Community Organizing (read time: 15 min)
How to get a job in Community Organizing
Pathways to get your foot in the door
Considerations for the application process
Where to find job postings
Exit opportunities
The upside
Additional resources: learn the language of Organizing
Next three steps
So you want to work in Community Organizing?
Progress relies on individuals coming together to fight for a cause. Enter: the organizer. Organizers have the crucial job of mobilizing communities of workers, tenants, and advocates to agitate for change. Therefore, if you are interested in getting in the weeds and fighting for what you believe is right, Organizing may be the job for you. In order to succeed in an organizing career, you need to be fully invested in the cause. You will be working to inspire and empower others, a task that is impossible if you don't believe in yourself. As an Organizer, and especially in union or tenant organizing, you will be working with populations who have experienced discrimination and trauma as a result of the systems in power. Therefore, it is crucial to enter into this work as informed as possible about systemic injustice and to be invested in the fight to dismantle those systems. Furthermore, you should understand the specific community where you seek to organize. Most importantly, you must be able to listen with empathy to the goals of community members.
Community organizers are not satisfied with the status quo and are prepared to challenge systems of power. Organizing is all about meeting new people and building relationships. Since your primary role will be talking to workers, volunteers, and donors, you should make sure you are okay with the constant interpersonal interaction and rich relationship-building required of an organizer.
If this career path sounds exciting to you, this guide will take you through everything you need to know about working in community organizing. To inform our work, Second Day has spoken to experts in the field and gathered the best information out there for upcoming graduates and recent graduates. First, the guide will take you through the different entry-level positions to look out for in this field. Then, we’ll provide tips on actually getting those jobs in community organizing. We’ll finish with our next three steps: actionable items you can take to make progress towards finding your first job in community organizing. Let’s get started!
This guide was written by Rachel Angle (SDIF ‘20) in partnership with the Second Day team.
Many thanks to experts in the field who supported this work:
Sam, Organizer, UNITE HERE
Alex Taliadoros, Organizing Director at Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor
Alina Tomeh, Volunteer organizer, the Sunrise Movement
Citlali Velasquez, Senior Bilingual Tenant Organizer at Latino Economic Development Center
Torey Brown, Community Organizer at The Black Sheep Agency
What types of jobs exist in Community Organizing?
This guide will focus on three primary types of community organizing: union-based organizing, tenant organizing, and issue-based organizing. At points, each of these may overlap with electoral politics, but this guide will focus on non-campaign organizing. If you are interested in organizing a campaign, check out the guide to getting a campaign job here.
UNION ORGANIZING
In this case, you will be employed by a union to represent workers. The mission of a labor organization broadly is to help improve working conditions through negotiating contracts, making sure any agreed-upon changes are actually enforced, and helping to advocate for mistreated workers. While some of this change happens at the policy level, union organizing relies on the grassroots support of its workforce.
Field RepresentativeThis is the most common entry-level position in union organizing. Your work will be on the ground, building relationships with workers. As a field representative, you can be expected to regularly enter workplaces to meet with workers and learn how the union can best advocate for their needs. You will have conversations about the state of workplace conditions and what may need to be changed in a future contract. In addition, a Field Representative has the job of motivating and empowering workers to believe in the power of organizing. Depending on where your clients are in the process of unionizing, you may also spend time helping to form a new union. This work is more delicate since you will need to interact with workers off the clock and often without management’s knowledge. Either way, work as a field representative is all about building deep personal connections through house visits, training, and larger meetings.
SaltsActing as a Salt is your chance to live out your dreams to take down the system by going undercover. As a Salt, you will take a regular job at a specific workplace with the intention of helping to unionize from the inside. Though unconventional, it is possible to be a Salt right out of college, and it can be an excellent entry into union organizing as a career. Salts gain the first-hand experience necessary to then organize from the outside. Organizing groups like Unite Here have programs to help Salts get going.
TENANT ORGANIZING
In order to dismantle discriminatory and predatory housing practices, tenant associations organize to fight on behalf of resident’s housing rights. Housing-based organizing encompasses both short-term goals such as better housing conditions and long-term policy change. In a similar vein to labor organizing, your position will involve both building and maintaining tenant associations. Tenant associations are similar to a union for renters. By joining together in an association, tenants create collective bargaining power to negotiate better conditions. If there is not an existing association, you will spend time meeting with current tenants in order to encourage them to organize, and helping to explain the legal rights associated with tenant organizing.
Your day-to-day work as a Tenant Organizer will involve one-on-ones with individual tenants as well as broader association meetings. Rent strikes are a common tactic for tenant organizations, so you may be responsible for encouraging tenants to withhold rent until the campaign succeeds. Since most tenants will be working during regular hours, your schedule will likely be irregular and include nights and weekends.
ISSUE-BASED ORGANIZING
Another common form of organizing is centered around a particular issue, rather than a campaign or union. For example, the Sunrise Movement organizes on behalf of climate action, or Moms Demand Action organizes for gun reform. Though issue-based organizing can easily overlap with electoral politics, it is more stable and less election cycle dependent than electoral organizing (campaigning). Your day-to-day work in Issue-based organizing will depend on how large your organization is. Many national organizations may have dedicated field organizers or representatives that are on the ground recruiting donors, members, and volunteers. Depending on your cause, you may be reaching out to a specific population.At a smaller organization/issue campaign, your job is likely to be far broader, and you will likely do more digital and communications work. Depending on your level, Issue-based Organizers will also be responsible for meeting with local policymakers to advocate for change. You might help lead strategy meetings for ways to engage the public and increase engagement in your issue. Public protests rely on organizers to get the word out using various media. Due to the pandemic, organizing has begun to rely more and more on social media, so you may find posting regularly becomes part of the job (if you don’t already).
Organizing by the numbers (pay and hours)
As a community organizer, there is a huge range of what you can expect from your workplace. Recent years have seen a positive trend towards better workplace conditions for organizers, but not all organizations have caught up. Regardless, you should expect to work irregular hours, but will have fair pay and some flexibility. One advantage of working for a union is that they will likely follow their own principles and provide solid benefits like full healthcare coverage.
As an entry-level organizer, the average pay is between $40K and $60K a year. Higher pay will come from larger, more established organizations. You will have room to grow as an organizer and can make up to $80K a year as you become more senior. Similarly, your hours will become more flexible as you gain seniority. Oftentimes, the individuals that organizers speak with, hold events for, and recruit are working people. Therefore, your hours as an organizer will accommodate these schedules and include some nights and weekends. Though there will be particularly busy times—in the middle of contract negotiations, the passage of a particular bill—you will also have downtime to recover and take more time for yourself.
How to get a job in Community Organizing
Pathways to get your foot in the door
Build experience in organizing on campus: Organizing is not something you can learn just in a book. You will learn by doing. Therefore, to best position yourself in an application, highlight your experience in organizing first and foremost. The easiest way to get involved while in college is through organizing on your college campus. Depending on your campus, there may be an academic center dedicated to labor practices/research. For examples, check out the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at Berkeley or the Kalmanovitz Initiative at Georgetown. This can help you learn whether or not you actually enjoy organizing. Thankfully, organizing in college doesn’t require endless applications. There are likely plenty of volunteer opportunities to get started organizing on your campus. Find an issue you care about, and there’s likely an existing student organization where you could start volunteering. Volunteering on campus can allow you to learn from your peers and make a difference in an institution that matters to you.
Volunteer in your community: Getting involved in community organizing in the city you’re living in is another helpful step in getting a paid job as an Organizer in the future. Not only will you gain valuable experience that will show employers you have the skills to organize, but you may also get a foot in the door in the organizing non-profit community where you’re currently located. Depending on where you are, you can look into tenant associations, a local Black Lives Matter chapter, or find out who is organizing a protest to get started. If you can spare a couple of evenings per week, that will help you understand if you are drawn to this work and help them understand that you are qualified (Other orgs to check out for volunteer work: Planned Parenthood, Sunrise Movement, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters).
Volunteer for a campaign: Another great place to get started is through campaign work. Attend a phone bank for your favorite candidate, or try door-knocking. Many campaigns also have paid interns and organizing fellows, and will provide a great entryway way into either campaign or community organizing. Many campaigns also have connections with local unions and could provide you a link to labor organizing. Check out the Second Day guide to working on a campaign here.
NETWORKING TIPS
Networking in this space is very different from the traditional informational interview. Having a network is important, but the best way to build this network is by showing up to events and helping out where you can. If you are jumping in without much prior experience, employers may be curious why you haven’t been involved in the past. That being said, you can often get involved in a matter of weeks if you are interested in doing so. Being engaged in the community is critical both to being taken seriously and to hearing about open positions, which are rarely posted publicly.
If in-person events are hard, social media can be another way to get engaged. Organizing is a profession where social media presence matters. So much organizing happens over the internet, and especially Twitter. By following organizers and advocates, you can learn about the latest issues, protests, and meet others online. You may see jobs and other volunteer opportunities made public through social media.
Considerations for the application process
SKILLS TO BUILD
Though there is not a degree in community organizing, there are skills you can polish in college that will make you a start candidate for community organizing jobs. Speaking a second language, particularly Spanish, will make you stand out in an application and may even be required for some organizing positions. If you aren’t at a point where fluency is within reach, keep in mind that Union organizing or Organizing in communities with predominantly English speakers might be your easiest foot in the door.
Other helpful skills are writing and graphic design. As mentioned above, your work in Organizing may also include significant digital and communications work. By coming in with social media tools and graphic design skills, you can show your ability to handle every aspect of the job. The same goes for hard data skills like basic coding capacity and/or advanced excel skills to help get a handle on volunteers, donors, or community members.
HOW RELEVANT IS THE MISSION TO YOUR LIFE?
If you are personally impacted by the issue an organization advocates for, you will stand out in the application process.
Representation and Dedication:
More and more organizations are looking to hire individuals with lived experience similar to the communities they work to organize. If you don’t have a personal connection to the cause or community, that doesn’t mean you can’t pursue a career in organizing. However, the experts Second Day spoke with emphasized how important it is that you are fully invested in the fight.
Whether or not you have been negatively impacted by systems of power, make sure that in your job application and on the job you know why you are in the fight. Pinpoint moments when you saw injustice play out either personally or before you, and use those moments as your fuel. Make sure that in any cover letter or interview, you relate why you’re invested in the broader pursuit of justice. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself:
Do you remember a time when you experienced injustice?
Do you remember a time when you saw a group fighting for justice?
Did you have a moment of political awakening?
Have you had an experience of disillusionment?
Why do you believe in organizing communities to fight for their own interest?
PLACE IS IMPORTANT
You should also convey investment in your location. If you are working for a local campaign, an organization looking to hire wants to know you are invested in the community. It is best to display an understanding of local politics and stakeholders so the organization knows you will be able to navigate local dynamics. The same goes for local language skills.
KEEP THAT SERVICE WORKER JOB ON YOUR RESUME
For many jobs, it makes sense to highlight your most impressive papers and credentials over more mundane work. But for community organizing, it is more important to highlight experience relevant to the work—engaging with the community, putting in long hours, and delivering on commitments. Service jobs (bartender, waitress/waiter, sales associate) or community volunteering can help demonstrate that well.
Where to find job postings
UNION ORGANIZING
If you are interested in Union Organizing, lots of larger organizations have on-ramp programs. These programs range from week- to month-long, and if you complete the program, you’ll get offered a job at the end of it. Hiring Hall is a great place for new DC labor movement jobs and UnionJobs is a great hub for nation-wide Union organizing jobs.
ISSUE-BASED ORGANIZING
There aren’t on-ramp programs for Issue-based Organizing, so you can look for job postings on traditional job boards like Indeed or Idealist. Most organizations will post openings on their websites, so you can also check their job boards regularly. The gain power career center also has some progressive organizing jobs. If you’re having trouble getting an entry-level organizing position, it is also helpful to do adjacent jobs (like digital or administrative work) to get a foot in the door. As mentioned above, the best way to find these jobs is through volunteering and getting to know an organization from the inside.
There aren’t any specific job boards dedicated to Tenant Organizing, so the best way to find jobs is by exploring local Tenant Organizing organizations and checking their websites for new postings.
Exit opportunities
According to Second Day’s experts, many community organizers are in it for the long haul. They build connections in their community, become invested in the success of their organizing partners, and want to continue fighting the fight. However, others continue on to other opportunities. The most common exit path for organizers is to move to another issue or political campaign. You will be exposed to many other organizations in the area, as well as local political movements. Since most community organizations are small, there won’t necessarily be an opportunity for internal promotion, but you can definitely move up the ladder quickly if you’re willing to be flexible. If you want to take a break from organizing for a more stable opportunity, you can use the skills you have honed as an organizer and work elsewhere. Common paths include working for an elected official or the government directly. You may also transition to another role within the movement like development, administration, or communications.
The upside
This work is hard, and the hours can be difficult to manage, but is also incredibly rewarding. These aren’t hours staring at a spreadsheet—you will be constantly interacting with others and helping to make a difference in their lives. You will also meet incredible workers and volunteers who have given up their time to help make their workplace, neighborhood, or planet a better place for others. You are best positioned to take this leap right out of college, and you will come out with knowledge, experience, and incredible relationships.
Additional resources: learn the language of Organizing
The Movement School is a progressive organization that holds courses in NYC on best practices for electoral organizing. Though it focuses on electoral politics, the lessons are applicable for anyone interested in grassroots community organizing work.
The Ayni Institute is an organization that provides training and resources on the theory and practice of community organizing.
Next three steps
If you’re not already, get involved in campus activism!
Find an organization off-campus and start to volunteer or intern there. Build up a network where you want to end up working (virtual opportunities as Swell)
Work on picking up a marketable skill (graphic design, comms, data, language fluency, web development, public speaking etc.)
Last updated: July 2021