Mission of the Children's Defense Fund:
The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

CDF provides a strong, effective and independent voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor children, children of color and those with disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investments before they get sick, drop out of school, get into trouble or suffer family breakdown.

CDF began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization supported by individual donations, foundation, corporate and government grants.

Position Summary:
Based in Washington, D.C. and reporting to CDF’s Director of National Organizing, Intergovernmental Outreach and Children’s Defense Fund Action Council, the Special Assistant for National Organizing and Intergovernmental Relations will be responsible for developing and implementing new organizing programs and engagement efforts with elected officials’ offices aimed at harnessing the full scope of CDF constituents and partners to: achieve important wins to dismantle the cradle to prison pipeline at a local, state and national level; impact policy and legislation important to children; and train a new generation of nonviolent organizing leaders.

Core Responsibilities:

Constituent Outreach and Recruitment for Organizing Efforts

• Plan, initiate and execute outreach to new constituencies in order to build CDF’s reach to college students, high school students, faith communities, progressive organizations and employees who serve children.
• Develop strategies to engage these groups and persons for political action advocacy and locally focused social justice efforts with a focus on cultivating the high impact/involvement persons.
• Increase CDF’s presence, particularly on college and university campuses and faith communities, to engage campus leaders in advocating for priorities for children.
• Establish a plan to build a leadership pipeline from CDF’s youth programs, particularly tracking alumni of the CDF’s Freedom Schools® Program, Beat the Odds® Program and internship programs, and engage them with CDF in various capacities.

Programmatic Support and Project Management for Organizing Efforts

• Support the launch and execution of new national organizing programs.
• Develop and effectively manage platforms that allow CDF to disseminate training materials, receive reports and engage with CDF constituents.
• Manage the scheduling, agenda and execution of regular outreach efforts to CDF organizing constituents including national conference calls, web-based trainings and in-person meetings and conferences.
• In conjunction with other organizing team members, support the development and implementation of the organizing training curriculum.
• In conjunction with the CDF communications and policy teams, develop social media content that directs action toward CDF priorities.

Constituent Database Management to Support Organizing Priorities

• Manage the transition and maintenance of a new constituent database management system to support organizing priorities.
• Lead the Organizing Team’s efforts to establish a constituent data management system that effectively engages the totality of organizing constituencies taking action.
• Establish and maintain business rules (i.e. data processes) in conjunction with other CDF offices (e.g. development) to ensure comprehensive tracking of constituent data and key contacts for CDF’s organizing efforts.

Programmatic Support and Project Management for Intergovernmental Engagement

• Track and manage priorities for CDF’s federal, state and local engagement efforts.
• Monitor legislation and policy initiatives in conjunction with the CDF Policy Team and other CDF staff working on the CDF Congressional Scorecard.
• In conjunction with the CDF Policy Team, find opportunities to work with Congress to influence legislation and hill activity.
• Support the efforts to build the network of CDF partners in policy-making roles and develop/execute strategies for pushing information to these partners to better impact the policy-making process.
• Support the augmented outreach to state and local national committees (e.g. NGA, NCSL, USCM, NLC, NACo).

• Provide other support as needed to the Director of National Organizing, Intergovernmental Affairs and the CDF Action Council.

Qualifications

• A demonstrated interest and deep commitment in and commitment to social justice and improving the quality of life for children and families, especially those who are most vulnerable
• Experience in organizing, mobilizing, and/or movement building
• Expertise in research, writing, presenting and setting internal strategy
• Experience with technical platforms for constituent management, online meetings and engagement and social media
• Political awareness and acumen regarding federal, state and local policy making
• Experience in event planning with a detail-oriented approach
• Superb organizational skills and an ability to effectively project manage
• Interpersonal skills with a range of communities
• An ability to set, choose between and implement priorities
• Integrity, institutional loyalty and high standards of excellence and accuracy
• Ability to work well in teams and to build bridges across priorities and work responsibilities
• A “get it done,” results-driven, proactive attitude
• A self-starter capable of working independently and under pressure
• Ability to take initiative, set priorities, efficiently and effectively organize work and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• 2-4 years of relevant work experience

Salary commensurate with experience. This is a full-time salaried position with a generous benefits package including vacation, medical, dental and retirement plans.
 

To apply submit cover letter and resume.

THE CHILDREN’S DEFENSE FUND IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
25 E Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001 | www.childrensdefense.org