serving the economy, where neighbors work side-by-side to build a world that lives up to our ideals of fairness, inclusion, and justice.

For 50 years, Northern Plains Resource Council has helped Montanans organize to protect water quality, family farms and ranches, and our unique quality of life.

LOCATION: Position will be based in either Helena, Montana or Great Falls, Montana.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Each of our organizers works with Northern Plains’ grassroots membership as a whole, with our local affiliates (mostly in small, rural communities), and with our issue task forces to further the mission of Northern Plains. Specifically, this role organizes Northern Plains’ Helena and Great Falls affiliate groups, Sleeping Giant Citizens Council and Golden Triangle Resource Council. As a Northern Plains organizer, you won’t be tied to a desk, you’ll meet lots of people, and you’ll make change happen at the grassroots level. Overnight travel averages 1-2 times a month for this position. Candidates must have a valid driver’s license, and if based in Great Falls, access to a reliable vehicle and internet.

Community Organizers must be able to organize remotely if needed. This requires convening and attending virtual meetings, conducting phone calls, and deploying creative problem solving.

This is very much a “people” job.

This is a permanent, salaried, and exempt position.

Check out our website for more information on this position, our organization, and our staff: https://www.northernplains.org/about-us/careers/.

SPECIFIC DUTIES INCLUDE:

• Develop leaders to build and execute strategic campaigns;
• Conduct research on Northern Plains’ issues, decision makers, and communities;
• Participate in grassroots fundraising efforts;
• Train members in organizational skills;
• Organize and facilitate meetings and events;
• Communicate clearly, orally and in writing;
• Recruit new members;
• Generate turnout for events;
• Help members make contact with public officials and the press;
• Assist with duties such as member renewal, special events, and routine office tasks;
• Help produce earned media in the form of letters to the editor and press coverage.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Commitment to Northern Plains’ issues and values
• Commitment to the democratic process, including a willingness to hear diverse opinions and build consensus among groups
• Ability to get along well with people from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of personalities
• Strong speaking and writing skills
• Valid driver’s license, ability to travel and be away overnight
• Ability to lift equipment up to 50 lbs, stand or walk for long periods of time, and work in all weather conditions
• Willingness to work long hours when needed.

Also helpful:

• Experience (either as a volunteer or staffer) with a nonprofit organization working for social change or on environmental issues
• Experience on a political campaign
• General familiarity with the workings of legislative bodies and agencies
• Familiarity with environmental and agricultural issues, or familiarity with broader movements for social, economic, and environmental justice
• Experience with the media and fundraising.